Still I Rise Poem by Maya Angelou: A Powerful Message of Resilience
Still I Rise by Maya Angelou speaks to the poet’s unwavering spirit despite the challenges and hate she faces.
Still I Rise, by Maya Angelou
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.
Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
’Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.
Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.
Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops,
Weakened by my soulful cries?
Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
’Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own backyard.
You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.
Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?
Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.
Reflection on the Poetry by Maya Angelou 'Still I Rise'
Maya Angelou’s Still I Rise is a powerful declaration of strength and resilience. The poem shows how, despite facing hatred, prejudice, and hardship, the speaker refuses to be brought down. Each line is a reminder that no matter how others try to put us down, we have the power to rise above and keep moving forward.
Angelou’s words inspire us to embrace our inner strength and confidence. She celebrates her identity, her history, and her courage to stand tall in the face of adversity. The poem teaches us that no matter the challenges we face, we can rise—again and again—with pride and dignity.
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