Maya Angelou uses various literary devices in her poem “Still I Rise.” It is first important to not that she takes on the persona of all black women to represent their perseverance as a group. The main idea is that in spite of the obstacles that are tossed at her, she will rise and move forward. Angelou makes great use of similes. Similes make comparisons between two things and usually include a word such as like or as. The following are examples of similes: “But still, like dust, I’ll rise,” (Stanza 1, Line 4). “But still, like air, I’ll rise,” (Stanza 6, Line 4). The similes also offer a wonderful sense of imagery. The readers are able to picture the dust rising and the image is truly empowering. Angelou also makes uses of metaphors in the
