Maya angelous still i rise research

She also talks about the strength of her community. The poem is included in the volume of poetry named And Still I Rise. She published the volume of poetry at a period when her career was very productive. In that period, she composed songs for singers such as Roberta Cleopatra Flack and scores for certain movies. Still I Rise is her favorite poem in the volume and in it, she talks about the resilience of the African American people in the face of injustices. By using rhetorical questions, the reader is made to be a part of the discussion that involves the persona and the oppressor. The rhetorical questions such as “does my sassiness upset you?” also serve to taunt the oppressor.

The poem’s general tone is that of pride and grace. Rhetorical Criticism In her poem, Angelou mainly uses pathos to convince African American women to remain strong in the face of adversity and be confident in who they are. She appeals to the emotion of the readers by comparing an African American woman to a Caucasian woman which has been an issue of sensitivity for a long time (Rahmawati, p. Through differentiating the African American woman from women of other races, Angelou further increases the divide between the African American and other races. New Historicism Criticism The poem was written in a period when African American women were oppressed since their race was considered to be inferior. They did not have equal rights to their counterparts from other races (Arthami, p.

Maya Angelou went through challenges of her own as an African American woman. Her own challenges and those of other African American women around her led her to write the poem. The poem, nevertheless, is relevant in today’s society especially due to the pervasiveness of violence against African American women. Cultural Criticism The poem was written in a period when African Americans were viewed to be inferior and therefore got unfair treatment. By the time during which the poem was written, the slave trade had been abolished, but African Americans were still struggling to obtain the same opportunities as their Caucasian counterparts. They experienced segregation in terms of education, jobs, and even housing. They also experienced violence from dominant racial groups.

She shows that the black woman will rise despite the challenges she might face such as a negative representation and poor treatment from the White community and from the African American men who are meant to protect them. The poem is relevant today as the culture is still similar. Minority groups face a lot of injustices such as unequal job opportunities, poor housing, and police brutality. Women also still face challenges such as violence and harassment (Beard, p. The rate of crimes of passion in which women are the victims are also on the rise. "The idea of black feminism in Maya Angelou's Still I Rise and Phenomenal Woman. News, BBC. “Maya Angelou Interview on HARDtalk - BBC News. ” YouTube, YouTube, 28 May 2014, www.