Women Empowerment Reflected in Maya Angelou's Still I Rise

by : Luvila Al Fitra

Abstract

In this writing, the writer tries to analyze the use of symbol and women empowerment in the poem “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou. The purpose of this writing is to understand the use of symbol in the poem and women empowerment. The writing will use the theories of symbolism, empowerment and also will use the methode of close reading. From the analysis of women empowerment, hopefully everyone can feel inspired by the poem.

Keywords : Still I Rise, Women Empowerment, Maya Angelou

1. Introduction

Poetry, as one of the genres of literature is defined by Laurence Perrine in her book “Sound and Sense: An Introduction to Poetry” (1969:3) is a kind of language that says more and says it more intensely than does ordinary language. From this definition we can conclude that poetry is the way someone expresses their deepest thoughts and feelings through carefully chosen words.

2. Purpose of The Study
The purpose of this study are
1. To understand the use of symbol in the poem
2. To understand the women empowerment in the poem
3. To appreciate a work of literature
3. Scope of Study

The scope of this study is the analysis of symbol and women empowerment in the poem “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou

4. The Poet and The Poem
4.1 The Poet

Maya Angelou was born as Marguerite Johnson on April 4th, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri and raised in St. Louis and Stamps, Arkansas. Maya Angelou became one of the most renowned and influential voices of our time. With over 50 honorary doctorate degrees Dr. Maya Angelou became a celebrated poet, memoirist, educator, dramatist, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker and civil rights activist. With more than 30 bestselling titles, Maya Angelou has written 36 books. She died in 2014, in the age of 86.

4.2 The Poem

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.

4.3 Paraphrase

Because of the oppression that women experienced, especially oppression on black women, this poem is an inspiration for those who are struggling with it. With all the empowerment within the poem, readers will be inspired that they too should rise everytime they fall.

5. Discussion
5.1 Symbol

Symbol which is a figure of speech where an object, person or situation has another meaning other than its literal meaning.

You may trod me in the very dirt

But still, like dust, i rise

The “dirt” symbolize something that was unclean and something that people generally stepped into. The dirt could mean the disrespectful things that people done to another person. The next line indicates that this person does not give up yet, “like dust” dust is a light particle and can be carried out easily by the wind, with this, what this line is trying to say is that no matter what you have done to me, i will not give up.

‘Cause i walk like i’ve got oil wells

Pumping in my living room

Back then, oil was something precious that if someone owned it, they will be a millionaire. In here, this oil means the confidence that the author has, the confidence that comes from within herself, in which is indeed very powerful. “Pumping in my living room” could show us that whatever it is, comes from inside the person.

’Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own backyard

The confidence that the author has was like a “gold mines” very rich and resourceful indeed and it is located within the area of the person themselves, recited by “my own backyard”

That I dance like I've got diamonds

At the meeting of my thighs?

“Diamonds” were something precious and it is used to indicate that the thing declared a person as a woman is indeed precious.

5.2 Women Empowerment

Maya Angelou herself is a woman and woman has a long history of oppression in the United States, black women in this case have it worse than women who had white privilege because of the slavery time back then.

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.

No matter what people might say, no matter what lies they told, she will not give up. She will rise every single time people try to put her down, she will get back up regardless of what they have done.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.

Her hope is as high as the moon and the sun and it is as certain as the tides that always comes to the shore. No boundaries will tied it down because just like the moon and sun, the hope is springing high and untouchable by threats.

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.

The words that people said do not matter, the lies and mock they said is nothing and their stare when they doubt her also means nothing. Because regardless of all the hate that she receives, regardless of all the bully, she will still rise, as light as the air.

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.

The history of shame that loomed over her and the past that is filled with pain did not stop her, she will not give up. She is like the black wide ocean that bear the tide on its own and that she will keep rising regardless of all the things that bring her down.

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.

She believes that there is a bright future for her when she is no longer suffer and enslaved like her ancestors. She will rise to that bright future and leaves all her fear behind because she will be free.

6. Conclusion

After analyzing the use of symbol and also the women empowerment in “Still I Rise” it is clear that what Maya Angelou truly wanted to say is that no matter how painful our past was, no matter how many people hurt us either with their words or acts we must not give up. Because there is a bright future for women when we are no longer captivated by what other people thinks or said.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Perrine, Laurence. 1963. 2nd ed. Sound and Sense: An Introduction to Poetry. United States of America: Harcourt College Pub.
Meyer, Michael. 1990. 2nd ed. The Bedford: Introduction to Literature. Boston: St. Martin's Press.
Oliver, Mary. 1994. A Poetry Handbook. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Hardcourt.
Kennedy, X.J. 1991. 5th ed. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry and Drama. New York: HarperCollins Publisher.
Chimamanda, Adichie. 2014. We Should All be Feminist. Nigeria: Four Estate.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46446/still-i-rise (May 24th 2018)
http://mayaangelou.com (May 24th 2018)
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/jin-in/what-is-womens-empowerment_b_9399668.html (May 25th 2018)
https://literarydevices.net/symbolism/ (May 25th 2018)