Still I Rise
MAYA ANGELOU
About the Author:
Maya Angelou (1928-2014) Born Marguerite Annie Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri, was an acclaimed American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist. She is best known for her autobiographical series, beginning with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), which chronicles her early life and resilience in the face of racism and personal hardships. Angelou also wrote impactful poetry, including And Still I Rise and Phenomenal Woman, celebrating strength, dignity, and the human spirit. Throughout her life, Maya Angelou championed equality, freedom, and the power of education. Her powerful words and unwavering optimism continue to inspire generations, reminding everyone to rise above adversity and embrace inherent worth.
About the Text:
"Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou is a powerful poem that celebrates resilience, self-confidence, and hope in the face of oppression. Written in a bold and uplifting tone, the poem reflects the strength to overcome injustice and prejudice. It inspires readers to rise above challenges with dignity and pride, making it a timeless anthem of empowerment.
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.Does my sassiness⁴ upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom⁵?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.
Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides⁷,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.Does my sexiness¹⁵ upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds¹⁶
At the meeting of my thighs¹⁷?
Out of the huts of history's shame¹⁸
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain¹⁹
I rise
I'm a black ocean²⁰, leaping and wide²¹,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear²²
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously²³ clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave²⁴,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.