In both, “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou and Mary Oliver’s “The Journey”, the speaker utilizes a different style of diction and figurative language in order to appeal to their different audiences regarding two similar yet different subjects. Both poems ultimately suggests one to fight against matters that are deemed oppressive in order to move towards a brighter future although their purpose is depicted differently. This message is effectively delivered through the use of different methods of tone: Angelou utilizes a sarcastic and defiant tone, whereas Oliver settles on a more troubled and assured tone. In Maya Angelou’s poem, Angelou has no problem criticizing society for its discrimination between race and gender and promptly lays out a suggestion
‘Still I Rise’ by the American, Maya Angelou presents the character of a black woman who is oppressed in the 1970s but refuses to accept this. ‘Disabled’ by Wilfred Owen, however, is concerned with a character who is ‘broken’ after the disabilities he suffers in the First World War at the beginning of the twentieth century. The poem ‘Still I Rise’ is about a woman who discloses that she will overcome anything due to her self-confidence. The line ‘But still, like dust, I’ll rise’ is a metaphor that expresses that she will not be downtrodden by others. Instead, she will be the dust that rises from the dirt.
Both poems shed light on the true feelings of African Americans everywhere and show that these people are tired of being treated differently and that these people know that things will change. Hughes’s poem has a laid back approach, almost expecting things to get better on their own. But Angelou’s poem is a bit more attacking. Instead of accepting that things are the way they are and that they’ll get better, Angelou tries to make her oppressors seem less oppressive to her and more scared of her by saying things such as “Do you want to see me broken” and “Does my sexiness offend
What both of these characters fought and strived for came to be true presently. Although, many little achievements were met, their ultimate goals became a success. Angelou tells about the people in an individual's life, presently and from the past. They went through and overcame struggles, working hard for future generations to be free as analyzed within one of the many quotes, “ But today, the Rock cries out to us, clearly, forcefully, come, you may stand upon my and face your distant destiny, but seek no haven in my shadow” (Angelou 9-12). One individual who could play an example of one of the symbolic images Angelou describes is Stanton.
In stanza seven, the river speaks of factories that have dumped their wastes by its side, as well as the exploitation of Native American land and labor; both points are used to show how greed can destroy humanity. At numerous points throughout the poem, Angelou mentions the different races who came to America as immigrants and slaves. The mention of these different races can have a positive and negative connotation. Speaking positively, Angelou may be referring the fact that America has been called “the melting pot” of cultures, and how all people were welcomed openly to America. Negatively, she may be referring to the fact that this medley of cultures has led to an erasure of their individual identities, which relates to her theme of celebrating the diversity of all
Angelou’s tone perfectly illustrates the rite of passage from childhood to adulthood. She writes joyously, with a hint of sadness and malcontentment reflecting the racial prejudices of the South during the 1940s. She uses phrases like “sunlight itself was young” and describes herself as “the center of the moment” to convey the excitement and joy she felt as a child on the days leading up to her graduation. She also interjects more sobering statements, such as when she speaks of “hanging ropes of parasitic moss and speaks of wishing everybody dead to characterize the struggle of African Americans during the 40s. The tone of these segments is malcontentment, sadness, and anger over the subjugation of blacks
Although the individual that she is talking about has bashed her and mistreated her, she is seen as a great example to many other African Americans who have faced segregation by still standing up to what she believes in despite the bitterness she may have received. Hughes and Angelou state their message in two different scenarios; however, both have showed the power of rising up. Although many laws were being passed during this time period due to many rising up, the writings of the two poets have been able to inspire individuals to fight for equality. They both describe the harsh conditions they have faced in their own personal experience with segregation and show that they are not afraid to speak up. Even though both poems may be different in a multitude
There were many more writers like Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou. There is such a bigger meaning to these poems on overcoming hardships in life that everyone has to go through. To not give up and to fight for what is
Both authors not only painted descript images of their troubles, but summarize their experiences in ways that leave the reader feeling heartbroken for the struggles they’d went through. Not only did both characters come out of their experiences stronger than ever, but neither of them broke within the stories they told. They both fought past their burdens and found ways to cope. I find that to be the most courageous thing out of both experiences - not the war, not the struggle of being black in a racist country, but their coping mechanisms. With what I’ve learned about the struggles of both Maya Angelou and Tim O’Brien, I’ve learned that as long as I still have the will to fight against my burdens, I will come out alive and hopeful.
The characters both have different perceptions, but Angelou’s awareness is more eye opening making her valiant. They both learn different lessons; Angelou has the greatest life lesson pushing her to be brave. Maya Angelou’s story is the most captivating because it is about fear, while Amy Tan’s story is about assimilating a different culture. This has made Angelou more courageous. Tan and Angelou live in a different