By this time, she had already been heavily involved in the Civil Rights Movement, with ties to Malcom X and Martin Luther King Jr.’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference. When Angelou wrote this poem in 1978, she was (age).
Looking through a political lense at this poem over time is very dynamic. Through Angelou’s conclusiveness, its easy why this poem has become such an icon. The poem is clearly directed towards someone, as Angelou creates a self-assertiveness towards someone whose oppressed and mistreated her. Angelou begins her poem with, “You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may tread me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I'll rise.” Beginning with her first word, “you,” the narrator initiates a powerful tone. This theme is evident in Still I Rise The poem’s first stanza is one of the most powerful. What is so incredible about Angelou's writing is her ability to command attention and engagement from the reader to decipher the underlying meaning in her works, making the reader take an active role in reading by allowing them to tie in real world experiences and issues surrouding our world (Bloom, 127). But, on a deeper level, the poem has become an anthem for the oppressed and the exploited, specifically those dealing with racial bias as African American citizens. The literal interpretation of the poem could be considered a sassy response to those who mistreat the narrator. In the poem, the narrator is a woman, who is very direct and blunt. All three of these identities shine throughout Still I Rise. The late Maya Angelou is remembered as an outstanding poet, a civil rights activist, and a bold African American woman.
Angelou, throughout her career, has been able to transform her personal experience into political discourse through her poetry. Even though this poem was written nearly 40 years ago, it is still just as influential on politics, society, and culture as it was then as it is now. Influential people throughout the years have looked to this poem for guidance and courage some of the most recognizable including former President Bill Clinton and rapper Tupac. She uses her own personal experiences to instill a feeling of relatableness and a community of healing for the reader (Bloom, 127). Angelou’s poem goes far beyond its eight stanzas, striking inspiration and hope into each individual who reads it. The poem, which represents the inferiority and societal struggles between blacks and whites was a very real, and still continues to be, an issue in modern day America. When Maya Angelou wrote her famous poem, Still I Rise, in 1978, its unclear if she knew the impact it would have on the world as a whole.
0 kommentar(er)
