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And Still I Rise
Maya Angelou's poetry - lyrical and dramatic, exuberant and playful - speaks of love, longing, partings; of Saturday night partying, and the smells and sounds of Southern cities; of freedom and shattered dreams. 'The caged bird sings/ with a fearful trill/ of things unknown/ but longed for still/ and his tune is heard/ on the distant hill/ for the caged bird/ sings of freedom.'
112 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
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About the author
Maya Angelou
259books14.2kfollowersMaya Angelou was an American memoirist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees. Angelou's series of seven autobiographies focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), tells of her life up to the age of 17 and brought her international recognition and acclaim.
She became a poet and writer after a string of odd jobs during her young adulthood. These included fry cook, sex worker, nightclub performer, Porgy and Bess cast member, Southern Christian Leadership Conference coordinator, and correspondent in Egypt and Ghana during the decolonization of Africa. Angelou was also an actress, writer, director, and producer of plays, movies, and public television programs. In 1982, she was named the first Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Angelou was active in the Civil Rights Movement and worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Beginning in the 1990s, she made approximately 80 appearances a year on the lecture circuit, something she continued into her eighties. In 1993, Angelou recited her poem "On the Pulse of Morning" (1993) at the first inauguration of Bill Clinton, making her the first poet to make an inaugural recitation since Robert Frost at the inauguration of John F. Kennedy in 1961.
With the publication of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Angelou publicly discussed aspects of her personal life. She was respected as a spokesperson for Black people and women, and her works have been considered a defense of Black culture. Her works are widely used in schools and universities worldwide, although attempts have been made to ban her books from some U.S. libraries. Angelou's most celebrated works have been labeled as autobiographical fiction, but many critics consider them to be autobiographies. She made a deliberate attempt to challenge the common structure of the autobiography by critiquing, changing, and expanding the genre. Her books center on themes that include racism, identity, family, and travel.
She became a poet and writer after a string of odd jobs during her young adulthood. These included fry cook, sex worker, nightclub performer, Porgy and Bess cast member, Southern Christian Leadership Conference coordinator, and correspondent in Egypt and Ghana during the decolonization of Africa. Angelou was also an actress, writer, director, and producer of plays, movies, and public television programs. In 1982, she was named the first Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Angelou was active in the Civil Rights Movement and worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Beginning in the 1990s, she made approximately 80 appearances a year on the lecture circuit, something she continued into her eighties. In 1993, Angelou recited her poem "On the Pulse of Morning" (1993) at the first inauguration of Bill Clinton, making her the first poet to make an inaugural recitation since Robert Frost at the inauguration of John F. Kennedy in 1961.
With the publication of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Angelou publicly discussed aspects of her personal life. She was respected as a spokesperson for Black people and women, and her works have been considered a defense of Black culture. Her works are widely used in schools and universities worldwide, although attempts have been made to ban her books from some U.S. libraries. Angelou's most celebrated works have been labeled as autobiographical fiction, but many critics consider them to be autobiographies. She made a deliberate attempt to challenge the common structure of the autobiography by critiquing, changing, and expanding the genre. Her books center on themes that include racism, identity, family, and travel.
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March 19, 2019
Still I Rise is Maya Angelou’s encouragement to women of color everywhere that yes they can achieve great things. These words reach for the heights and that is what every person should do, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, or social standing. It is easy for women of color to think that the world is not designed for people that look like them to dream big, but that is exactly what Angelou’s signature poem does. Entwined with the artwork of Diego Rivera, all that is missing is improvisational jazz and the work would be complete. A necessary reminder for women to hear during women’s history month.
4.5 stars
4.5 stars
October 16, 2024
Maya Angelou is an inspirational figure, admired the world over for her sensitivity, passion, and advocacy of black rights; she was a vigorous activist, especially with regard to women. The world lost a remarkable influential figure when she died.
So what is her poetry actually like? The word "inspirational" is bandied around today to include all sort of cant and twaddle. I must admit to being apprehensive at the start. Although by the time this collection had been published, Maya Angelou had received over thirty honorary degrees from colleges and universities all over the world, there is a lurking suspicion that this is for the person herself; her overcoming of almost unimaginable hardships, plus her achievements in society and the legislative progress, rather than strictly academic prowess. After all, her poetry is thought to be populist, and has not received much serious critical attention. Would Maya Angelou's poetry turn out to be over-simplistic rhetoric, or sanctimonious versifying?
Thankfully, the answer is no. The poems match the figurehead. She does speak to the people; she speaks to aspects of humanity we all have within us. There is diversity; much variation of mood and style. Sometimes the language used is direct and repetitive. Her much-lauded "Phenomenal Woman", "Woman Work" and the title poem for this collection, "And Still I Rise" all conform to this type. These are accessible to those who may not regularly read poetry. Many women have felt a personal connection, or significance, saying that one such poem speaks to them - that it is their own experience. "And Still I Rise" has been called an anthem for the entire black race.
But some poems are significantly darker and embittered. Some have more variant forms, jerky spasmodic rhythms, elusive and sensual language. Some are pain-filled, some outrageous. Some are filled with despair. These are not all "feel-good" poems by any means. And they are not always "easy" to read, in any sense of the word.
The collection And Still I Rise is Maya Angelou's third volume of poetry, and was first published in 1978. Angelou was well into her stride as a writer by now. As well as the two former volumes of poetry, she had also written three of her autobiographies; she tended to alternate between the two. This collections is made up of 32 short poems, and is divided into three parts.
1. Touch Me, Life, Not Softly
2. Travelling
3. And Still I Rise
In the very first poem we are confronted with cruelty and abuse,
"Hate often is confused. Its
Limits are in zones
beyond itself ..."
The dark theme is mirrored by a spiky, disjointed structure. The next two poems describe the experience of black youth, giddy, earthy and sensual. The next begins with feeling of isolation, loneliness in the crowds,
"I searched the faces
Hoping to find
Someone to care"
but ends with connection,
"I've never been so strong,
Now I'm where I belong"
It is noticeable that Angelou's rhymes are often in rhythmic couplets, and come either as a refrain, or at the end of a poem, where she wants to add extra emphasis. The following poem "Phenomenal Woman" is an example of an even more spare exaggeration, where the author plays with the word "phenomenal", and the whole poem has a bouncy, upbeat and playful rhythm. It is a poem of self-assertion and humour. I have reviewed this poem separately link here, in a different edition.
But the optimism does not last long. With the next poem, "Men" the reader is back to youth, entrapment, fear and oppression,
"... The hurt begins,
Wrench out a
Smile that slides around
the fear ..."
And we are also back to the dislocation of words.
The final two poems in this section speak of early love, memory and regret.
The readers may wonder whether perhaps the middle section will become more optimistic, but no. It starts with "Junkie Monkey Reel", a dark description of a drug addict; with raw painful images. "The Lesson" continues the theme about the selfishness and ultimate self-destruction of drug addiction,
"Rotting flesh and worms do
Not convince me against
The challenge. The years
And cold defeat live deep in
Lines along my face.
They dull my eyes, yet
I keep on dying,
Because I love to live."
The next poem, "California Prodigal", is perhaps the most difficult in the collection. A description of the California landscape using metaphor and personification of the rugged natural formations, a description of an old adobe house up in the mountains; a quiet, peaceful place to conjure up a sense of loss and abandonment,
"Flush on inner cottage walls
Antiquitous faces,
Used to the gelid breath
Of old manors, glare disdainfully
Over breached time.
Around and through these
Cold phantasmatalities,
He walks,"
But the poem ends on an optimistic note describing the sunlit poppy fields,
"...Each day is
Fulminant, exploding brightly"
"My Arkansas" is also a dark poem, referring back to Angelou's childhood, and the racism prevalent at that time. The poem is full of symbolism such as the moss which represents the "old crimes" of Arkansas, spoiling the poplar trees on which it grows. Many aspects of nature are used here as symbols for events. For instance, red universally symbolises danger, whereas a sunrise is usually an indication of hope. Yet with,
"dusk no more shadows
than the noon
The past is brighter yet"
the reader wonders how strong the hope really is. Will the new dawn for Arkansas ever come? The memories remain, festering,
"It writhes. It writhes in awful
Waves of brooding."
The next poem provides glimpses, vivid shapshots of a city, always with a dark feel.
"Lady Luncheon Club" is simpler; direct and ironic. It recalls every impassioned after-dinner speech the reader may have encountered, and the trivialities of the "chattering classes" who may be in attendance,
"He sighs for youthful death
And rape at ten, and murder of
The soul stretched over long.
Our woman notes:
(This coffee’s much too strong.)"
The poem has humour, but it is a grim twisted humour.
The next, "Momma Welfare Roll", is also bitter. Angelou often writes about women who have few life choices left. In this one, a mother is forced to accept government assistance, to go "on welfare". She is described as courageous and defiant,
"Her jowls shiver in accusation
Of crimes cliched by
Repetition ..."
...
"Too fat to whore
Too mad to work"
...
"They don't give me welfare.
I take it."
"The Singer Will Not Sing" is probably meant for Angelou's friend, the singer, Abbey Lincoln, since it was written at a time when the singer was not producing much, and this is what is described,
"Sounds do not lift beyond
those reddened walls."
"Willie" is a hauntingly beautiful and sad poem, about a lonely tramp,
"Solitude was the climate in his head
Emptiness was the partner in his bed,
Pain echoed in the steps of his tread,"
...
"I may cry and I will die,
But my spirit is the soul of every spring,"
...
"I'm the rustle in the autumn leaves."
It is clearly an allegory, and a very positive, uplifting one. Willie is crippled, yet after he dies he will live on in many different ways. This is my personal favourite.
"To Beat The Child Was Bad Enough" is an emotional description of a new birth, as it must feel to the child,
"Hunger, new hands, strange voices,
Its cry came natural, tearing."
"Woman Work", lists the mundane chores of a woman who stays at home to mother her children. It has a strong rhyme scheme, an almost singing tone in its forceful rhythms and chants. The theme of women's vitality here is similar to that of "Phenomenal Woman", and its positivity will appeal to readers to whom this lifestyle feels familiar. The end indicates the world outside, a world of peace and contentment, and an "other" aspect of the world that the working woman of the poem craves, and feels she deserves,
"Fall gently, snowflakes
Cover me with white
Cold icy kisses and
Let me rest tonight.
Sun, rain, curving sky
Mountain, oceans, leaf and stone
Star shine, moon glow
You're all that I can call my own."
It is followed by the very popular poem, one which begs to be said aloud, "One More Round",
"There ain't no pay beneath the sun
As sweet as rest when a job's well done."
The strong metre and rhythm echo the plantation songs, the work and protest songs from earlier eras, and the theme is against oppression and past slavery,
"And now I'll tell you my Golden Rule,
I was born to work but I ain't no mule
I was born to work up to my grave
But I was not born
To be a slave."
The final three poems in the middle section deal with the racial injustices of the past, the poverty of Maya Angelou's Arkansas childhood, the drudgery of life working in the cotton rows and the sugar cane,
"And all my days are dying."
The third section start with the masterpiece "Still I Rise", and straightaway there are the vociferous accusations from an oppressed race, the injustice of misrepresentation which is in the very written record,
"You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may tread me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise."
It is a proud and defiant statement,
"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."
There is a hopeful determination to rise above difficulty and discouragement, a determination to be strong and resiliant, referring back again to the earlier times of slavery,
"Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise"
Ending with a timeless and triumphant dream, a determined declaration,
"Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise."
The next, "Ain't That Bad?" is a rare jocular poem to encourage Black Pride, using "bad" in the street vernacular, to convey positive connections with Black culture and mores,
"Dressing in purples and pinks and greens
Exotic as rum and cokes,"
conjures up an image of street cred, the strength and pride in being Black and observing the customs and community,
"An' ain't we Black
An' ain't we fine?"
"Life doesn't frighten me at all" continues the positive, more upbeat and defiant feeling, as does "Bump d'Bump". "On Aging" continues the provocation with skill and sensitivity, with instantly recognisable thoughts for those to whom it applies,
"Don't think I need your chattering.
I'm listening to myself."
Plus there is an acceptance of fate and time, a resolution, and a quirky sense of humour,
"But aint' I lucky I can still breathe in."
There is a brief return to the themes of nature and love, the progress of life, and two poems which are a commitment to Maya Angelou's faith in her Christian God, with a refrain,
"Let me humbly say,
Thank You for this day
I want to thank You."
This collection of poems is a very personal collection. Maya Angelou's experience of life could hardly be much more different from my own. So how do they make me feel as a white person? Do I feel guilty for the crimes of my ancestors? No. I feel outraged, angry, and deeply saddened. But it is Maya Angelou's skill as a poet which makes me feel I have far more in common with her, as a fellow human from a totally different culture, with totally different experiences, than I have with anyone involved with the centuries of oppression and mistreatment of black people in the past.
Maya Angelou speaks out and gives a voice to all black people, all people (especially women) who have ever been oppressed, and all her ancestors. With her indomitable spirit, she speaks out for the poor, the disenfranchised, the deprived, and the handicapped. She addresses both the basic human spirit, and social issues. The poems cover a wide range of topics, including themes here of painful loss, sexual awakening, sensuality, self-acceptance, aging, the home, the importance of family, love, loneliness, drug addiction, Christian salvation, Springtime, social injustice, continuing discrimination, Southern racism, the struggles of slavery, segregation, sexism, the nature of women, rape and abuse, and perhaps most passionately, the strength of women's voices. Maya Angelou is concerned with survival, the right to a personal identity. She is darkly defiant, black, angry and bitter, wryly comical, wise and hopeful, self-assured and ultimately encouraging and resilient. She thinks life can be beautiful and full of joy, but that we all have a long way to go yet. The poems are a triumph.
"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."
Here is a list of all the poem in And Still I Rise:
1. Touch Me, Life, Not Softly
A Kind of Love, Some Say
Country Lover
Remembrance
Where We Belong, a Duet
Phenomenal Woman
Men
Refusal
Just For a Time
2. Travelling
Junkie Monkey Reel
The Lesson
California Prodigal
My Arkansas
Throught the Inner City to the Suburbs
Lady Lucheon Club
Momma Welfare Roll
The Singer Will not Sing
Willie
To Beat the Child was Bad Enough
Woman Work
One More Round
The Traveller
Kin
The Memory
3. And Still I Rise
Still I Rise
Ain't That Bad?
Life Doesn't Frighten Me
Bump d'Bump
On Aging
In Retrospect
Just Like Job
Call Letters: Mrs V.B.
Thank You, Lord
So what is her poetry actually like? The word "inspirational" is bandied around today to include all sort of cant and twaddle. I must admit to being apprehensive at the start. Although by the time this collection had been published, Maya Angelou had received over thirty honorary degrees from colleges and universities all over the world, there is a lurking suspicion that this is for the person herself; her overcoming of almost unimaginable hardships, plus her achievements in society and the legislative progress, rather than strictly academic prowess. After all, her poetry is thought to be populist, and has not received much serious critical attention. Would Maya Angelou's poetry turn out to be over-simplistic rhetoric, or sanctimonious versifying?
Thankfully, the answer is no. The poems match the figurehead. She does speak to the people; she speaks to aspects of humanity we all have within us. There is diversity; much variation of mood and style. Sometimes the language used is direct and repetitive. Her much-lauded "Phenomenal Woman", "Woman Work" and the title poem for this collection, "And Still I Rise" all conform to this type. These are accessible to those who may not regularly read poetry. Many women have felt a personal connection, or significance, saying that one such poem speaks to them - that it is their own experience. "And Still I Rise" has been called an anthem for the entire black race.
But some poems are significantly darker and embittered. Some have more variant forms, jerky spasmodic rhythms, elusive and sensual language. Some are pain-filled, some outrageous. Some are filled with despair. These are not all "feel-good" poems by any means. And they are not always "easy" to read, in any sense of the word.
The collection And Still I Rise is Maya Angelou's third volume of poetry, and was first published in 1978. Angelou was well into her stride as a writer by now. As well as the two former volumes of poetry, she had also written three of her autobiographies; she tended to alternate between the two. This collections is made up of 32 short poems, and is divided into three parts.
1. Touch Me, Life, Not Softly
2. Travelling
3. And Still I Rise
In the very first poem we are confronted with cruelty and abuse,
"Hate often is confused. Its
Limits are in zones
beyond itself ..."
The dark theme is mirrored by a spiky, disjointed structure. The next two poems describe the experience of black youth, giddy, earthy and sensual. The next begins with feeling of isolation, loneliness in the crowds,
"I searched the faces
Hoping to find
Someone to care"
but ends with connection,
"I've never been so strong,
Now I'm where I belong"
It is noticeable that Angelou's rhymes are often in rhythmic couplets, and come either as a refrain, or at the end of a poem, where she wants to add extra emphasis. The following poem "Phenomenal Woman" is an example of an even more spare exaggeration, where the author plays with the word "phenomenal", and the whole poem has a bouncy, upbeat and playful rhythm. It is a poem of self-assertion and humour. I have reviewed this poem separately link here, in a different edition.
But the optimism does not last long. With the next poem, "Men" the reader is back to youth, entrapment, fear and oppression,
"... The hurt begins,
Wrench out a
Smile that slides around
the fear ..."
And we are also back to the dislocation of words.
The final two poems in this section speak of early love, memory and regret.
The readers may wonder whether perhaps the middle section will become more optimistic, but no. It starts with "Junkie Monkey Reel", a dark description of a drug addict; with raw painful images. "The Lesson" continues the theme about the selfishness and ultimate self-destruction of drug addiction,
"Rotting flesh and worms do
Not convince me against
The challenge. The years
And cold defeat live deep in
Lines along my face.
They dull my eyes, yet
I keep on dying,
Because I love to live."
The next poem, "California Prodigal", is perhaps the most difficult in the collection. A description of the California landscape using metaphor and personification of the rugged natural formations, a description of an old adobe house up in the mountains; a quiet, peaceful place to conjure up a sense of loss and abandonment,
"Flush on inner cottage walls
Antiquitous faces,
Used to the gelid breath
Of old manors, glare disdainfully
Over breached time.
Around and through these
Cold phantasmatalities,
He walks,"
But the poem ends on an optimistic note describing the sunlit poppy fields,
"...Each day is
Fulminant, exploding brightly"
"My Arkansas" is also a dark poem, referring back to Angelou's childhood, and the racism prevalent at that time. The poem is full of symbolism such as the moss which represents the "old crimes" of Arkansas, spoiling the poplar trees on which it grows. Many aspects of nature are used here as symbols for events. For instance, red universally symbolises danger, whereas a sunrise is usually an indication of hope. Yet with,
"dusk no more shadows
than the noon
The past is brighter yet"
the reader wonders how strong the hope really is. Will the new dawn for Arkansas ever come? The memories remain, festering,
"It writhes. It writhes in awful
Waves of brooding."
The next poem provides glimpses, vivid shapshots of a city, always with a dark feel.
"Lady Luncheon Club" is simpler; direct and ironic. It recalls every impassioned after-dinner speech the reader may have encountered, and the trivialities of the "chattering classes" who may be in attendance,
"He sighs for youthful death
And rape at ten, and murder of
The soul stretched over long.
Our woman notes:
(This coffee’s much too strong.)"
The poem has humour, but it is a grim twisted humour.
The next, "Momma Welfare Roll", is also bitter. Angelou often writes about women who have few life choices left. In this one, a mother is forced to accept government assistance, to go "on welfare". She is described as courageous and defiant,
"Her jowls shiver in accusation
Of crimes cliched by
Repetition ..."
...
"Too fat to whore
Too mad to work"
...
"They don't give me welfare.
I take it."
"The Singer Will Not Sing" is probably meant for Angelou's friend, the singer, Abbey Lincoln, since it was written at a time when the singer was not producing much, and this is what is described,
"Sounds do not lift beyond
those reddened walls."
"Willie" is a hauntingly beautiful and sad poem, about a lonely tramp,
"Solitude was the climate in his head
Emptiness was the partner in his bed,
Pain echoed in the steps of his tread,"
...
"I may cry and I will die,
But my spirit is the soul of every spring,"
...
"I'm the rustle in the autumn leaves."
It is clearly an allegory, and a very positive, uplifting one. Willie is crippled, yet after he dies he will live on in many different ways. This is my personal favourite.
"To Beat The Child Was Bad Enough" is an emotional description of a new birth, as it must feel to the child,
"Hunger, new hands, strange voices,
Its cry came natural, tearing."
"Woman Work", lists the mundane chores of a woman who stays at home to mother her children. It has a strong rhyme scheme, an almost singing tone in its forceful rhythms and chants. The theme of women's vitality here is similar to that of "Phenomenal Woman", and its positivity will appeal to readers to whom this lifestyle feels familiar. The end indicates the world outside, a world of peace and contentment, and an "other" aspect of the world that the working woman of the poem craves, and feels she deserves,
"Fall gently, snowflakes
Cover me with white
Cold icy kisses and
Let me rest tonight.
Sun, rain, curving sky
Mountain, oceans, leaf and stone
Star shine, moon glow
You're all that I can call my own."
It is followed by the very popular poem, one which begs to be said aloud, "One More Round",
"There ain't no pay beneath the sun
As sweet as rest when a job's well done."
The strong metre and rhythm echo the plantation songs, the work and protest songs from earlier eras, and the theme is against oppression and past slavery,
"And now I'll tell you my Golden Rule,
I was born to work but I ain't no mule
I was born to work up to my grave
But I was not born
To be a slave."
The final three poems in the middle section deal with the racial injustices of the past, the poverty of Maya Angelou's Arkansas childhood, the drudgery of life working in the cotton rows and the sugar cane,
"And all my days are dying."
The third section start with the masterpiece "Still I Rise", and straightaway there are the vociferous accusations from an oppressed race, the injustice of misrepresentation which is in the very written record,
"You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may tread me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise."
It is a proud and defiant statement,
"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."
There is a hopeful determination to rise above difficulty and discouragement, a determination to be strong and resiliant, referring back again to the earlier times of slavery,
"Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise"
Ending with a timeless and triumphant dream, a determined declaration,
"Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise."
The next, "Ain't That Bad?" is a rare jocular poem to encourage Black Pride, using "bad" in the street vernacular, to convey positive connections with Black culture and mores,
"Dressing in purples and pinks and greens
Exotic as rum and cokes,"
conjures up an image of street cred, the strength and pride in being Black and observing the customs and community,
"An' ain't we Black
An' ain't we fine?"
"Life doesn't frighten me at all" continues the positive, more upbeat and defiant feeling, as does "Bump d'Bump". "On Aging" continues the provocation with skill and sensitivity, with instantly recognisable thoughts for those to whom it applies,
"Don't think I need your chattering.
I'm listening to myself."
Plus there is an acceptance of fate and time, a resolution, and a quirky sense of humour,
"But aint' I lucky I can still breathe in."
There is a brief return to the themes of nature and love, the progress of life, and two poems which are a commitment to Maya Angelou's faith in her Christian God, with a refrain,
"Let me humbly say,
Thank You for this day
I want to thank You."
This collection of poems is a very personal collection. Maya Angelou's experience of life could hardly be much more different from my own. So how do they make me feel as a white person? Do I feel guilty for the crimes of my ancestors? No. I feel outraged, angry, and deeply saddened. But it is Maya Angelou's skill as a poet which makes me feel I have far more in common with her, as a fellow human from a totally different culture, with totally different experiences, than I have with anyone involved with the centuries of oppression and mistreatment of black people in the past.
Maya Angelou speaks out and gives a voice to all black people, all people (especially women) who have ever been oppressed, and all her ancestors. With her indomitable spirit, she speaks out for the poor, the disenfranchised, the deprived, and the handicapped. She addresses both the basic human spirit, and social issues. The poems cover a wide range of topics, including themes here of painful loss, sexual awakening, sensuality, self-acceptance, aging, the home, the importance of family, love, loneliness, drug addiction, Christian salvation, Springtime, social injustice, continuing discrimination, Southern racism, the struggles of slavery, segregation, sexism, the nature of women, rape and abuse, and perhaps most passionately, the strength of women's voices. Maya Angelou is concerned with survival, the right to a personal identity. She is darkly defiant, black, angry and bitter, wryly comical, wise and hopeful, self-assured and ultimately encouraging and resilient. She thinks life can be beautiful and full of joy, but that we all have a long way to go yet. The poems are a triumph.
"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."
Here is a list of all the poem in And Still I Rise:
1. Touch Me, Life, Not Softly
A Kind of Love, Some Say
Country Lover
Remembrance
Where We Belong, a Duet
Phenomenal Woman
Men
Refusal
Just For a Time
2. Travelling
Junkie Monkey Reel
The Lesson
California Prodigal
My Arkansas
Throught the Inner City to the Suburbs
Lady Lucheon Club
Momma Welfare Roll
The Singer Will not Sing
Willie
To Beat the Child was Bad Enough
Woman Work
One More Round
The Traveller
Kin
The Memory
3. And Still I Rise
Still I Rise
Ain't That Bad?
Life Doesn't Frighten Me
Bump d'Bump
On Aging
In Retrospect
Just Like Job
Call Letters: Mrs V.B.
Thank You, Lord
August 20, 2021
And Still I Rise, Maya Angelou
And Still I Rise is author Maya Angelou's third volume of poetry, published by Random House in 1978.
It was published during one of the most productive periods in Angelou's career; she had written three autobiographies and published two other volumes of poetry up to that point.
Angelou considered herself a poet and a playwright, but was best known for her seven autobiographies, especially her first, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, although her poetry has also been successful.
She began, early in her writing career, alternating the publication of an autobiography and a volume of poetry.
Although her poetry collections have been best-sellers, they have not received serious critical attention.
And Still I Rise consists of 32 poems, divided into three parts:
Part One: Touch Me, Life, Not Softly
A Kind of Love, Some Say,
Country Lover,
Remembrance,
Where We Belong, A Duet,
Phenomenal Woman,
Men,
Refusal,
and Just for a Time.
Part Two: Traveling
Junkie Monkey Reel,
The Lesson,
California Prodigal,
My Arkansas,
Through the Inner City to the Suburbs,
Lady Luncheon Club,
Momma Welfare Roll,
The Singer Will Not Sing,
Willie,
To Beat the Child Was Bad Enough,
Woman Work,
One More Round,
The Traveler,
Kin,
and The Memory.
Part Three: And Still I Rise
Still I Rise,
Ain't That Bad?,
Life Doesn't Frighten Me,
Bump d'Bump,
On Aging,
In Retrospect,
Just Like Job,
Call Letters: Mrs. V. B.,
and Thank You, Lord.
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.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش
عنوان: و من هنوز میدرخشم (و من هنوز برخیزم)؛ نویسنده مایا آنجلو؛ موضوع زیستنامه نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده 20م
روانشاد «مایا اَنجلو: زاده ی روز چهارم ماه آوریل سال1928م در سنت لوئیس میزوری - درگذشته ی روز بیست و هشتم ماه می سال2014م» شاعر، خواننده، یادمان نویس، بازیگر، و کنشگر حقوق مدنی، اهل «ایالات متحده آمریکا» بودند؛ ایشان هفت زندگینام� از یادمانها و شعرهای خویش منتشر کردند، سه کتاب دیگر نیز از مجموعه مقالات ایشان چاپ شد، چندین کتاب شعر نیز بیرون دادند، و با فهرستی از نمایشنامهها� فیلمه� و نمایشها� تلویزیونی، که طی بیش از پنجاه سال، نگارش آنها به درازا انجامیده بود، اعتبار ویژه ای به چنگ آوردند؛ روانشاد چندین جایزه ی معتبر، و بیش از پنجاه مدرک افتخاری دریافت کردند؛ «آنجلو» بیشتر برای سری هفتگانه زندگینامه� های خویش شناخته شده� هستند، که بیشتر بازگویی یادمانهای دوران کودکی، و تجربیات نخستین ایشان بوده اند؛ نخستین کتاب از سری زندگینامه هایشان با نام «میدان� چرا پرنده درون قفس میخوان� برگردان خانم ژاله متحدین، سال1389، در 349ص؛ نشر آهنگ دیگر»؛ در سال 1969میلادی منتشر شد، که از زندگی ایشان تا سن هفده سالگی سخن میگوید� و برای ایشان نامداری، و تحسین بینالملل� به ارمغان آورد
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 28/05/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
And Still I Rise is author Maya Angelou's third volume of poetry, published by Random House in 1978.
It was published during one of the most productive periods in Angelou's career; she had written three autobiographies and published two other volumes of poetry up to that point.
Angelou considered herself a poet and a playwright, but was best known for her seven autobiographies, especially her first, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, although her poetry has also been successful.
She began, early in her writing career, alternating the publication of an autobiography and a volume of poetry.
Although her poetry collections have been best-sellers, they have not received serious critical attention.
And Still I Rise consists of 32 poems, divided into three parts:
Part One: Touch Me, Life, Not Softly
A Kind of Love, Some Say,
Country Lover,
Remembrance,
Where We Belong, A Duet,
Phenomenal Woman,
Men,
Refusal,
and Just for a Time.
Part Two: Traveling
Junkie Monkey Reel,
The Lesson,
California Prodigal,
My Arkansas,
Through the Inner City to the Suburbs,
Lady Luncheon Club,
Momma Welfare Roll,
The Singer Will Not Sing,
Willie,
To Beat the Child Was Bad Enough,
Woman Work,
One More Round,
The Traveler,
Kin,
and The Memory.
Part Three: And Still I Rise
Still I Rise,
Ain't That Bad?,
Life Doesn't Frighten Me,
Bump d'Bump,
On Aging,
In Retrospect,
Just Like Job,
Call Letters: Mrs. V. B.,
and Thank You, Lord.
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.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش
عنوان: و من هنوز میدرخشم (و من هنوز برخیزم)؛ نویسنده مایا آنجلو؛ موضوع زیستنامه نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده 20م
روانشاد «مایا اَنجلو: زاده ی روز چهارم ماه آوریل سال1928م در سنت لوئیس میزوری - درگذشته ی روز بیست و هشتم ماه می سال2014م» شاعر، خواننده، یادمان نویس، بازیگر، و کنشگر حقوق مدنی، اهل «ایالات متحده آمریکا» بودند؛ ایشان هفت زندگینام� از یادمانها و شعرهای خویش منتشر کردند، سه کتاب دیگر نیز از مجموعه مقالات ایشان چاپ شد، چندین کتاب شعر نیز بیرون دادند، و با فهرستی از نمایشنامهها� فیلمه� و نمایشها� تلویزیونی، که طی بیش از پنجاه سال، نگارش آنها به درازا انجامیده بود، اعتبار ویژه ای به چنگ آوردند؛ روانشاد چندین جایزه ی معتبر، و بیش از پنجاه مدرک افتخاری دریافت کردند؛ «آنجلو» بیشتر برای سری هفتگانه زندگینامه� های خویش شناخته شده� هستند، که بیشتر بازگویی یادمانهای دوران کودکی، و تجربیات نخستین ایشان بوده اند؛ نخستین کتاب از سری زندگینامه هایشان با نام «میدان� چرا پرنده درون قفس میخوان� برگردان خانم ژاله متحدین، سال1389، در 349ص؛ نشر آهنگ دیگر»؛ در سال 1969میلادی منتشر شد، که از زندگی ایشان تا سن هفده سالگی سخن میگوید� و برای ایشان نامداری، و تحسین بینالملل� به ارمغان آورد
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 28/05/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
October 14, 2020
The caged bird sings for freedom and the oppressed human being keeps rising!
There is so much obvious sadness in Maya Angelou, but still I feel freer and taller and stronger after reading a few of her poems.
They grow with life as well. What did the poems about ageing have to do with me, when I first encountered her in my rebellious twenties? I only saw her take on women and racism and patriarchy and the aching pain of hearts broken and rebuilt and rising, rising, rising, not matter what!
Now I smile at her stubborn refusal to get a rocking chair to rest the lungs that are hardly what they used to be... Maya, I want to say, a whole generation will need the rocking chair early because of our times and our curses. Lungs are not what they used to be. And still, we breathe...
For those of you who want to feel sweetness in the inevitable sadness, "And Still I Rise" is just the book for you!
There is so much obvious sadness in Maya Angelou, but still I feel freer and taller and stronger after reading a few of her poems.
They grow with life as well. What did the poems about ageing have to do with me, when I first encountered her in my rebellious twenties? I only saw her take on women and racism and patriarchy and the aching pain of hearts broken and rebuilt and rising, rising, rising, not matter what!
Now I smile at her stubborn refusal to get a rocking chair to rest the lungs that are hardly what they used to be... Maya, I want to say, a whole generation will need the rocking chair early because of our times and our curses. Lungs are not what they used to be. And still, we breathe...
For those of you who want to feel sweetness in the inevitable sadness, "And Still I Rise" is just the book for you!
October 7, 2017
I assumed I would enjoy this one and I assumed correctly.
This is my first foray into Angelou's poetry (other than listening to random snippets) but I have read the first of her autobiographies 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings'. I adored the rythm of her poems, they slipped so naturally from the tongue and her choice of words was fascinating, it really had me chewing on each on certain words and phrases, rolling them around in my head. There were lots of themes of love, lust, sex, the body, racism and slavery. One of my favourite poems was 'Caged Bird' but I particularly enjoyed the first part of the collection, which is divided into four parts in total. I didn't connect to the couple of poems with religious overtones, unsurprisingly, or the poem 'Health Food Diner', which was essentially an ode to meat (and I'm a vegetarian). But overall spectacular stuff.
This is my first foray into Angelou's poetry (other than listening to random snippets) but I have read the first of her autobiographies 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings'. I adored the rythm of her poems, they slipped so naturally from the tongue and her choice of words was fascinating, it really had me chewing on each on certain words and phrases, rolling them around in my head. There were lots of themes of love, lust, sex, the body, racism and slavery. One of my favourite poems was 'Caged Bird' but I particularly enjoyed the first part of the collection, which is divided into four parts in total. I didn't connect to the couple of poems with religious overtones, unsurprisingly, or the poem 'Health Food Diner', which was essentially an ode to meat (and I'm a vegetarian). But overall spectacular stuff.
May 7, 2020
Maya Angelou transmits something tender and profound in her writings, especially when listened to in her (recorded) voice.
January 6, 2024
Am o vagă impresie că traducerea e în mare parte responsabilă pt acest rating nu chiar flatant.
December 4, 2023
� 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.
� 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.
� i went to sleep last night
and i arose with the dawn,
i know that there are others
who’re still sleeping on,
they’ve gone away,
you’ve let me stay.
i want to thank you.
i've a fondness for certain poems in this collection, while others i find to be just average. however, what truly captivates me about maya angelou is her unwaveringly optimistic outlook on life, embracing both its highs and lows.
February 7, 2017
Wishing so badly I was in DC today to hear these poems read at the Women's March.
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 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.
September 20, 2013
And Still I Rise
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may tread 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 back yard.
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.
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may tread 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 back yard.
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.
January 14, 2022
Waterstones had a hardback sale and since my knowledge of Maya Angelou consists of RuPaul's Drag Race snatch game episodes I felt it was time I picked up some of her writing.
I honestly enjoyed this collection so much. Lots of laughter, actual shivers down my spine, and the one or other poem went straight over my head to be completely honest. I genuinely love how funny and witty Maya Angelou is. Can't wait to read her memoirs now.
I honestly enjoyed this collection so much. Lots of laughter, actual shivers down my spine, and the one or other poem went straight over my head to be completely honest. I genuinely love how funny and witty Maya Angelou is. Can't wait to read her memoirs now.
January 11, 2022
“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 (...)
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.�
How the feminine and confident energy exuded from this book is just sending me shivers. Indeed ahead of its time.
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise (...)
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.�
How the feminine and confident energy exuded from this book is just sending me shivers. Indeed ahead of its time.
July 29, 2020
Apart from her powerful poem 'Still I Rise�, which I love, I didn’t know much of Maya Angelou’s writing. This little anthology was therefore a timely discovery. While reading aloud, several adjectives came to my mind: raw, sensual, melancholic, vital, lonely, fierce, irreverent, etc. There was also a musicality to some of the poems, making me think they could easily be used as lyrics. The format too goes from the very short, not unlike haikus, to longer form with a more complex thread. A lot of them had this warmth, as if I could feel the sun beating on me, while others were shrouded in shadows. Some made me smile, but many left me lost in my thoughts...
As you would expect, Angelou focuses on black lives, but also women’s lives and old age/experience, which surprised me. Her voice really came through her writing, so powerful and evocative. Many of these poems 'talked� to me, as a woman, and as a person who has always been a foreigner wherever I’ve lived. I’ll finish with an extract from one of her poems, that really fits her:
"I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.�
As you would expect, Angelou focuses on black lives, but also women’s lives and old age/experience, which surprised me. Her voice really came through her writing, so powerful and evocative. Many of these poems 'talked� to me, as a woman, and as a person who has always been a foreigner wherever I’ve lived. I’ll finish with an extract from one of her poems, that really fits her:
"I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.�
February 24, 2020
"Hate often is confused. Its
Limits are in zones beyond itself. And
Sadists will not learn that
Love, by nature, exacts a pain
Unequalled on the rack. - Second stanza of "A Kind of Love, Some Say"
One of my favorite poets and one of her best collections. Reading Maya Angelou is great, but listening to her is better. I am always put into a better state of mind with her words. Dr. Angelou was one one of the great multi-talented writers of the 20th century as a playwright, poet, actress, and memiorist. Though her most celebrated work is her autobiography , she considered herself a poet first. She wrote over 11 volumes of poetry, but this may be her most famous volume. It contains some of her most quoted poems (including the title poem) and has been a consistently anthologized book.
"You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may tread 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 back yard.
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.
Limits are in zones beyond itself. And
Sadists will not learn that
Love, by nature, exacts a pain
Unequalled on the rack. - Second stanza of "A Kind of Love, Some Say"
One of my favorite poets and one of her best collections. Reading Maya Angelou is great, but listening to her is better. I am always put into a better state of mind with her words. Dr. Angelou was one one of the great multi-talented writers of the 20th century as a playwright, poet, actress, and memiorist. Though her most celebrated work is her autobiography , she considered herself a poet first. She wrote over 11 volumes of poetry, but this may be her most famous volume. It contains some of her most quoted poems (including the title poem) and has been a consistently anthologized book.
On AgingThis audiobook is a bit of a mystery to me as it was recorded some time between the 1990s and the 2000s and only contains 13 of the 32 poems found in the actual printed book (leaving out--for instances--a poem like Phenomenal Woman). Still the poems included-in are great and we get to hear Dr. Angelou's great ability as a storyteller and reciter on full display. One bonus we do have is commentary in which she tells the story behind some of the poems and what she was aiming for or how she felt she missed the mark in one place so she included another poem to make-up for it.
When you see me sitting quietly,
Like a sack left on the shelf,
Don’t think I need your chattering.
I’m listening to myself.
Hold! Stop! Don’t pity me!
Hold! Stop your sympathy!
Understanding if you got it,
Otherwise I’ll do without it!
When my bones are stiff and aching,
And my feet won’t climb the stair,
I will only ask one favor:
Don’t bring me no rocking chair.
When you see me walking, stumbling,
Don’t study and get it wrong.
‘Cause tired don’t mean lazy
And every goodbye ain’t gone.
I’m the same person I was back then,
A little less hair, a little less chin,
A lot less lungs and much less wind.
But ain’t I lucky I can still breathe in.
Ain't That BadOne of the reasons I was glad to have the audiobook was to have the poet's insight on the rhyme and rhythm of the poem. I think you can use meter to an extant when reading this book, but you gain a lot of priceless context in hearing how the poet imagines her piece to what the piece's meaning is. This book explores a lot of the inner life of people--their dignity in the face of hard times or good times. It is a volume of poetry that seems to come from an ancient place of the psyche, but a modern or everlasting message--at least to me.
Dancin' the funky chicken
Eatin' ribs and tips
Diggin' all the latest sounds
And drinkin' gin in sips.
Puttin' down that do-rag
Tighten' up my 'fro
Wrappin' up in Blackness
Don't I shine and glow?
Hearin' Stevie Wonder
Cookin' beans and rice
Goin' to the opera
Checkin' out Leontyne Price.
Get down, Jesse Jackson
Dance on, Alvin Ailey
Talk, Miss Barbara Jordan
Groove, Miss Pearlie Bailey.
Now ain't they bad?
An ain't they Black?
An ain't they Black?
An' ain't they Bad?
An ain't they bad?
An' ain't they Black?
An' ain't they fine?
Black like the hour of the night
When your love turns and wriggles close to your side
Black as the earth which has given birth
To nations, and when all else is gone will abide.
Bad as the storm that leaps raging from the heavens
Bringing the welcome rain
Bad as the sun burning orange hot at midday
Lifting the waters again.
Arthur Ashe on the tennis court
Mohammed Ali in the ring
Andre Watts and Andrew Young
Black men doing their thing.
Dressing in purples and pinks and greens
Exotic as rum and Cokes
Living our lives with flash and style
Ain't we colorful folks?
Now ain't we bad?
An' ain't we Black?
An' ain't we Black?
An' ain't we bad?
An' ain't we bad?
An' ain't we Black?
An' ain't we fine?
"You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may tread 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 back yard.
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.
January 20, 2022
Last week, I read a poem by Maya Angelou that is Phenomenal Woman (because it was in our class syllabus) and I was awestruck by it. It impressed me even more when I watched the YouTube clip of Angelou narrating the poem in her own style. The confident look on her face, the boldness in her moves, the determination in her voice totally left me off-guard. And then, I picked up this whole poetry collection, and OH BOY! It was astounding.
Her writing is quirky in a way she tries to convey to the woman in genenal, racism and the struggle. Some of her poems are really, really touching, and I, wholeheartedly, loved it.
Her writing is quirky in a way she tries to convey to the woman in genenal, racism and the struggle. Some of her poems are really, really touching, and I, wholeheartedly, loved it.
November 25, 2022
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.
December 14, 2019
Here I am, at 27, and finally getting around to Maya Angelou. I never had to read her work for school and somehow passed up reading I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings the many times I’ve seen it on my library’s shelves. Better late than never, right? And Still I Rise is Angelou’s third poetry collection, originally released in 1978. And for how much praise Angelou receives, I was surprised that I wasn’t bowled over by this collection. Yes, I definitely liked it but there was also something missing. And I can’t quite put my finger on it.
There were many poems I did really enjoy: “Men,� “Refusal,� “The Lesson,� The Singer Will Not Sing, “Still I Rise,� and “In Retrospect.� There was a steady undercurrent of history, truth, and encouragement to these poems, as well as a critical yet uplifting look at womanhood and African American life. But for all of these wonderful poems, there was an equal amount that just didn’t do much for me. Perhaps I went in with too high of expectations, which is admittedly dumb since I hadn’t read any of Angelou’s work before this.
These works are simple, but simple can be powerful. Some of these poems just didn't quite hit the mark for me, though. I’m still keen on reading more Angelou, don’t get me wrong. But I’m hoping her other work strikes me better than this collection.
There were many poems I did really enjoy: “Men,� “Refusal,� “The Lesson,� The Singer Will Not Sing, “Still I Rise,� and “In Retrospect.� There was a steady undercurrent of history, truth, and encouragement to these poems, as well as a critical yet uplifting look at womanhood and African American life. But for all of these wonderful poems, there was an equal amount that just didn’t do much for me. Perhaps I went in with too high of expectations, which is admittedly dumb since I hadn’t read any of Angelou’s work before this.
These works are simple, but simple can be powerful. Some of these poems just didn't quite hit the mark for me, though. I’m still keen on reading more Angelou, don’t get me wrong. But I’m hoping her other work strikes me better than this collection.
December 2, 2024
And Still I Give it 5 stars! I gave "Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'fore I Diiie" 5 stars, "Oh Pray My Wings Are Gonna Fit Me Well" gets 5 stars "And Still I Rise" deserves another 5! Maya Angelou is simply a national treasure whose voice has stayed with us even after she has departed. In fact, I believe this third poetry book of the series is even slightly better than the other 2...but there is no score above 5 just like there's no percentage over 100%. I've heard people say they are giving 110%, so maybe Maya is getting an inexistent 6 for ASIR!
Surely you have heard some of these famous poems some of which seem song-like...
Phenomenal Woman
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms,
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman.
That's me.
There are 2 more verses that follow in the same vein. I looked her up and watched a video of the author herself declaiming this poem. It was remarkable. She acted out each portion of the text. You could hear her sonorous deep voice and note her training in dance in every movement made. There was a melodic rhythm to the poetry.
Continuing in this vein, "Phenomenal Woman" reminds me greatly of "I'm Every Woman" by Ashford and Simpson and sung by the fabulous, confident Chaka Khan. These are examples of precursors to hip-hop where the singers would engage in one-upmanship. Although originally an activity dominated by Black males, in "Phenomenal Woman" and "I'm Every Woman", females are boasting about their female prowess: being the best at getting and keeping men. Interestingly, the same is starting to happen with current female hip-hop artists such as Cardi B., Megan Thee Stallion, and Nicki Minaj.
I'm Every Woman
I'm every woman, it's all in me
Anything you want done, baby
I'll do it naturally
I'm every woman, it's all in me
I can read your thoughts right now
Every one from A to Z, etc.
In contrast, the eponymous poem "Still I Rise" is clearly song-like, but with additional social commentary, a large dose of survival, and hope. Poetry of this nature is meant to be orally declaimed or at least read aloud. These two poems will give you an idea Maya Angelou's breadth of topics.
Still I Rise
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 back yard.
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.
It's difficult to believe a book written over 40 years ago could continue to be so relevant today. Whichever way the pendulum of freedom and equality may swing, I'm awaiting the day these dreams and hopes are realized. We are only as strong as each of us.
Surely you have heard some of these famous poems some of which seem song-like...
Phenomenal Woman
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms,
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman.
That's me.
There are 2 more verses that follow in the same vein. I looked her up and watched a video of the author herself declaiming this poem. It was remarkable. She acted out each portion of the text. You could hear her sonorous deep voice and note her training in dance in every movement made. There was a melodic rhythm to the poetry.
Continuing in this vein, "Phenomenal Woman" reminds me greatly of "I'm Every Woman" by Ashford and Simpson and sung by the fabulous, confident Chaka Khan. These are examples of precursors to hip-hop where the singers would engage in one-upmanship. Although originally an activity dominated by Black males, in "Phenomenal Woman" and "I'm Every Woman", females are boasting about their female prowess: being the best at getting and keeping men. Interestingly, the same is starting to happen with current female hip-hop artists such as Cardi B., Megan Thee Stallion, and Nicki Minaj.
I'm Every Woman
I'm every woman, it's all in me
Anything you want done, baby
I'll do it naturally
I'm every woman, it's all in me
I can read your thoughts right now
Every one from A to Z, etc.
In contrast, the eponymous poem "Still I Rise" is clearly song-like, but with additional social commentary, a large dose of survival, and hope. Poetry of this nature is meant to be orally declaimed or at least read aloud. These two poems will give you an idea Maya Angelou's breadth of topics.
Still I Rise
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 back yard.
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.
It's difficult to believe a book written over 40 years ago could continue to be so relevant today. Whichever way the pendulum of freedom and equality may swing, I'm awaiting the day these dreams and hopes are realized. We are only as strong as each of us.
January 27, 2024
The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
January 28, 2019
There are poems in this collection that I love, and some that I think are just okay. But what I love about Maya Angelou is her defiantly hopeful perspective on life in all its ups and downs.
"Life doesn't frighten me at all / Not at all / Not at all" (46).
"I was born to work up to my grave / But I was not born / To be a slave" (34).
"I may be last in the welfare line / Below the rim where the sun don't shine / But getting up stays on my mind" (47).
"You said to lean on Your arm / And I'm leaning / You said to trust in Your love / And I'm trusting / You said to call on Your name / And I'm calling / I'm stepping out on Your word" (50�51).
"I want to thank you, Lord / For life and all that's in it. / Thank you for the day / And for the hour and for the minute. / I know many are gone, / I'm still living on, / I want to thank You" (53).
And of course all of the title poem itself, which is fantastic.
I love how she can see the suffering and disappointment of her life and life itself, and yet laugh at it and defy it. I hope I can have that kind of strength in my own life. Her laughter and perceptiveness make me laugh—especially in a poem like "Lady Luncheon Club." And in a lot of her poems, there's a wonderful ambiguity in whether she's talking about a person, a personification of an idea, her own life, someone else's life, or simply a universal cry to God. I see all of this in a poem like "Willie," and in many others, too.
"Life doesn't frighten me at all / Not at all / Not at all" (46).
"I was born to work up to my grave / But I was not born / To be a slave" (34).
"I may be last in the welfare line / Below the rim where the sun don't shine / But getting up stays on my mind" (47).
"You said to lean on Your arm / And I'm leaning / You said to trust in Your love / And I'm trusting / You said to call on Your name / And I'm calling / I'm stepping out on Your word" (50�51).
"I want to thank you, Lord / For life and all that's in it. / Thank you for the day / And for the hour and for the minute. / I know many are gone, / I'm still living on, / I want to thank You" (53).
And of course all of the title poem itself, which is fantastic.
I love how she can see the suffering and disappointment of her life and life itself, and yet laugh at it and defy it. I hope I can have that kind of strength in my own life. Her laughter and perceptiveness make me laugh—especially in a poem like "Lady Luncheon Club." And in a lot of her poems, there's a wonderful ambiguity in whether she's talking about a person, a personification of an idea, her own life, someone else's life, or simply a universal cry to God. I see all of this in a poem like "Willie," and in many others, too.
March 31, 2019
PART ONE
Touch Me, Life, Not Softly
Remembrance
for Paul
‘Your hands easy
weight, teasing the bees
hived in my hair, your smile at the
slope of my cheek. On the
occasion, you press
above me, glowing, spouting
readiness, mystery rapes
my reason.
When you have withdrawn
your self and the magic, when
only the smell of your
love lingers between
my breasts, then, only
then, can I greedily consume
your presence.�
Where We Belong, A Duet
‘In every town and village,
In every city square,
In crowded places
I searched the faces
Hoping to find
Someone to care.
..�
The Singer Will Not Sing
(for A.L.)
‘A benison given. Unused,
No angels promised,
wings fluttering banal lies
behind their sexlessness. No
trumpets gloried
prophecies of fabled fame.
Yet harmonies waited in
her stiff throat. New notes
lay expectant on her
stilled tongue.
Her lips are ridged and
fleshy. Purpled night birds
snuggled to rest.
The mouth seamed, voiceless,
Sounds do not lift beyond
those reddened walls.
She came too late and lonely
to this place.�
Touch Me, Life, Not Softly
Remembrance
for Paul
‘Your hands easy
weight, teasing the bees
hived in my hair, your smile at the
slope of my cheek. On the
occasion, you press
above me, glowing, spouting
readiness, mystery rapes
my reason.
When you have withdrawn
your self and the magic, when
only the smell of your
love lingers between
my breasts, then, only
then, can I greedily consume
your presence.�
Where We Belong, A Duet
‘In every town and village,
In every city square,
In crowded places
I searched the faces
Hoping to find
Someone to care.
..�
The Singer Will Not Sing
(for A.L.)
‘A benison given. Unused,
No angels promised,
wings fluttering banal lies
behind their sexlessness. No
trumpets gloried
prophecies of fabled fame.
Yet harmonies waited in
her stiff throat. New notes
lay expectant on her
stilled tongue.
Her lips are ridged and
fleshy. Purpled night birds
snuggled to rest.
The mouth seamed, voiceless,
Sounds do not lift beyond
those reddened walls.
She came too late and lonely
to this place.�
September 17, 2023
“you were my early love / new as a day breaking in spring / you were the image of / everything / that caused me to sing�
(just for a time)
“my spirit is the surge of open seas / � / i am the rustle of autumn leaves� (willie)
i love the little moments in my life when i decide it’s time to sit down and read some great poetry because beautifully composed poems bring me so much joy and peace within those moments.
i was going to list my favorite poems from this but i loved almost all of them and it was impossible to settle on just a few. the sheer depth of these poems had me tearing up and the beautiful lyricism was the cherry on top.
“my spirit is the surge of open seas / � / i am the rustle of autumn leaves� (willie)
i love the little moments in my life when i decide it’s time to sit down and read some great poetry because beautifully composed poems bring me so much joy and peace within those moments.
i was going to list my favorite poems from this but i loved almost all of them and it was impossible to settle on just a few. the sheer depth of these poems had me tearing up and the beautiful lyricism was the cherry on top.
July 4, 2023
Mettre seulement cinq étoiles à ce recueil de poèmes est une insulte au travail de Maya Angelou. Je pèse mes mots quand je dis que je n’ai jamais rien lu d’aussi parfait. C’est juste, lyrique, sensible, touchant, engagé, féministe, simple, sage et gracieux. Ses poèmes sont d’une beauté sans nom. Je n’ai jamais rien lu de tel.
June 26, 2024
i just cried my eyes out as i ate this up while ignoring work. did not have a poetry book landing in my all time faves shelf on my 2024 bingo card, but i should have known maya would quite literally open my chest and speak straight into my heart.
i cannot wait to read this again as well as everything else she has ever written ever.
i cannot wait to read this again as well as everything else she has ever written ever.
April 21, 2024
Poezia este limbajul universal al identificării culturale. Este acel liant atât de necesar pentru a păstra tezaurul într-o combinație firească cu identitatea eului. Puțini autori reușesc să își mențină vie această conexiune între trecut și prezent. Maya Angelou este o dovadă pertinentă a unei astfel de comuniuni. Născută în 1928, în perioada când discriminarea rasială era „în plină floare�, Angelou a fost poetă influentă americană, memorialistă și activistă pentru drepturile civile, celebrată pentru contribuțiile ei în literatură și pentru rolul activ în promovarea drepturilor civile și egalității rasiale.
S-a născut cu numele Marguerite Annie Johnson în St. Louis, Missouri. Viața și operele lui Angelou sunt remarcabile pentru explorarea identității femeii afro-americane, cu cea mai faimoasă lucrare a sa, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), o autobiografie care detaliază copilăria și anii adolescenței ei, fiind apreciată pentru modul în care prezintă depășirea rasismului și a traumei.
Portofoliul literar al lui Angelou cuprinde o gamă largă de genuri, incluzând mai multe autobiografii, colecții de poezii, eseuri și piese de teatru. Lucrările ei adesea se aprofundează în teme precum identitatea, familia, dragostea și reziliența. Pe lângă realizările sale literare, Angelou a fost cunoscută și pentru vocea ei elocventă și puternică în discursurile publice, participarea ei în Mișcarea pentru Drepturile Civile alături de figuri precum Martin Luther King Jr. și Malcolm X, și recitarea poeziei sale On the Pulse of Morning la inaugurarea președintelui Bill Clinton în 1993.
Volumul său, intitulat „Și tot mă ridic�, tradus de Diana Geacăr la Editura Vellant, este o frescă socială a emancipării, a regăsirii sinelui feminin într-o lume care debordează de energie masculină. Publicat în 1978, este un veritabil testament puternic al rezilienței, curajului și spiritului neînfricat al experienței afro-americane.
Prin imaginea sa vie, versurile ritmate și tonul neclintit de sfidare și speranță, Angelou creează o narațiune care transcende personalul pentru a capta lupta universală împotriva opresiunii și căutarea neîncetată a demnității.
Poeziile lui Angelou împletesc împreună personalul și politicul, prezentând povești de luptă care nu sunt limitate la disperare, ci sunt îmbibate cu un optimism neînfrânt și forță.
S-a născut cu numele Marguerite Annie Johnson în St. Louis, Missouri. Viața și operele lui Angelou sunt remarcabile pentru explorarea identității femeii afro-americane, cu cea mai faimoasă lucrare a sa, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), o autobiografie care detaliază copilăria și anii adolescenței ei, fiind apreciată pentru modul în care prezintă depășirea rasismului și a traumei.
Portofoliul literar al lui Angelou cuprinde o gamă largă de genuri, incluzând mai multe autobiografii, colecții de poezii, eseuri și piese de teatru. Lucrările ei adesea se aprofundează în teme precum identitatea, familia, dragostea și reziliența. Pe lângă realizările sale literare, Angelou a fost cunoscută și pentru vocea ei elocventă și puternică în discursurile publice, participarea ei în Mișcarea pentru Drepturile Civile alături de figuri precum Martin Luther King Jr. și Malcolm X, și recitarea poeziei sale On the Pulse of Morning la inaugurarea președintelui Bill Clinton în 1993.
Volumul său, intitulat „Și tot mă ridic�, tradus de Diana Geacăr la Editura Vellant, este o frescă socială a emancipării, a regăsirii sinelui feminin într-o lume care debordează de energie masculină. Publicat în 1978, este un veritabil testament puternic al rezilienței, curajului și spiritului neînfricat al experienței afro-americane.
Prin imaginea sa vie, versurile ritmate și tonul neclintit de sfidare și speranță, Angelou creează o narațiune care transcende personalul pentru a capta lupta universală împotriva opresiunii și căutarea neîncetată a demnității.
Poeziile lui Angelou împletesc împreună personalul și politicul, prezentând povești de luptă care nu sunt limitate la disperare, ci sunt îmbibate cu un optimism neînfrânt și forță.
December 22, 2024
Trebuie neapărat s-o recitesc în engleză!🤍 Ceva “miroase� la traducerea asta.
September 9, 2017
Wow, just wow!
I didn't actually read the poem, I listened to an actress reading it during a show and fell in love with it...
it is power, it is confidence, it is hope, this could easily be a chant in a revolt or in a march...
loved it
I didn't actually read the poem, I listened to an actress reading it during a show and fell in love with it...
it is power, it is confidence, it is hope, this could easily be a chant in a revolt or in a march...
loved it
August 16, 2018
If you can choose a format, pick audiobook.
October 23, 2020
Re-read.
March 17, 2024
poetry journal!
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