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Still I Rise
By Maya Angelou
1978
Maya Angelou (1928-2014) was an American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist. She received dozens of
awards and more than 50 honorary degrees. She was respected as a spokesperson for Black people and
women, and her work centers on themes such as racism, identity, family and travel. Her poems, prose and
essays are widely used in schools and universities worldwide.
As you read, make note of the details that support the reasons why the speaker uses the phrases “I rise”
or “I’ll rise” throughout the poem.
[1]
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
1
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.
[5]
Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
’Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.
Just like moons and like suns,
[10]
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I’ll rise.
Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
[15]
Shoulders falling down like teardrops,
Weakened by my soulful cries?
"Untitled" by Ryan Loughlin @rylomedia is licensed
under CC0.
2
Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
’Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines
[20]
Diggin’ in my own backyard.
You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
1.
2.
step on
Haughty (adjective) in a proud or stuck up way
1
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.
[25]
Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I’ve got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?
Out of the huts of history’s shame
[30]
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,
3
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
[35]
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
[40]
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.
"Still I Rise" from And Still I Rise: A Book of Poems. Copyright © 1978 by Maya Angelou. Used by permission of Random
House, an imprint and division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise noted, this content is licensed under the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license
3.
Bear (verb) to give birth to
2
Text-Dependent Questions
Directions: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Which statement expresses a theme of the poem?
A.
The speaker can get through anything they face, because they are naturally gifted.
B.
The speaker can get through anything they face, because they have a lot of support.
C.
The speaker can get through anything they face, because their parents did the same.
D.
The speaker can get through anything they face, because they believe in themselves.
Which statement best describes the structure of stanza 2 and stanza 5?
A.
The speaker asks questions and then describes all the valuables that he or she
possesses.
B.
The speaker asks questions and then reveals something powerful about the way he or
she acts.
C.
The speaker asks questions and then provides the answers that he or she wants to
hear in response.
D.
The speaker asks questions and then uses nature to help illustrate how rich the world's
resources are.
How does the repetition in stanza 6 contribute to the development of the poem's meaning?
A.
It helps emphasize how no matter what happens, the speaker will not be kept down.
B.
It helps reveal that no matter what the listener thinks of themselves, they are a
murderer.
C.
It helps demonstrate that even though the speaker is talking to one person, other
people are listening.
D.
It helps illustrate that even though the speaker is talking to one person, they have
many different enemies.
What is the meaning of the word "bear" as it is used in line 34?
A.
to carry
B.
to curve
C.
to present
D.
to sink
What can the reader infer about the speaker from their conversation with the audience?
A.
The speaker is amused by people who do not realize what their life is really like.
B.
The speaker is tired of having to explain why they act the way they do.
C.
The speaker has had many people try to shake their confidence.
D.
The speaker has tried to forget the past but knows they can't.
3
6.
How does the speaker use the phrase "I rise" or I'll rise"? Answer the question in 4-5 sentences,
citing evidence from the poem to support your answer.
4
Discussion Questions
Directions: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared to share
your original ideas in a class discussion.
1.
What makes you who you are? Can other people's opinions affect how you see yourself? How can
you stay true to the real you?
2.
In the poem, the speaker repeats "still I rise." How does a person overcome adversity? Describe a
time when you or someone you knew had to "get back up" and try again at something. What made
you or them keep getting back up?
5