ENGLISH AGGIGNMENT – 2

SRN – PES1UG22BB023
NAME – ANAND KUMAR JHANWAR

STIILL, I RISE
The poem is addressed to societal oppressors who would attempt to link the speaker
to her past, as well as to a history that has been misrepresented and cannot be
trusted. She will overcome the cruelty and suffering their ancestors endured because
of how unfairly and dishonestly they were portrayed in history. The entire poem is
written by a speaker who is both angry and assured. She is initially perplexed by the
fact that her oppressors—ostensibly, white people and in particular, white men—do
not want her to succeed or develop beyond the limitations of her past. She observes
that their happiness seems to make her unhappy, and she wonders why. She
acknowledges the effects of her actions and personality while also mocking these
oppressors, taking pleasure in the fact that she confuses them with her strength and
assurance. The poem as a whole is an assertion of fortitude and tenacity.

Whatever her oppressors try to do to stop her progress or take away her rights won't
matter, the speaker adamantly declares. She will always overcome racism, pain, and
sexism to be the strong woman she knows she is, and no one will ever be able to
take her power away. She will end the cycle of bad behaviour from the past.

She also represents other Black people without explicitly stating that she is doing so.
She addresses the collective experiences of her people and asserts that they as a race
are more powerful than their oppressors by making allusions to her ancestors and
specifically mentioning slavery close to the poem's conclusion. No matter what they
do, the oppressors will not be able to stop her people from improving their lot in life.

The poet ends her statement by stating that she will continue to transcend history,
hatred, and bigotry as her ancestors once imagined was possible, regardless of what
happens. She will make good on their aspirations for happiness and freedom.