Still I Rise

I fell in love with Maya Angelou's writing the very first time I read one of her poems. Through her work she inspires, encourages and uplifts her readers. Still I Rise is one of my favorites of her wide collection. Her diction and tone exude pure confidence as she continually states that she will rise above any obstacle that comes her way. She begins by saying "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." Her first four lines set the tone for the rest of the poem. She refuses to allow any person to define her with their speech. She goes on saying " You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like dust, I'll rise." She states how she will rise above lies and oppression. 

Her inspiring dialogue encourages readers from all backgrounds to not be easily defeated by life's circumstances or hardships, but to rather press forward. I did a research project on Maya Angelou my senior year of high school. I was amazed upon studying her life story. At the young age of eight, Angelou was raped by her mother’s boyfriend. After telling her uncles what had happened, they murdered him. Angelou felt responsible for the killing and stopped talking for almost six years.  She faced many difficult experiences throughout her lifetime including being a single mother and the struggle with poverty. However she never let her circumstances effect her, as she went on to become a poet, memoirist, novelist, educator, dramatist, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. Throughout her lifetime, Angelou took painful experiences and used them to help her become a stronger person.