Still I Rise Figurative Language

Everyone has those moments where they read a page in a book. They put the book down, look intently into your eyes, and say, “I have no idea what this means.” Fortunately, there are many things, like literary elements, to help you understand what the author means, if you study it carefully. For example, in “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou, she uses an amalgamation of literary elements, such as symbolism, word choice, and figurative language, which eloquently describes the theme in this poem: Stereotypes should not rule your life. Throughout the poem, Mrs. Angelou uses an abundance of symbolism that is scattered around the poem. These symbols represent how she has fought back and gained her life back from the oppression that was affecting her. For example, in the 6th stanza of “Still I Rise”, she writes, “But still, like air, I’ll rise.” This symbol, the air, shows how that she reacts to these threats by others by acting like air, still rising. It clearly shows how nothing can stop her. Also, in the 8th stanza of “Still I Rise”, Mrs. …show more content…
The similes and personification scattered throughout the poem show that this is a major part of what Mrs. Angelou wanted readers to think about while deciding the theme for their own. In the 2nd stanza of “Still I Rise”, it states: “Cause I laugh like I got oil wells/Pumping in my living room.” In the 3rd stanza of “Still I Rise”, it states that “Just like hopes springing high/Still I rise.” Finally, in the 5th stanza of “Still I Rise”, Mrs. Angelou writes, “Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines/Digging in my own backyard.” These similes in these lines don’t show how she is being held down by oppression and difficulty of life; rather, these lines show how successful her self-image and self-confidence has been despite the difficulties. As proven, figurative language helps the reader find out what the theme of this poem is: Stereotypes should not rule your