Maya+Angelou

//44. Still I Rise // *About overcoming prejudices such as racism and sexism. *For most of the poem, every other line rhymes, making the poem very rhythmic. *”I rise” and “Still I rise” are repeated many times throughout the poem to create emphasis. The poet also uses this repetition to show how she has overcome multiple suppression and difficulties. *Imageries are frequently used to convey strong emotions. “Shoulders falling down like teardrops,” creates the image of drooping shoulder under the oppressions and difficulties. With a combination of tears, which is automatically associated with sadness, the poet intensifies the sadness of the image. *The rising dust is a metaphor for the overcoming of obstacles.

//45. Phenomenal Woman// *Comments on the society's high value for women's physical beauty. *Each stanza ends with the same few lines. This creates emphasis as well as rhythm. *The speaker is different from the ones who wishes to fit in, she is "not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size," but she is a "phenomenal woman" and other "pretty woman wonder where (her) secret lies." *The speaker differentiates between inner beauty and physical beauty."They try so much but they cannot touch my inner mystery." Although she tries to "show them" "They say they still can't see." Here the speaker is trying to present the influence of a beautiful personality which is intangible and unobservable to the eye. *"my head is not bowed" is a metaphor for the speaker's decisions to not conform to the society's expectation of women. She does not "shout or jump about" to draw attention.

//46. Alone// *The poem expresses the poet's belief that nobody can survive being alone. *The lines "Nobody, but nobody can make it out here alone." Repeats several times throughout the poem. This reiterates the poet's firm opinion. At the same time it may be an attempt to drill the concept into the minds of the readers. *The author uses the example of "millionaires." They have "money they cannot use" and "expensive doctors to cure their hearts of stone." Money is the goal and pursuit of many, but here the money cannot be used. Therefore the author is trying to make a point that money cannot cure loneliness and it cannot replace human company.