Introduction
Still I Rise is a poem written by an American writer, poet, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou and published in a poetry collection And Still I Rise: A Book of Poems in 1978. The poem is the collection’s title work, which points to the significance that it has in relation to the book’s main themes. Still I Rise is the author’s proclamation of her people’s greatness and resilience in response to injustice and oppression. The poem is Angelou’s way of confronting her victimizers and establishing her self-worth.
Historical Context
It is important to look at the historical context of the time when the work was written to understand what inspired the author to create it. Still I Rise is dated to the 1970s, which is the decade when Angelou started taking interest in the civil and human rights movements and being politically active (Widjayanti, 2019). It most likely provided the woman with an opportunity to witness the variety of forms of discrimination and the way they impacted people. Moreover, during that time, Angelou communicated and worked with brilliant leaders of the movements in which she became involved (Widjayanti, 2019). It means that not only did Angelou see injustice but she also saw how strong people, and Black people in particular, can be when they are united to fight against inequality.
Innovative Thinking
In a racist society, people of color are considered to be inferior to white folks. In a sexist society, a woman is inherently inferior to a man. Maya Angelou, being a Black woman in the America of the past, dared to assert that she is capable and worthwhile with Still I Rise. In the 1970s, it was an innovative way of thinking, especially considering how boldly and vividly the author proclaims her strength and beauty. This is expressed in the language that Angelou chooses to portray Black radiance and in how bravely she addresses her oppressors.
Community
In Angelou’s view, Black people, and Black women in particular, have the power to rise above all the hate and prejudice that they encounter. Whatever the hardships, her community not only survives but thrives due to the intrinsic qualities that its members possess. The author describes Blackness as infinitely beautiful and associates it with oil wells, gold mines, and diamonds (Kumawat, 2019). This is particularly interesting taking into account how all the riches historically belonged to white people. With these metaphors, Angelou emphasizes that Black people are rich too, in their own way, and their greatest wealth is their Black identity.
Ideas Challenged
The author’s racist society is of a view that Black bodies, thoughts, and lives are not as valuable as others, and she fiercely challenges this belief. Angelou claims that, despite such a conception, she is a dazzling force to be reckoned with whose humanity cannot be doubted. Still I Rise criticizes racist and sexist notions of power and beauty as constructs only linked to whiteness and manhood and celebrates Black femininity in all its glory.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Maya Angelou’s Still I Rise is an ode to the greatness and resilience of the Black community. Having been written in the 1970s, this poem boldly states that the Black spirit is indestructible and will only be strengthened by all the injustice it faces. Moreover, it asserts the beauty of a Black woman and assigns value to her personality. Still I Rise is the author’s attempt to inspire her people to continue to fight no matter the obstacles.
References
Kumawat, D. (2019). Breaking the stereotypes from victims to survivors: Black feminist study of Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise” and “Phenomenal Woman”. In A. K. Gupta & S. Jain (Eds.), Glass ceiling and ambivalent sexism (critical perspectives of gender trouble), (pp. 96-104). Booksclinic Publishing.
Widjayanti, E. P. (2019). Building humanity values through Maya Angelou’s poems. Journal International Seminar on Languages, Literature, Arts, and Education, 1(1), 143-148.