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Maya Angelou Still I Rise Summary

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Society attempts to strip away strength and self love. It judges people based on what is on the outside which weakens them so they are no longer able to fight back. This poem is an attempt to rally the citizens of the world and bring them strength back. In “Still I Rise” Maya Angelou portrays the idea of persevering and discovering self worth through battling the hardships of society’s views. The world is strict in what it believes, if someone chooses to go against its ideals then society will attempt to drag them through the dirt. In the beginning of the poem Angelou makes sure to include emphasis on the harshness that society brings, “Shoulders falling down like teardrops./ Weakened by my soulful cries” (Angelou 15-16). It can cause so much weight on someone's shoulders that it can end with the loss of willpower inside. One has to be strong enough to continue to hold their head up even when being dragged down. The author is showing that even though she faltered at times, things still got to her. She is attempting to portray that through everything she continued to rise from the ashes of society. Denying the hold society has on her, Angelou states, “You may shoot me with your words,/ You may cut me with your eyes” (Angelou 21-22). The world attempts to quiet anything that enters its long dark path. For centuries society has managed to cage ideas and outlaw change. The author, Maya Angelou, uses this as a way to warn the reader. Showing them …show more content…

Throughout the poem Maya Angelou shows her growth when facing the trials that are thrown at her. She becomes both stronger and more confident in herself. She does not rely on society to tell her who she is based on her looks. Instead she realizes that it is more important to focus on her appearance on the inside opposed to the outside. Society no longer defines her, she has found strength in herself instead of allowing the world to label

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