Poetic devices

Repetition

The most used poetic device in the poem “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou is repetition, most notably through the repetition of the words “I rise” (l. 30) or “I’ll rise” (l. 4). These words become a refrain of the poem that underscores the theme of resistance and resilience in the face of oppression. The phrase is also repeated multiple times in the ending of the poem, appearing almost as a mantra and self-affirmation of the speaker’s strength and determination: “I rise / I rise / I rise” (ll. 41-43).

Other phrases are also repeated throughout the poem in a similar fashion. For example, the speaker often addresses her oppressor to tell them that their efforts to bring her down will be in vain, such as: “You may shoot me with your words, / You may cut me with your eyes, / You may kill me with your hatefulness,” (ll. 21-23). The construction “You may (…) me (…)” is also featured in the first stanza of the poem: “You may write me down in history (…) / You may trod me in the very dirt” (ll. 1-3). The repetition of this phrase highlights the pointlessness of the oppressor’s attempt to hurt and destroy the speaker, who will rise above these challenges. 

Likewise, the speaker appears to taunt the oppressor multiple t...