Friday, January 19, 2007

Maya Angelou- "Still I Rise"

Still I Rise
by Maya Angelou

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 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,

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?

Shoulders falling down like teardrops,

Weakened by my soulful cries?



Does my haughtiness offend you?

Don't you take it awful hard

'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines

Diggin' in my own backyard.



You may shoot me with your words,

You may cut me with your eyes,

You may kill me with your hatefulness,

But still, like air, I'll rise.



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

I rise

Up from a past that's rooted in pain

I rise

I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,

Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.



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,

I am the dream and the hope of the slave.

I rise

I rise

I rise.

Poetry doesn't catch my interest often, but this poem by Maya Angelou did. It's interesting by how she seems to be confronting racists and/or sexists. She stands alone, but seems that she'd be backed up by all women and all African Americans. Maya stands for the rights of women and the rights of blacks. She seems to be a tough women willing to fight if the need arises. This poem was deep. It has this alure to it that just sticks out and pulls you in to tell you that you can't knock her down. She will get up again. She will rise.

I'm not too fond of poetry as I've mentioned, but when I do find something or someone that has caught my attention then I read and read and read. I do like Maya Angelou, even though today is only the second day I've ever read her poetry. I hope to find more attention grabbing poems by her.

1 Comments:

Blogger Jerry D. said...

Hey Richelle. I read this poem and I think it is cool too. I was going to post it but then I thought nah it's too long. It does have a good message.

10:22 AM  

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