Poetry Final Examination

Name : Albert Adi Septian Unwawiola

NIM : 2020011024038

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.

...

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.
A.Please read the poem above and answer the following questions!

1. What is the meaning of the poem above? (25 points)

2. How can someone learn language from the poem above? for example vocabulary, etc.
please explain. (30 points)

B. Please answer the following questions using your own words. Do not take from the
Internet.

1. What is the difficulties in understanding a poem do you think? (10 points)

2. What is the function of figurative language and imagery, please give examples from
the poems we have learned. (20 points)
3. Why is it important to know the poet’s life? (20 points)

good luck
Jayapura, June 7, 2023

Wigati Yektiningtyas-Modouw

Answer:
A.

1. The meaning of this poem is where our black brother when they’re still a slave that
was oppressed by the “white supremacy leaders” of that time, and still, the “I” rise.
The “I” from inside the poem is bringing gifts from their ancestors, and the persona in
the poem is also the hope and the dream of all the slave at the time. Given all the
history of how our black brother at that time getting treated as slaves, the persona
inside still gives the best to rise, no matter the hardships and the struggle to achieve
the true freedom.

2. The poem can teach all skills such as reading, speaking, listening, and writing.
Because from a poem, there exist vocabulary, sentences, lines, stanzas that can be
learnt on how to write, how to differentiate the sound, how to pronounce the word,
how

Vocabulary also can be taught. For example, the lines on the first stanza:

With your bitter, twisted lies, - twist (Present), twisted (Simple Past), twisted
(Past Participle). (Verb)
You may trod me in the very dirt - tread (Present), trod (Simple Past), trodden or trod
(Past participle). (Verb)
 Eat-ate-eaten
 Strive-strove-striven

We must all strive to do better.

They strove for success.

But still, like dust, I'll rise.
- “I’ll rise” or “I will rise”. (Future Tense)
The word will here is something used to refer to
actions that will be happening in the future, for
which the specific time is unknown. So, the line
literally means that “I” from the poem, even if
being oppressed and treated as slaves, will rise as
the hope in the future.

The line 1&3, 5&6 on second stanza are having the same ending sound.

Line 1: Leaving behind nights of terror and fear

Line 3: Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
Both are having “-ear” sound on the ending.

Line 5: Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,

Line 6: I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
Both are having “-ave” sound on the ending

Teaching:
 1. Knowledges
2. History – Slavery on our dark brothers in the America in the past
3. Skills(speaking, reading, writing, listening), vocabulary, lines, sentences, tense,
history.

B.
1. The difficulties are in understanding what the poet trying to picture. What meaning is
hidden behind their lines are something that if not looked at carefully, wouldn’t be
found. Other than that, the vocabulary is also hard to understand, such as “doth”,
“thee”, “thy”, etc.
2. Figurative language helps the reader to easily imagine on the conditions and situations
of the poem, to help deliver the emotions better. And Imagery tells us what senses are
being used inside the poem, such as hearing, seeing, etc.
For example:

The Rainbow
William Wordsworth (1770-1850)

My heart leaps up when I behold

A rainbow in the sky
So was it when my life began,
So is it when I am a man,
So be it when I shall grow old,
Or let me die!
The child is father of the Man;
I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety.

The figurative language here is

Personification, “My”, “I”, “me”, “child”, “Man” from line 1,4-6 from the first stanza,
line 7&8 from the second stanza.
Metaphor, “The child is father of the Man;” from line 7, the second stanza.
Hyperbole, “leaps up”, “let me die” from the 1st and 6th line on the first stanza.

The Imageries in this poem is

Sight (Visual): “My heart leaps up when I behold” on 1st line of the 1st stanza.

3. Because in this way, the poem’s true and deep meaning could be found. And by
knowing the poet’s background, the culture, and moments of that times can later be
brought to live and be expressed better.