Literary Analysis – Poetry

View the video “Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise” (2:43) for a brief background on writer/poet Maya Angelou.
Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise
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Read (Still I Rise
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) and listen to the poem “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou.
Maya Angelou recites Still I Rise
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As you read & listen, pay attention to the relationship between the narrator’s use of the word “I” and “you” and the “hopeful” and “angry” words. Think about the pattern regarding the words that align with “I” and with “you.” Think about the tone when the narrator speaks to herself compared to when she speaks to the audience.
You will write one to two paragraphs analyzing the relationship between tone and address. Include your thoughts on how the words come through in Angelou’s recitation of the poem. The poem is addressed to “you,” bringing in the audience as recipients of the accusations and rhetorical questioning. Therefore, include your thoughts on the directness of the message (through use of “you”) impacts the tone.