Mines

poetry: Maya Angelou's "Still I Rise". you may work on discussion questions with a partner. Answer any THREE questions in paragraph form.1.How could you tell that the speaker is an African-American woman? Be sure to use stanzas 1, 8, and 9 to answer this question.2.List the similes to which the poet compares herself. Why do you think she uses these similes?3.To whom is the poet speaking?4.Note the last two lines of stanzas 2, 5, and 7. What do the last two lines of each of these stanzas have in common? Why do you think the poet uses that particular imagery?

This is a great poem to teach. First, it sounds great when read aloud. Then, look at the imagery. The speaker compares herself to all sorts of natural images (dust, air, moons, sun, ocean). What do these images have in common? The moon waxes and wanes, the sun rises and sets, the ocean waves rise and fall. How does that tie into the speaker's conception of history and the title of the poem, "Still I Rise"? How about "dust" and "air"? How do these ephemeral images represent the resilience and constancy of black women's spirit?

Does my sassiness upset you?Why are you beset with gloom?'Cause I walk like I've got oil wellsPumping in my living room.Does my haughtiness offend you?Don't you take it awful hard'Cause I laugh like I've got gold minesDiggin' in my own back yard.Does my sexiness upset you?Does it come as a surpriseThat I dance like I've got diamondsAt the meeting of my thighs?

I spent class discussion focused on comparing/contrasting stanzas 2, 5, and 7 (above). The parallelism should be clear. her "sassiness" is seen in her "walk",