In the poem “Still I rise” the structure of the stanzas is mostly regular except the last two stanzas. All the stanzas in this poem have four lines each, except for the last two stanzas which have 6 lines and 9 lines each. The rhyme scheme throughout the poem is A, B, C, B; except for the last two stanzas, where it is A, B, A, B, B, B, C, B C, B, D, D, B, B, B. The form of this poem is a dramatic monologue as she saying a speech about her life and the struggles she faces. The lines of the stanzas are clear and rhythmic with around 6-8 words in each line, however in the last two stanzas it is not as clear and there is no similar pattern as before. This might be because there is a change of tone or voice. For example she goes from being very
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The different poetic devices emphasise Maya Angelou’s message. Firstly, the repetition of “I Rise” and “I’ll Rise” 10 times during the poem, is very significant because it emphasises how much confidence and strength she has even though she suffers so severely from society being racist towards her. By repeating it throughout the poem it portrays her determination to overcome all the problems she faces during her life. Also, by repeating “I rise” it emphasises the speaker’s message which is to always fight for your rights and live strong. In line 5 the speaker asks a rhetorical question, “Does my sassiness upset you?” The word “sassiness” is colloquial but yet very effective in this context. This is a very effective way of catching the reader’s attention. By asking a rhetorical question, it makes the poem more personal but it also makes the reader read the poem more closely. She uses quite a few of these similar rhetorical questions throughout the poem because she knows white society don’t like to see a black woman full of pride. When she is asking these rhetorical questions, she has a strong tone of voice to really emphasise her confidence. The rhetorical questions are very direct and they are straight at the readers face. A good example of a metaphor expressing her equality is “Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells pumping in my living room.” Oil wells are very expensive and valuable …show more content…
Oil wells are symbolizing her success in life and how much she has achieved throughout her lifetime. She wants to be treated equally and not treated with so much disrespect. The metaphor in stanza 8, “I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide” emphasises how powerful and potent she is. The colour black is a negative word to use as it brings out a sense of fear but by personifying herself as a “black ocean” it just shows she is large, destructive and unstoppable, just like the sea. On the other hand, a “black ocean” may be describing her race and this tells the reader the
The different poetic devices emphasise Maya Angelou’s message. Firstly, the repetition of “I Rise” and “I’ll Rise” 10 times during the poem, is very significant because it emphasises how much confidence and strength she has even though she suffers so severely from society being racist towards her. By repeating it throughout the poem it portrays her determination to overcome all the problems she faces during her life. Also, by repeating “I rise” it emphasises the speaker’s message which is to always fight for your rights and live strong. In line 5 the speaker asks a rhetorical question, “Does my sassiness upset you?” The word “sassiness” is colloquial but yet very effective in this context. This is a very effective way of catching the reader’s attention. By asking a rhetorical question, it makes the poem more personal but it also makes the reader read the poem more closely. She uses quite a few of these similar rhetorical questions throughout the poem because she knows white society don’t like to see a black woman full of pride. When she is asking these rhetorical questions, she has a strong tone of voice to really emphasise her confidence. The rhetorical questions are very direct and they are straight at the readers face. A good example of a metaphor expressing her equality is “Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells pumping in my living room.” Oil wells are very expensive and valuable …show more content…
Oil wells are symbolizing her success in life and how much she has achieved throughout her lifetime. She wants to be treated equally and not treated with so much disrespect. The metaphor in stanza 8, “I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide” emphasises how powerful and potent she is. The colour black is a negative word to use as it brings out a sense of fear but by personifying herself as a “black ocean” it just shows she is large, destructive and unstoppable, just like the sea. On the other hand, a “black ocean” may be describing her race and this tells the reader the