Samantha Vang
Angela Coffee
Composition II
October 16, 2015
Can’t be Contained, Like Air
“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” (lines1-4). Imagine being looked down upon and your enemies expect you to have your head down. They expect you to be broken with tears running down your face because the world is against you. Having that in mind yet, you couldn’t care less on what the world labeled you as because you’re strong, knowledgeable, and refuse to surrender to your enemies. The poem, Still I Rise, clearly addressed to an oppressor of black people. The poem is willing to speak up for themselves, the other living black folks and for their ancestors. Still I Rise is a powerful poem that embraces the beauty of a person’s internal strength and one that …show more content…
It states, “Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like tear drops. Weakened by my soulful cries” (lines13-16). The language is used for a visual sight that speaks of depression and being miserable; a vision of a sorrowful person whom has no strain of hope. Assert yourself that the poem addresses the oppressor as an individual who looks down on it and simply expects grief and sorrow. With those expectations, the poem then states, “Does my haughtiness offend you” (line17) and “Does my sassiness upset you” (line5). Even with all the expectations from the oppressors, the poem stands strong to find it’s voice to even challenge the oppressors with great confidence. In addition to language, the phrases “I’ll rise” and “I rise” played such a major role. With the phrase “I’ll rise” being stated only in the beginning, it sounds more like a reminder to the oppressor that the poem will eventually be free from the chains. Until we get to the end, “I rise” represents that the poem has
Angela Coffee
Composition II
October 16, 2015
Can’t be Contained, Like Air
“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” (lines1-4). Imagine being looked down upon and your enemies expect you to have your head down. They expect you to be broken with tears running down your face because the world is against you. Having that in mind yet, you couldn’t care less on what the world labeled you as because you’re strong, knowledgeable, and refuse to surrender to your enemies. The poem, Still I Rise, clearly addressed to an oppressor of black people. The poem is willing to speak up for themselves, the other living black folks and for their ancestors. Still I Rise is a powerful poem that embraces the beauty of a person’s internal strength and one that …show more content…
It states, “Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like tear drops. Weakened by my soulful cries” (lines13-16). The language is used for a visual sight that speaks of depression and being miserable; a vision of a sorrowful person whom has no strain of hope. Assert yourself that the poem addresses the oppressor as an individual who looks down on it and simply expects grief and sorrow. With those expectations, the poem then states, “Does my haughtiness offend you” (line17) and “Does my sassiness upset you” (line5). Even with all the expectations from the oppressors, the poem stands strong to find it’s voice to even challenge the oppressors with great confidence. In addition to language, the phrases “I’ll rise” and “I rise” played such a major role. With the phrase “I’ll rise” being stated only in the beginning, it sounds more like a reminder to the oppressor that the poem will eventually be free from the chains. Until we get to the end, “I rise” represents that the poem has