maya angelou thesis statement

English Composition 1

The thesis statement.

The thesis statement is the most important sentence in an essay. In a sense, the thesis statement is a one-sentence summary of the entire essay. The thesis should not just give readers a general idea of the topic of an essay but should present specific statements of each of the main ideas developed in the essay.

The thesis statement is a one-sentence statement in the introduction of an essay that

• States the main ideas developed in the body paragraphs

Be specific as you list each of the main ideas in the thesis statement, using key words from the topic sentence of each body paragraph.

Generally, the thesis statement appears at the end of an introduction. The earlier part of the introduction should get the reader's attention and lead the reader to the thesis statement.

Do not present the thesis statement as a general statement concerning the subject of the essay followed by a series of sentences identifying the main ideas in the body paragraph. This formula is sometimes taught in high school to help writers organize their essays, but it is weak stylistically and often results in essays that are not well unified.

Sample Thesis Statement for an Essay on Maya Angelou's "Graduation"

Sample thesis statement:

In Maya Angelou's "Graduation," Marguerite Johnson's sense of pride in her academic achievements and upcoming graduation is challenged by the commencement speaker's stereotypical views of African-Americans, but a familiar song renews Marguerite's sense of accomplishment while giving her a greater awareness of the struggles and achievements of her ancestors.

Notice all of the important elements of the thesis statement:

• In Maya Angelou's "Graduation" = the subject of the essay: the title and author of the essay being analyzed.
• Marguerite Johnson's sense of pride in her academic achievements and upcoming graduation = identifies the main idea to be developed in the first body paragraph.
• is challenged by the commencement speaker's stereotypical views of African-Americans = identifies the main idea to be developed in the second body paragraph.
• but a familiar song renews Marguerite's sense of accomplishment while giving her a greater awareness of the struggles and achievements of her ancestors = identifies the main idea to be developed in the third body paragraph.

The thesis statement is expressed as just one sentence, gives readers a specific sense of the main ideas, and indicates the logical connections among those ideas.

Does it take a lot of writing and rewriting to formulate an effective thesis statement? Yes. But it should help if you come up with the main ideas for body paragraphs before you try to write your thesis statement.

Thesis Statement Checklist

• Is the thesis statement expressed as just one sentence?
• Does the thesis statement appear at the end of the introduction?
• Does the thesis statement identify the subject of the essay?
• Does the thesis statement present the major ideas developed in the body paragraphs?
• Does the thesis statement clarify how all of the main ideas are logically related?

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Maya Angelou's Still I Rise: Poem Analysis

General Education

Maya Angelou is one of the most important literary figures in twentieth century American history . Her poetry is often included on reading lists for high school English courses, and it may even make an appearance on the AP Literature exam.

In this article, we’ll give you a full introduction to Angelou and her engaging poetry so that you’ll be equipped to analyze it all on your own. To do this, we’re going to guide you through a close analysis of one of Angelou’s most famous poems, “Still I Rise.”

To help you learn what Angelou’s “Still I Rise” poem is all about, we’ll cover the following in this article: 

• A brief intro to the poet, Maya Angelou
• “Still I Rise” poem background
• The overarching meaning of “Still I Rise”
• The top three themes in the poem
• The top two poetic devices in the poem

Are you ready to dive in? Then let’s go!

Maya Angelou, speaking at Wake Forest University, in 2008. (Kingofthedead/ Wikimedia )

Meet the Poet, Maya Angelou

In order to fully understand the meaning of a poem, it’s important to start by looking at the life of the poet who wrote it. Why? Because poets sometimes reference their own life experiences, relationships, and personal identities in their works. In this instance, we’re going to look at the life of Maya Angelou, the poet who wrote the poem, “Still I Rise.”

Maya Angelou, whose given name was Marguerite Annie Johnson, was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 4, 1928. Her father, Bailey Johnson, was a doorman and navy dietician, and her mother, Vivian Johnson, was a nurse and card dealer.

Growing up, Angelou’s home life was chaotic and sometimes emotionally distressing. Angelou’s parents divorced when she was three, and her home life became unstable. In the years following, Angelou and her brother were shuffled from place to place, including their grandmother’s home in Stamps, Arkansas. 

After returning to St. Louis at age eight, Angelou was sexually assaulted by her mother’s boyfriend, Freeman. Angelou told her brother, who told the rest of the family, and Freeman was arrested and charged. He was only held in jail for one day, but he was murdered shortly after his release. Some scholars think Angelou’s uncles were responsible, seeking revenge for what Freeman had done to Angelou. 

After Freeman’s murder, Angelou returned to live with her grandmother in Arkansas and spent five years virtually mute. It wasn’t until a teacher and family friend, Mrs. Bertha Flowers, took an interest in Angelou that she was able to find her voice again. 

Flowers introduced Angelou to authors such as William Shakespeare and Edgar Allen Poe, as well as Black female artists such as Frances Harper and Jessie Fauset . Years later, Angelou stated that she could no longer speak because she believed that her voice had killed Freeman. She felt that Freeman’s murder was proof that her words had the power to kill. Nevertheless, it was during this difficult period of her life that Angelou’s interest in poetry and writing began to take root. During this time, she also graduated high school and had her son, Clyde, at the age of seventeen. 

Angelou married her first husband, Enistasious Tosh Angelou, in 1951 . Around this time, she began pursuing art more seriously. After her marriage ended in 1954, Angelou began dancing professionally at clubs in San Francisco. Her managers at the Purple Onion, a night club, suggested she formally adopt the name, “Maya Angelou,” which she did. 

In 1959, Angelou moved to New York City to concentrate on her writing career. She joined the Harlem Writers Guild , where she met several other African American authors and began publishing her work. In 1960, she met civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. After hearing him speak, Angelou began volunteering to benefit the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and taking a stand as a political activist. 

Angelou’s professional writing career took off when she and her son moved abroad in 1962. She worked as an editor at a newspaper in Cairo, Egypt, and wrote for various publications in Ghana as well. Angelou also met and began working with human rights activist Malcolm X during her years in Africa. When she returned to the United States in 1964, Angelou helped Malcolm X set up the Organization of Afro-American Unity. The organization disbanded when Malcolm X was assassinated the next year. 

Angelou pursued writing more intensely in the years after traveling broadly, witnessing the need for human and civil rights, and processing the assassination of her fellow activists and friends, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. Throughout the 1970s, Angelou experienced her most productive writing period, writing articles, short stories, TV scripts, documentaries, autobiographies, and poetry.

Arguably, Angelou’s most famous work is her autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings , published in 1969. But Angelou’s poetry is also highly acclaimed. Both her autobiography and her poetry explore the complexities of her childhood growing up in Missouri and Arkansas, racial discrimination, sexual assault, and womanhood. These works also emphasize the power of storytelling and the spoken word —two themes that find root in her childhood experiences as well. 

Up until her death on May 28, 2014, Angelou continued to write, teach, give lectures and poetry readings, and participate in political campaigning. She even directed a feature film! Angelou was a prolific artist whose work evokes powerful images of what being a Black child, woman, and artist was like in twentieth century America. 

Want to hear Maya Angelou recite "Still I Rise" herself? Just click on the video above!

Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise” Poem

“Still I Rise” was originally published in the 1978 poetry collection, And Still I Rise by Maya Angelou. “Still I Rise” is the volume’s title poem and plays a crucial role in developing the collection’s key themes. It is also one of the most famous and widely read poems from this collection by Maya Angelou . 

Before we can dig into what the meaning of “Still I Rise” is, we need to actually read the poem. Take a look at the full text of “Still I Rise” below.

“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.

Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? ’Cause I walk like I've got oil wells Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like teardrops, Weakened by my soulful cries?

Does my haughtiness offend you? Don't you take it awful hard ’Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines Diggin’ in my own backyard.

You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you? Does it come as a surprise That I dance like I've got diamonds At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history’s shame I rise Up from a past that’s rooted in pain I rise I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide, Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

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.

"Still I Rise" was written to address the discrimination that Black people face due to systemic racism in the United States. 

The Background Behind the “Still I Rise” Poem

One way that we can discern the meaning and themes of a poem is by looking at its background, including experiences in the poet’s life and broader historical events that may have influenced the poet. Still I Rise” was written to portray the resilience of Black people in response to racial discrimination and injustice. 

“Still I Rise” was written during the 1970s, when Angelou became involved in the civil and human rights movements, engaged in political activism, and traveled abroad to Africa. These experiences likely gave Angelou an intimate look at many forms of discrimination around the world. 

Angelou also met and worked with some of the most inspiring leaders of the civil and human rights movement during the 1960s and 1970s. This means that, while Angelou witnessed injustice, she also got to see the resilient spirit of Black people united in action. These experiences with racism and resistance influenced Angelou’s writing during the 1970s and shaped the themes in many of her poems, including “Still I Rise.” 

On top of these influences, Angelou also had a traumatizing childhood, which included her own personal experience with racial discrimination and sexual abuse. For Maya Angelou, “Still I Rise” and other poems are an outlet for processing that personal pain and finding ways to rise above the wounds individual people and society inflicted upon her. 

Now it's time to do a little investigation and figure out what Maya Angelou's poem is actually about! 

“Still I Rise”: Meaning and Themes

Now, let’s dig into the meaning of “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou. Go ahead and reread the poem one more time so that it’s fresh in your mind as we talk about the “Still I Rise” poem’s meaning and themes. 

“Still I Rise” Poem Meaning

The central meaning of “Still I Rise” can be summed up like this: despite America’s violent and discriminatory treatment of Black people, Black resilience is an unstoppable force and a beacon of hope. 

The poem’s title, “Still I Rise,” suggests that the poem’s speaker is rising up despite or in response to challenging circumstances. As the poem develops, we learn that the speaker rises up in response to American society’s hatred and oppression of Black people.  

The speaker of the poem is Black, which we learn in these two lines in the last stanza: 

Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave.

The speaker’s reference of slavery and ancestors situates them in a very specific cultural and racial role as a Black person. 

Additionally, we see how this Blackness rises up in opposition of hate, discrimination, and oppression throughout the poem. For example, in the second stanza, the poem’s speaker asks the reader:

The fourth and fifth stanzas pose questions to the reader in a similar fashion, asking:

Angelou opens each of these stanzas with questions as she calls out everyone who has participated in the oppression of Black people. She demands an explanation for their hatred, and each question calls out a specific instance of or type of mistreatment. Speaking on behalf of Black people who have experienced discrimination, the speaker questions why Black people are treated with violence and contempt. 

As the poem goes on, it becomes clear that those who hate Black people do so because of the strength, beauty, and resilience of Black people... even though the Black community remains oppressed. We see this in the similes that compare the spirit of Black people to resources that are an endless wellspring of riches, like “oil wells / Pumping in [the speaker’s] living room” and “gold mines / Diggin’ in [her] own backyard.” Using these comparisons, Angelou asks the reader to consider why it’s the enduring hope, joy, and strength of Black people  that makes others want to break them down.

While the strength and beauty of Black people incites hatred and intolerance, Angelou also portrays these qualities as the ultimate source of Black people’s strength to keep rising back up. The speaker argues that Black people refuse to give up in the face of society’s racism and oppression. Instead, they respond with remarkable strength. 

Now, let’s take a closer look at the three major themes that define Angelou’s poem: the relationship between personal and collective experience, the irrationality of racial hatred, and the enduring nature of Black resilience. 

Angelou not only talks about the ways in which Black people collectively experience racism, she is asking readers to examine their role in perpetuating racism, too.

Theme 1: The Relationship Between Personal and Collective Experience

The first theme we’ll discuss that’s important to understanding Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise” is the relationship between personal and collective experience. 

First, there are two major characters in “Still I Rise”: the Black speaker of the poem, and the person to whom they’re asking their questions (the “you”/addressee).  

Let’s look at the poem’s addressee. Throughout “Still I Rise,” the poem’s speaker addresses an unknown “you.” At first glance, it may seem like this “you” could be anyone, but as we get deeper into the poem, it becomes clear that Angelou is addressing a specific type of person: anyone who despises or hurts Black people because of their racial identity. 

So, though it sounds like the speaker is addressing an individual when she says “you,” she’s actually referring to a group of like-minded people: all those individuals who participate in racial discrimination. When you read “you” in the poem, that’s who should come to mind. In that way, Angelou targets a collective experience of racism and racist behavior as the main topic of her poem. 

But we can also break down the identity of the poem’s “you” a bit more. We could also read Angelou’s use of “you” as her way of asking all readers to look inside themselves to see if they’re complicit in racism, too. 

In other words, Angelou could be asking us to examine ourselves for hidden biases: do we experience any of the negative feelings toward Black people that the “you” portrayed in the poem experiences? And if we do, do we want to be included in that hateful “you?” By addressing the reader as potentially being a part of that “you,” Angelou gives us an opportunity to reflect on their internalized biases and reject harmful ones that we may not have realized we were harboring. 

In that way, Angelou draws a strong connection between collective actions and our individual responsibility. It’s easy to write off a group of people as “racist,” but we have to remember that group is made up of individual people. And more importantly, “Still I Rise” argues that it’s our responsibility to make sure our own individual ideas, beliefs, and actions aren’t feeding a system that harms others. 

The poem’s speaker also exhibits the relationship between our individual selves and collective experiences. Throughout the poem, the speaker refers to themselves in the first person, often using “I” and “my” to refer to their experiences with racial discrimination.

But in the first and last stanzas of the poem, Angelou’s speaker indicates that their experiences are common and shared among Black people. The speaker does this by referring to the role of history in documenting both the oppression of Black people and their response to this oppression. 

Throughout the poem, the speaker’s individual experiences tie into the collective experiences of Black people. As the speaker “rises” from each individual attempt to break her or push her down, so do Black people as a whole. This is on display in the following stanza: 

In this final stanza of the poem, the speaker reveals that their resilience, and that of their people, comes from a shared and enduring collective experience. When the speaker refers to “the gifts that my ancestors gave,” they’re talking about how the strength of past Black people continues to undergird the Black community in the present. This is the historical narrative that truly defines who she is—not the bitter, twisted lies of their oppressors. 

So in this case, the speaker’s individual decision to rise in the face of discrimination contributes to Black people’s collective experience in the face of racism . And more importantly, her individual actions will help future generations continue to rise up and above as well.

Theme 2: The Irrationality of Racism

Another important theme that Angelou portrays in “Still I Rise” is the irrationality of racism. Angelou conveys this theme through rhetorical questions that demonstrate that the reasons people cite for hating Black people are trivial. 

The “you” who is addressed by the poem’s speaker is portrayed as being upset and offended because the speaker is sassy, hopeful, haughty, and sexy. Those seem like weird things to hate someone for, right? And you certainly wouldn’t oppress someone just because they exhibit those qualities! 

That’s exactly Angelou’s point in this poem. She’s showing that hatred and fear of Black people is irrational. The “bitter, twisted lies” that came to define America’s understanding of Black people since the early days of the country’s existence didn’t make sense then, and “Still I Rise” argues that they don’t make sense now. The poem reiterates that the lies that paint Black people as dangerous or “less than” others are baseless and untrue. 

Instead, the speaker rewrites the story of who they are in order to rise up against the hateful “you” that they’re addressing in the poem . By revealing the truth of who she is—sassy, sexy, human— she challenges the historical lies that support racist ideas. By asking the “you” if they are offended and upset because of who she truly is, Angelou’s speaker exposes the irrationality of the hatred directed toward Black people. 

Theme 3: The Enduring Nature of Black Resilience

A final central theme that characterizes “Still I Rise” is the enduring nature of Black resilience. Throughout the poem, the speaker portrays the nature of their resilience through comparisons to things that are known for their toughness or ability to endure. Ultimately, these comparisons between the resilience of the speaker and durable things symbolizes the resilient spirit of Black people in general. 

Angelou’s speaker characterizes their resilience as being similar to things from the natural world that endure through the weathering down that occurs as time passes. For instance, Angelou tells the poem’s “you” that, while they may be trodden into “the very dirt,” like “dust” they’ll rise again. And just like the moon, sun, and the tides of the ocean—all of which fall and rise—the speaker will continue to rise as well. 

Angelou makes these comparisons to portray the speaker’s resilience in a specific way. Like the “certainty” of the patterns of the sun and moon,  the speaker’s resilience is certain. It won’t fade away or diminish; it will endure. The speaker is ensuring the poem’s “you” that no matter what hateful things they say or do, the speaker will rise up no matter what. 

The references to human activities like pumping oil and mining gold work also the importance and value of resilience. 

The speaker says they walk like they’ve got oil wells pumping in her living room, and laughs like they’ve got gold mines in their backyard. Of course, the poem’s speaker doesn’t actually have oil wells and gold mines. Instead, the speaker makes these comparisons to show their resilient spirit is more valuable than oil and more precious than gold. 

Ultimately, the poem’s speaker is recognizing that the poem’s “you” can’t comprehend the value of the speaker’s resilience, nor can they diminish the driving force behind the speaker’s resilient spirit. 

The Top 2 Poetic Devices in “Still I Rise”

Poetic devices are literary devices that poets use to enhance and create a poem’s structure, tone, rhythm, and meaning. In Maya Angelou’s poem, “Still I Rise,” Angelou uses repetition and rhetorical questions to reinforce her poem’s meaning . 

Poetic Device 1: Repetition

Repetition is often used in poetry to solidify a key idea or theme. Similar to the refrain of a song, repetition can also be used to create a particular rhythmic effect and set a poem’s mood. In “Still I Rise,” Angelou’s speaker repeats the refrain, “Still I rise” and, “I rise” to convey the power of Black resilience and set a triumphant tone . 

The repetition of “Still I rise” and “I rise” set up a stark contrast between the hateful actions of the poem’s “you” and the resilient response of the poem’s speaker. Angelou describes how the poem’s “you” attempts to keep the speaker down. The “you” addressed by the speaker may “trod [them] in the very dirt,” “shoot [them] with your words,” and “cut [them] with your eyes.” These actions are all designed to break the spirit of the speaker. But in response to each of these attempts to oppress them, the speaker repeats the phrase, “I rise.” 

So whereas the hatred portrayed in the poem is dirty and low, the speaker’s resistance rises high above these kinds of exchanges. Rather than responding with hatred, the speaker walks, laughs, and dances, rejecting the lies of those who would oppress them. 

The repetition of the phrase, “I rise” is also symbolic: it conveys the ongoing resilience of the spirit of Black people in response to ongoing racism and discrimination. With each repetition of “I rise,” the reader gets a sense of just how strong and resilient the speaker is. This repetition emphasizes the speaker’s message that attempts to keep Black people down will never be successful. As the poem’s eighth stanza says, the resilience of Black people is like the ocean: 

Up from a past that’s rooted in pain I rise I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide, Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

In other words, “rising up” is not something that the speaker and, by extension, Black people, do only once. Because racial oppression also endures, Black people find themselves rising up again and again. 

Poetic Device 2: Rhetorical Questions

Rhetorical questions are the other main poetic device that Angelou uses to convey the “Still I Rise” meaning. Rhetorical questions are questions that a writer poses in order to make the reader come up with their own answer--and think more deeply about complicated issues in the processes. Writers often use rhetorical questions to guide readers toward answers that reinforce the poem’s message. 

In “Still I Rise,” rhetorical questions appear at the beginning of four of the stanzas. Each rhetorical question in this poem is addressed to the poem’s “you.” Each question asks about the ways in which the speaker offends the addressee. This technique allows Angelou to investigate why the addressee hates the speaker...which also allows her to shine a light on the flimsy reasons behind racism as well.

The repetition of these rhetorical questions sets a tone that feels more like an interrogation than a conversation—and this is intentional. Each rhetorical question directed toward the hateful “you” in the poem serves to condemn their hatefulness, especially when Angelou’s speaker begins answering the questions herself. 

Additionally, the speaker answers the rhetorical questions for the reader in order to help readers see the insubstantial motivations behind their hatred of Black people. Take the question and answer sequence in the poem’s fifth stanza for example: 

The stanza above begins with a rhetorical question directed at the reader about haughtiness. But Angelou’s speaker also answers the question themselves, revealing that they already know the “you” in the poem is offended by her haughtiness. 

Ultimately, Angelou uses rhetorical questions to ask the collective “you” addressed in the poem to reflect on their own hatefulness and intolerance. By answering these questions with declarative statements throughout the poem, Angelou is signaling to the poem’s “you” that Black people aren’t confused about where this hatred comes from. They understand that Black people’s refusal to give up in the face of ongoing lies and cut downs only makes those who are filled with hate even angrier.

In fact, these rhetorical questions, piled up one after the other in the poem, convey an attitude of defiance. They prompt the poem’s “you” to essentially ask themselves, “Did you really think your hatred could keep us down?” Nevertheless, by stating the violence against Black people with each rhetorical question and communicating a resilient response to each cut down in her answers, Angelou emphasizes just how strong Black people are.

What's Next?

Analyzing poetry can be tricky, so it’s helpful to read a few expert analyses. We have a bunch on our blog that you can read through, like this one about Dylan Thomas’ “Do not go gentle into that good night” or this article that explains 10 different sonnets!

It’s much easier to analyze poetry when you have the right tools to do it! Don’t miss our in-depth guides to poetic devices like assonance , iambic pentameter , and allusion .

If you’re more about writing poetry than analyzing it, we’ve got you covered! Here are five great tips for writing poetry (and a few scholarships for budding poets , too).

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

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Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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Caged Bird Summary & Analysis by Maya Angelou

• Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis
• Poetic Devices
• Vocabulary & References
• Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme
• Line-by-Line Explanations

"Caged Bird" was published in Maya Angelou's 1983 poetry collection Shaker, Why Don't You Sing? The poem describes the opposing experiences between two birds: one bird is able to live in nature as it pleases, while a different caged bird suffers in captivity. The latter bird sings both to cope with its circumstances and to express its own longing for freedom. Using the extended metaphor of these two birds, Angelou paints a critical portrait of oppression in which she illuminates the privilege and entitlement of the un-oppressed, and conveys the simultaneous experience of suffering and emotional resilience. In particular, the poem's extended metaphor can be seen as portraying the experience of being a Black person in America.

• Read the full text of “Caged Bird”

The Full Text of “Caged Bird”

“caged bird” summary, “caged bird” themes.

Oppression and the African-American Experience

• Lines 15-22
• Lines 27-38

Freedom vs. Captivity

Freedom as a Universal and Natural Right

• Lines 31-38

Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Caged Bird”

A free bird ... ... claim the sky.

But a bird ... ... throat to sing.

The caged bird ... ... sings of freedom.

• Lines 23-26

The free bird ... ... sky his own

• Lines 27-30

But a caged ... ... throat to sing.

“Caged Bird” Symbols

• Line 9: “narrow cage”
• Line 11: “his bars of rage”
• Line 15: “caged”
• Line 21: “caged”
• Line 27: “caged”
• Line 31: “caged”
• Line 37: “caged”

The Free and Caged Birds

• Line 14: “so he opens his throat to sing.”
• Lines 15-22: “The caged bird sings / with a fearful trill / of things unknown / but longed for still / and his tune is heard / on the distant hill / for the caged bird / sings of freedom.”
• Line 30: “so he opens his throat to sing.”
• Lines 31-38: “The caged bird sings / with a fearful trill / of things unknown / but longed for still / and his tune is heard / on the distant hill / for the caged bird / sings of freedom.”

“Caged Bird” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

• Line 1: “A free bird”
• Line 7: “and dares to claim the sky”
• Line 15: “The caged bird sings”
• Lines 21-22: “for the caged bird / sings of freedom.”
• Line 23: “The free bird thinks of another breeze”
• Line 24: “and the trade winds”
• Line 26: “and he names the sky his own”
• Lines 30-31: “so he opens his throat to sing. / The caged bird sings”
• Lines 37-38: “for the caged bird / sings of freedom.”
• Line 1: “ee,” “ea”
• Line 4: “e,” “e”
• Line 5: “i,” “i,” “i”
• Line 6: “i,” “a”
• Line 7: “ai”
• Line 11: “i”
• Line 12: “i,” “i,” “i”
• Line 13: “i”
• Line 14: “o,” “o,” “i,” “oa,” “i”
• Line 15: “i”
• Line 16: “i,” “i”
• Line 17: “i,” “u”
• Line 18: “u,” “i”
• Line 19: “i,” “i”
• Line 20: “i,” “i”
• Line 22: “i”
• Line 23: “ee,” “i,” “ee”
• Line 25: “o,” “a,” “a”
• Line 27: “a,” “a”
• Line 29: “i,” “i,” “i,” “i”
• Line 30: “o,” “e,” “o,” “i,” “roa,” “i”
• Line 31: “i”
• Line 32: “i”
• Line 33: “i,” “u”
• Line 34: “u,” “i”
• Line 35: “i,” “i”
• Line 36: “i,” “i”
• Line 38: “i”
• Line 1: “r,” “b,” “r”
• Line 2: “th,” “b,” “th,” “w,” “n,” “d”
• Line 3: “n,” “d,” “t,” “s,” “d,” “w,” “n,” “s,” “t”
• Line 4: “t,” “n,” “t,” “n,” “d”
• Line 5: “n,” “d,” “d,” “w”
• Line 6: “n,” “r,” “n,” “n,” “r,” “s”
• Line 7: “d,” “d,” “r,” “s,” “c,” “sk”
• Line 8: “B,” “t,” “b,” “t,” “s,” “t,” “k,” “s”
• Line 9: “w,” “n,” “n,” “w,” “c”
• Line 10: “c,” “n,” “s,” “s”
• Line 11: “h,” “s,” “r,” “s,” “r”
• Line 12: “h,” “s,” “s,” “r,” “d ,” “d”
• Line 13: “h,” “t,” “t”
• Line 14: “s,” “h,” “s,” “h,” “s,” “t,” “t,” “s”
• Line 15: “d,” “r,” “d”
• Line 16: “th,” “f,” “r,” “f,” “l,” “r,” “ll”
• Line 17: “th,” “n,” “g,” “n,” “n,” “n”
• Line 18: “t,” “n,” “g,” “t”
• Line 19: “n,” “h,” “s,” “t,” “n,” “s,” “h,” “d”
• Line 20: “n,” “d,” “t,” “n,” “t,” “h”
• Line 21: “r,” “d,” “r,” “d”
• Line 22: “f,” “f,” “r,” “d”
• Line 23: “Th,” “f,” “r,” “b,” “r,” “th,” “th,” “r,” “b,” “r”
• Line 24: “n,” “d,” “tr,” “d,” “n,” “d,” “s,” “s,” “th,” “gh,” “th,” “s,” “gh,” “tr,” “s”
• Line 25: “n,” “t,” “w,” “w,” “t,” “n,” “n,” “t,” “n”
• Line 26: “n,” “h,” “n,” “s,” “h,” “s,” “n”
• Line 27: “B,” “t,” “d,” “b,” “r,” “d,” “t,” “n,” “d,” “s,” “n,” “r,” “r,” “s”
• Line 28: “s,” “sh,” “sh,” “t,” “s,” “n,” “n,” “t,” “m,” “r,” “s,” “r,” “m”
• Line 29: “h,” “s,” “s,” “r,” “d,” “d,” “h,” “s,” “t,” “r,” “t,” “d”
• Line 30: “s,” “h,” “s,” “h,” “s,” “t,” “t,” “s”
• Line 31: “d,” “r,” “d”
• Line 32: “th,” “f,” “r,” “f,” “l,” “r,” “ll”
• Line 33: “f,” “th,” “n,” “g,” “n,” “n,” “n”
• Line 34: “t,” “ng,” “t”
• Line 35: “n,” “h,” “s,” “t,” “n,” “s,” “h,” “d”
• Line 36: “n,” “d,” “t,” “t,” “h”
• Line 37: “r,” “d,” “r,” “d”
• Line 38: “f,” “f,” “d”
• Lines 12-13: “his wings are clipped and / his feet are tied”
• Line 29: “his wings are clipped and his feet are tied”

Pathetic Fallacy

• Line 7: “dares to claim the sky”
• Lines 16-18: “with a fearful trill / of things unknown / but longed for still”
• Lines 23-24: “The free bird thinks of another breeze / and / soft through the sighing trees”
• Line 24: “ the trade winds”
• Line 26: “he names the sky his own”
• Line 27: “But ”
• Lines 27-28: “a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams / his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream”
• Lines 31-34: “The caged bird sings / with a fearful trill / of things unknown / but longed for still”

Juxtaposition

• Lines 23-30
• Lines 19-20
• Lines 35-36
• Line 7: “dares to claim the sky.”
• Line 8: “But a bird”
• Line 11: “his”
• Line 12: “his”
• Line 13: “his”
• Line 15: “The caged bird”
• Line 23: “The free bird”
• Line 24: “and”
• Line 25: “and”
• Line 26: “and,” “names the sky his own”
• Line 27: “But a caged bird”
• Line 28: “his”
• Line 29: “his”
• Line 31: “The caged bird”
• Lines 1-2: “leaps / on”
• Lines 3-4: “downstream / till”
• Lines 5-6: “wing / in”
• Lines 8-9: “stalks / down”
• Lines 9-10: “cage / can”
• Lines 10-11: “through / his”
• Lines 12-13: “and / his”
• Lines 15-16: “sings / with”
• Lines 16-17: “trill / of”
• Lines 17-18: “unknown / but”
• Lines 19-20: “heard / on”
• Lines 21-22: “bird / sings”
• Lines 31-32: “sings / with”
• Lines 32-33: “trill / of”
• Lines 33-34: “unknown / but”
• Lines 35-36: “heard / on”
• Lines 37-38: “bird / sings”

Extended Metaphor

End-stopped line.

• Line 2: “wind”
• Line 4: “ends”
• Line 6: “rays”
• Line 7: “sky.”
• Line 11: “rage”
• Line 13: “tied”
• Line 14: “sing.”
• Line 18: “still”
• Line 20: “hill”
• Line 22: “freedom.”
• Line 23: “breeze”
• Line 24: “trees”
• Line 25: “lawn”
• Line 26: “own”
• Line 27: “dreams”
• Line 28: “scream”
• Line 29: “tied”
• Line 30: “sing.”
• Line 34: “still”
• Line 36: “hill”
• Line 38: “freedom.”

Alliteration

• Line 1: “f,” “b”
• Line 2: “b”
• Line 3: “f,” “d”
• Line 5: “d”
• Line 7: “d”
• Line 8: “B,” “b”
• Line 9: “c”
• Line 10: “c,” “s,” “s”
• Line 12: “c”
• Line 14: “h,” “h”
• Line 19: “h,” “h”
• Line 20: “h”
• Line 23: “b,” “b”
• Line 24: “t,” “r,” “s,” “s,” “tr”
• Line 25: “w,” “w”
• Line 27: “B,” “b”
• Line 28: “sh,” “sh”
• Line 30: “h,” “h”
• Line 35: “h,” “h”
• Line 36: “h”

“Caged Bird” Vocabulary

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• Trade winds
• (Location in poem: Line 2: “back”)

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Caged Bird”

Rhyme scheme, “caged bird” speaker, “caged bird” setting, literary and historical context of “caged bird”, more “caged bird” resources, external resources.

The Poem Out Loud — Video of Maya Angelou performing and reading her work.

Angelou's Life and Work — A brief biography of Maya Angelou by Poetry Foundation.

"Sympathy" — Paul Laurence Dunbar's poem, which inspired Angelou's image of the "caged bird."

Angelou at the Presidential Inauguration — A clip of Maya Angelou reading "Still I Rise" at the presidential inauguration of Bill Clinton in 1993.

An Oprah Interview — A video clip of Maya Angelou being interviewed by Oprah Winfrey in 1993

LitCharts on Other Poems by Maya Angelou

Country Lover

Harlem Hopscotch

Life Doesn't Frighten Me

On the Pulse of Morning

Phenomenal Woman

Still I Rise

When Great Trees Fall

Ask LitCharts AI: The answer to your questions

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Maya Angelou — The Message of Strength and Endurance in Still I Rise by Maya Angelou

The Message of Strength and Endurance in Still I Rise by Maya Angelou

• Categories: Maya Angelou Still I Rise

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Published: Jun 29, 2018

Words: 925 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Works Cited:

• Selick, H. (Director). (2009). Coraline [Motion picture]. USA: Focus Features.
• Gaiman, N. (2002). Coraline. HarperCollins.
• Johnston, S. (2019). Stop-Motion Animation: Frame by Frame Film-Making with Puppets and Models. Bloomsbury Publishing.
• Grant, B. K. (2018). Neil Gaiman's Coraline and the Question of Genre. In Neil Gaiman in the 21st Century (pp. 65-76). McFarland.
• Chanko, K. (2018). The Role of Texture and Color in Stop-Motion Animation: Laika Studios' Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings. Animation Practice, Process & Production, 7(2), 119-135.
• O'Brien, L. (2010). Coraline and the Abject Grotesque. Gothic Studies, 12(1), 29-40.
• The Art of Coraline. (2009). Insight Editions.
• Laika (Firm). (2009). Coraline: The Movie: Behind the Scenes. Cherry Lane Music.
• Morton, D. (2010). On the Analysis of Animated Films: Coraline as a Case Study. In Animation and Philosophy (pp. 245-261). Palgrave Macmillan.
• Richardson, J. E. (2012). Coraline and Paranormal Activity: Imagining the Child Viewer in Horror Film. The Journal of Popular Culture, 45(4), 787-805.

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Maya Angelou was a prominent figure in American literature and civil rights activism. Throughout her life, she achieved numerous accomplishments that have left a lasting impact on society. From her groundbreaking autobiographies [...]

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Maya Angelou's "Graduation" : Themes of Racism and Segregation

Analysis of themes in Maya Angelou's "Graduation"

• Angelou, M. (1969). I know why the caged bird sings. Random House LLC.
• Cudjoe, S. (1991). Maya Angelou: A critical companion. Greenwood Press.
• Holtzman, M. (2017). Maya Angelou’s “Graduation”. Salem Press Encyclopedia.
• Inoue, M. (2017). Maya Angelou’s “Graduation”: Power in the Margins. Journal of Black Studies, 48(7), 643-658.
• Lupton, M. G. (2006). Maya Angelou: A critical reader. Wiley-Blackwell.

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Relevance Theoretical Interpretation of Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise”

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A Journey Towards Meaning: An Existential Psychobiography of Maya Angelou

Nadene harisunker.

1 Department of Psychosocial Health, North West University, VTC, Gauteng, South Africa

Carol du Plessis

2 School of Psychology and Counselling, University of Southern Queensland, Ipswich, Australia

This psychobiography focuses on meaning making in the early life and young adulthood of acclaimed African American author Maya Angelou (1928-2014) through the lens of Frankl’s existential psychology with a specific focus on the tri-dimensional nature of human beings and the fundamental triad. The primary data source was Angelou’s own published autobiographies, which contain an in-depth narrative of her early life and young adulthood. Data was extracted, organised and analysed according to established qualitative research methods as well as through the identification of psychological saliences. The search for meaning within Angelou’s own narrative of her life was clearly apparent in the thematic analysis. Angelou’s narrative of her journey through the physical (childhood and adolescence), psychological (travelling and searching years) and spiritual (sensemaking years) dimensions was core to her meaning making. The three tiers of the fundamental triad (awareness of meaning, will to meaning, freedom of will) were present in various aspects of Angelou’s existential journey, manifesting as a focus on choice, responsibility, purpose, and acceptance. This study provides a more in-depth understanding of meaning making processes in the lives of extraordinary individuals, as well as contributing to the development of the research method of psychobiography, with a specific focus on meaning making.

This psychobiographical study explores meaning making processes in the early life and young adulthood of Maya Angelou, an acclaimed African American female poet, author, playwright, and teacher. Angelou chronicled this period of her life through her extensive autobiographies containing personal commentary and reflexive engagement with her socio-historical milieu ( Angelou, 2004 ). The books, beginning with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings ( Angelou, 2004 ), span the first 40 years of her life and are used in this analysis to chart her engagement with, and relationship to, meaning. As such, this analysis focuses on the first 40 years of her life, in keeping with the focus in her autobiographies.

Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Ann Johnson on the 4th of April 1928. Her parents separated soon after her birth ( Agins, 2013 ; Angelou, 2004 ; Lupton, 1998 ) and Angelou spent her early childhood years living with her paternal grandmother (Momma) in Arkansas ( Agins, 2013 ; Angelou, 2013 ; Lupton, 1998 ). Momma provided a strict religious upbringing that was devoid of any overt expressions of love – both physical and verbal ( Angelou, 2004 , 2013 ).

In 1934, when Angelou was 6 years old, she moved to live with her mother. Angelou reported experiencing low self-esteem and poor body image and she frequently compared herself unfavourably to her beautiful mother, brother, and father ( Angelou, 2004 ; Lupton, 1998 ). In 1935 Angelou was sexually abused and subsequently raped by Mr F., her mother’s boyfriend. When Angelou told her uncles about her abuse, they responded by beating Mr F. to death. In her autobiography Angelou notes that she came to believe her voice was deadly and poisonous, and she became selectively mute for several years.

Angelou moved between living with her mother, grandmother, and father throughout her teenage years ( Agins, 2013 ; Lupton, 1998 ). Although she excelled academically this was also a time of tumult. For example, in 1943 she spent a month living in a junkyard with fellow teenagers after a physical altercation with her father’s girlfriend. Angelou also became pregnant as a teenager and her son, Guy, was born in 1945.

Following her graduation from high school, Angelou worked at various jobs. She was insecure and acted out in ways she believed would help her fit in ( Angelou, 2004 ). Two specific incidents are highlighted in her autobiographies: once when she prostituted herself for her boyfriend in order to ensure his continued investment in her and once when she argued with a white staff member at a shop due to her need to prove herself superior ( Angelou, 2004 ). During this time Angelou also experienced frequent anxiety and guilt concerning her role as a mother as she felt tension between her desire to be a perfect mother and her desire to explore her career ( Angelou, 2004 ).

Relationships also played an important role in Angelou’s development during this time. In her autobiographies, she notes that she often became submissive and changed who she was in order to be accepted by her partner. In 1953 she married Tosh Angelos, a white man with whom she believed she could have a perfect life. However, she failed to find meaning and purpose in the relationship, and when the marriage ended she rediscovered a love for dance that characterised the next ten years of her life. Angelou worked as a professional dancer, addressing her insecurities and chafing against the control of a second, fairly short, unofficial marriage to Vus, a South African freedom fighter. Following the end of this relationship Angelou moved to Ghana where she grappled with her ‘Africanness’ and eventually accepted her African American identity ( Angelou, 2004 , 2013 ).

Once she returned to America in 1965, Angelou continued to move frequently and her dance career gradually gave way to a career in political activism and writing. She became a successful playwright and author with a career spanning the next five decades. One of her major contributions as an author was a six volume autobiography, published between 1969 and 2002, charting the first 40 years of her life prior to her career as a writer. These volumes, as well as a seventh volume that focuses on her relationship with her mother and grandmother, are the primary data set for this study.

Angelou died on May 28th 2014 at 86 years of age. Her legacy includes her incredible corpus of writing as well as significant contributions to the civil rights movement and to recognition for female black authors. She has been described as a warm, kind, generous, powerful, and phenomenal individual ( Cadet, 2014 ; Snow, 2014 ) and her main message was that “[p]eople must work to overcome their hardships with dignity and view the world with hope and love” ( Agins, 2013 , p. 101).

The Multilayered Chronological Chart (MCC; see Hiller, 2011 ) in Table 1 below captures core moments in Angelou’s life in accordance with various themes evidenced in her narrative – specifically relationships and career. It also illustrates the time period covered by each of the first six volumes 1 of her autobiography.

Theoretical Framework: Frankl’s Existential Psychology

This study explores meaning making using Frankl’s tri-dimensional view of humans as well as his fundamental triad, with a focus on a striving to meaning and meaning through struggle ( Bruner, 2012 ). Frankl’s theory, developed in the 1920s and refined through his experiences in the Nazi concentration camps, is existential in nature and emphasises individual choice and meaning making. Frankl’s theory highlights major concepts that are fundamental to meaning making such as an awareness of the spiritual dimension, the responsibleness to meaning, and the purposeful nature of meaning making ( Wong, 2014 ). The core aspects of Frankl’s theory used in this psychobiography are discussed below.

Tri-Dimensional View of Humans

Within Frankl’s theory, humans are viewed as tri-dimensional, consisting of a biological/physical body, the psychological/inherited self and finally, a noetic (spiritual) dimension. For Frankl, the ‘noos’ or ‘mind’ constitutes the very being of humans ( Wong, 2014 ). While Frankl accepts that there are drives (biological/physical and psychological) within humans and that societal circumstances impact individuals, within his theory the spiritual ‘noetic’ self is in control over and above these ( Morgan, 2012 ). The spiritual dimension is a defiant power within humans that provides for transcendence from both instinctual/internally and externally determined sources and allows for meaning making ( Ras, 2000 ). Within this spiritual dimension, meaning making is unique to each individual, and each individual experiences unique obstacles to meaning making, which usually occur when the spiritual dimension is ignored and conflicts arise. These must be engaged with to ensure meaning making in a human life.

Fundamental Triad

The fundamental triad forms the basis of meaning and consists of three facets: an awareness of the existence of meaning, a will to meaning, and a freedom to will. These are all inherent to the noetic dimension of human beings and are all interlinked ( Mun, 2005 ). An awareness of the existence of meaning is the first aspect of the fundamental triad. The spiritual core within all individuals enables the process of awareness, allowing for the discovery of meaning. Once there is awareness of a spiritual sphere, there is a striving for meaning and therefore a realisation that meaning exists in the world. Meaning can never be created but only discovered through indirect means. Therefore, all that people can do is pursue what fulfils them and gives them a greater purpose. In addition, the discovery of meaning comes as a result of extending beyond the individual self through the acknowledgement of social reality and others within this reality. Meaning exists in every moment of an individual’s life; it is the individual’s responsibility to discover these meaning moments ( Frankl, 1969 ).

The second aspect of the fundamental triad is the will to meaning, and it is this feature that makes every individual unique as they strive to discover their own meaning in life. A pivotal tenet of Frankl’s theory is the motivating and striving force of the human spirit ( Frankl, 1967 , 1969 ). The will is a driving force; defined by its future orientation, its inclination away from self-absorption and the movement towards experiencing meaning outside of the self ( Meyer, 1997 ). The will to meaning is defined by self-awareness and a way of being that is inclined towards growth. Conflicts arise but they are necessary and contribute to the discovery of meaning. An individual can be understood through the situations and experiences that they find meaningful and the way in which they direct their energy to discover meaning ( Frankl, 1967 ).

The third component of the fundamental triad is the freedom to will. Every individual has the freedom to make choices in their lives that lead to the discovery of meaning. Freedom to will lies in the responsibleness of a person: Responsibleness is within the internal locus of control of the individual while responsibility entails an obligation that is imposed from outside the individual ( Fabry, 1987 ). An individual is not driven to meaning but is free to make choices. Individuals are often unaware that allowing their circumstances to control them is making a choice to relinquish their freedom ( Fabry, 1987 ; Frankl, 1965 , 1985 , 2000 ).

The primary aim of this study was to explore meaning making in the early life and young adulthood (until approximately age 40) of Maya Angelou, through the lens of Frankl’s existential framework. This aim was addressed by meeting the following specific objectives:

• Developing a psychological portrait of Maya Angelou using psychobiography methods and an MCC. This portrait focused on her development until the age of 40.
• Explore meaning making in the early life and young adulthood of Maya Angelou through the lens of Frankl’s tri-dimensional view of human nature as well as the fundamental triad.

Psychobiography aims to develop an understanding of an individual life through the application of a theoretical framework ( Ponterotto, 2013 , 2014 ; Runyan 2005 ; Schultz, 2005 ). Psychobiography involves both case study and narrative research ( Schultz, 2005 ). The theoretical framework provides a lens through which to view a biographical account from a psychological perspective in order to arrive at a greater understanding of an individual life ( Elms, 1994 ). In order to ensure credibility and trustworthiness, all psychobiographies follow rigorous methods of data collection and data analysis, and follow certain ethical guidelines. These processes are discussed in detail below.

Data Collection

Angelou produced extensive autobiographies detailing her life story from age three to age 40. These autobiographies, published in seven volumes, constituted the primary source of data for this analysis ( Angelou, 2004 , 2013 ). Information regarding the remainder of her life was accessed through secondary sources, including biographies and critical literary works. However the primary focus of the analysis was on the earlier years of her life, as this is the period presented in her autobiographies. Ethical approval was not sought for this study as the data used is in the public domain and the subject of the psychobiography is deceased. However, ethical guidelines specific to psychobiography were adhered to including ensuring that no confidential information was disclosed in the published psychobiography and ensuring that the psychobiographical subject was treated with respect and dignity ( Ponterotto & Reyonlds, 2017 ).

Data Extraction

The data extraction process for this psychobiography followed the guidelines provided by Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña (2014) . In the first step, data condensation was used to reduce the volume of data. Two methods were selected to condense data into meaningful units: Alexander’s indicators of psychological saliency and Schultz’s prototypical scenes ( Schultz, 2005 ). Both techniques comprised a framework used to elicit the psychologically salient aspects present within the data to ensure that valid conclusions were drawn ( Perry, 2012 ; Schultz, 2005 ). Data identified as psychologically salient was extracted from the primary data sources and collated into a single document. The data was then organised so that patterns and themes could be identified. Data was first organised in a chronological fashion and this chronology forms the basis of the MCC ( Hiller, 2011 ) presented in the introduction to this paper.

Data Analysis

A deductive thematic analysis was conducted, where the two triads from Frankl’s theory (the view of a person and the fundamental triad) were used to identify themes in the data. This resulted in the identification of themes that were directly related to the concepts within Frankl’s theory. In order to ensure that themes were not artificially imposed on the data, Runyan’s (1981) criteria for good psychobiographical interpretation were applied to the analysis. This deductive thematic analysis process was cyclical in nature as there was a continuous vacillation between data and conclusions to ensure trustworthiness and quality of the research ( Miles et al., 2014 ).

Findings and Discussion

The analysis process resulted in the identification of all aspects of Frankl’s triads within Angelou’s chronological narrative in the first 40 years of her life. In the sections below the two triads are discussed separately.

Frankl proposed that individuals move through the different dimensions throughout their lives, and this appears to have been true of Angelou’s progression in the first 40 years of her life. Beginning in childhood, she moved from a focus on the biological dimension, through the psychological dimension before finally embracing the spiritual dimension in her early 40s as she moved into travelling and self-discovery. This progression is presented in Figure 1 below and discussed in more detail in the following paragraphs.

Throughout her early life and teenage years, Angelou appears to have been absorbed with her body and her physicality. This is apparent in the opening sections of her first autobiography, where she writes of an intense dissonance between her sense of self and her body: “Wouldn’t they be surprised when one day I woke out of my black ugly dream … [I was] … a too-big Negro girl, with nappy black hair, broad feet and a space between her teeth” ( Angelou, 2004 , p. 8). In combination with her dislike of her physical appearance, Angelou also experienced an intense need for physical affection and intimacy that was unmet during her childhood. Angelou was never hugged or held by her grandmother (referred to as Momma) who was embarrassed by any show of emotion that was not directly linked to religion. Angelou recalled that her grandmother would have “been more surprised than I had she taken me in her arms … Her world was bordered on all sides with work, duty, religion” ( Angelou, 2004 , p. 47). The lack of physical affection became linked to her dislike of her body, which made her almost desperate for validation and connection. “I wasn’t pretty or even cute. That woman who looked like a movie star deserved a better looking daughter than me.” ( Angelou, 2013 , p. 14). During this stage in her life, the young Angelou equated good looks with worthiness and believed that her physical appearance made her unworthy of receiving love.

The entrenchment within the biological and psychological dimensions continued throughout childhood and was compounded by Angelou’s experience of childhood sexual abuse. Angelou was traumatised by the abuse and was confused by the fact that she also enjoyed the physical intimacy and longed for it ( Angelou, 2004 ), as it was lacking in her other relationships. This event defined Angelou’s relationships with men through most of her adolescent and early adult years and led to Angelou developing distorted views on love and sex. In these relationships, young Angelou would completely ignore her own feelings in favour of those of her partner: “back in the car, it never occurred to me to put up resistance…I wanted to do what he wanted, so I sat quiet” ( Angelou, 2004 , p. 241). Angelou wanted to completely immerse her entire being into her relationships and had a poor sense of self as she mentioned that “The naturally lonely person does not look for comfort in love, but accepts the variables in due course” ( Angelou, 2004 , p. 341). The most extreme example of this occurred when Angelou willingly worked as a prostitute at the request of her partner.

As she moved into adolescence and early adulthood, Angelou continued to experience unhappiness with her physical appearance, but this became increasingly linked to psychological conflicts related to trying to clarify her identity and roles. She became fixated on certain aspects of herself, such as her need to be a perfect mother and her striving for a dance career. She experienced extreme guilt over her abandonment of Guy (her only child) but was simultaneously intent on ignoring this in her search for temporary happiness. This resulted in her becoming depressed and contemplating suicide ( Angelou, 2004 ). “… I can’t see any reason for living … I’m so unhappy. And I have done such harm to [Guy]” ( Angelou, 2004 , p. 611). Angelou’s psychological conflicts (see Frankl, 1965 ; Wessels, 2013 ) were manifested in her continued determination to prove herself to others and her desire to be seen as perfect, admired, and successful. She desperately wanted love, belonging, and acceptance ( Angelou, 2004 ) and believed that she needed to act a certain way in order to achieve these things. Her need for acceptance resulted in her acting in ways that were inauthentic: “I had spent so many years being people other than myself …” ( Angelou, 2004 , p. 240).

Angelou’s movement away from the biological and psychological dimensions and into the spiritual dimension appears to be marked by two themes. Firstly, her discovery of herself as a dancer allowed her to reconcile with the physical dimension and secondly, her discovery of her voice through writing appears to have allowed her to enter the spiritual dimension in her ability to find meaning through self-expression. Towards the end of the period covered in her autobiographies, as she approached her 40s, Angelou began to be more accepting towards herself as she wrote that “Love was what I had been waiting for. I had done grown up things out of childish ignorance or juvenile bravado, but now I began to mature” ( Angelou, 2004 , p .242). Angelou’s description of love ( Angelou, 2004 , 2013 ) appears to mark her transcendence beyond self-absorption into the spiritual dimension (see Frankl, 1969 ; Morgan, 2012 ) and she began to start working through her conflicts. She stopped focusing on her image and fearing rejection and moved to embracing the love of family and friends as well as finding ways, through racial activism and her career, to share this love. Based on her ability to reflect back on her early years in her autobiographies, it would appear that this ability to make meaning within the spiritual dimension persisted into the remainder of her life and career.

Reflecting back on her earlier life in one of her autobiographies, Angelou (2013) wrote:

… the ship of my life might or might not be sailing on calm seas. The challenging days of my existence might or might not be bright and promising … I maintain an attitude of gratitude. If pessimism insists on occupying my thoughts, I remember there is always tomorrow. Today, I am blessed (p. 137).

This quote epitomises the journey described in this analysis, where Angelou moved away from the physical and psychological crises that typified her early life and young adulthood and towards a more spiritual dimension.

Her youthful search for hedonism gave way to a search for purpose and fulfilment in her life. She began to feel uncomfortable about her life and these tensions signalled her awareness of meaning. “I decided that the time had come to stop my dangerous habits like smoking, drinking and cursing … Imagine I might really become somebody. Someday.” ( Angelou, 2013 , p. 81). Angelou wanted to transcend beyond herself by helping, loving, and educating others. Once she found her purpose in her career and love and security within her family, Angelou felt comfortable within herself. She had acknowledged that meaning existed, she was motivated to discover meaning, and she believed that she was free to discover it no matter her circumstances ( Frankl, 1985 ). It is interesting that Angelou chose to conclude her autobiographical recount at this point, as it clearly indicated a point at which she felt that a phase of her life had been completed.

Unlike the tri-dimensional view of humans where Angelou clearly progresses through the various dimensions of being, there is no clear chronological development of meaning in Angelou’s life as recounted in her autobiographies. Instead, she appears to have engaged with each of the three components of the triad throughout the period of her adult life (age approximately 20 to 40) recounted in the autobiographies, developing an increasing awareness of and engagement with each aspect of meaning as her life progressed. This may be because the account we have of her meaning making is retrospective (in the form of autobiographies) and so the very process of writing for Angelou constituted a discovery of meaning. However, although there is no chronological development it is still possible to trace each aspect of the fundamental triad within Angelou’s life narrative.

Angelou’s awareness of the existence of meaning was a gradual process. She was aware of the existence of God from childhood but did not have a spiritual connection until her early to mid-adulthood years. Although young Angelou grew up in a religious home and attended church frequently, she was cynical about religion. During her teenage years, Angelou was disconnected from religion and focussed on her career and academics. Angelou initially became aware of meaning not through organised religion, but through the realisation that there was a purpose and a fulfilment to be sought through a career. Angelou’s reaction to her rejection by the Army “… My life has no centre, no purpose…” ( Angelou, 2004 , p. 308) was an early foreshadowing of the meaning she attached to her career. She went on to discover meaning throughout her involvement in her careers as a dancer, activist and writer – she wrote that “dancing liberated me and even made me feel as if my body had a reason to be” ( Angelou, 2013 , p. 110). Her involvement in racial politics connected her to the discovery of meaning as she was able to transcend beyond herself to be concerned about other people. Angelou was aware of the tensions within herself and this caused her to search for something beyond herself as is evident in the various movements in her career throughout her life: “My position had always been that no one was responsible for my life except me.” ( Angelou, 2004 , p. 755). Although the autobiographies do not cover the later years of Angelou’s life, it seems likely that her career as a writer allowed her to discover meaning through her writing as she reflected on her life. Thus, in adulthood she appears to have experienced a settling down and an increased spirituality and connection with others ( Agins, 2013 ; Angelou, 2004 ; Frankl, 1969 ).

The second component of the fundamental triad, the will to meaning, is evident throughout Angelou’s narrative. As a child, she refused to believe in the passivity of Momma and the people in Arkansas. Instead, she believed that the racial system could be changed, and she was determined to do something about it. One of the first instances of her asserting herself was with her employer Mrs Cullinan: “For a week I looked into Mrs Cullinan’s face as she called me Mary … When I heard Mrs Cullinan scream, “Mary!” I picked up the casserole and … the green cups … I let them fall on the tiled floor” ( Angelou, 2004 , p. 87). This became constant in her life and was especially prominent during the years when she was involved in Black activism ( Agins, 2013 ; Angelou, 2004 ). It is important to note the shift in Angelou’s will to meaning. Her assertations and defiance against the entrenched racial political system were initially reactive and involved working through psychological conflicts related to her insecurities surrounding race. Her will to meaning arose from her understanding of the system where “The historically oppressed can find not only sanctity but safety in the state of victimisation. When access to a better life has been denied often enough … one can use the rejection as an excuse to cease all efforts.” ( Angelou, 2004 , p. 461). For Angelou, this thinking indicated a shift in how she perceived race and relations, where she started to increasingly assert that black people should not just accept a victim identity but instead should fight for their place in society.

Another theme that provides evidence of Angelou’s will to meaning was her involvement in her career. She wanted a career that would fulfil her and give her purpose. She tried several careers throughout her lifetime, each time seeking a career that would provide her with purpose and make her feel fulfilled. She enjoyed dancing and writing and this allowed her to transcend biological and psychological issues and fully engage with life and the meaning making process ( Angelou, 2004 ). She knew that she was free to make her own choices and was also responsible for them ( Frankl, 1967 , 1969 ; Meyer, 1997 ).

The third component of the fundamental triad is freedom to will, where individuals are free to explore their lives in the discovery for meaning but must also accept responsibility for every choice that they make ( Frankl, 1985 ). Angelou believed that it was important to explore and experience life to the fullest. She wanted to be active and engaged in all aspects of her life and was especially vehement against the racial system. She believed that she was free to act against the racial systems imposed on Black people ( Lupton, 1998 ). She was involved in organisations during adulthood as chronicled in her autobiographies and felt free to question her entrenched racial assumptions. Her freedom to will is evident in her movement towards settling down and accepting herself as she realised that “As always, again. We survived. The depths had been icy and dark, but now a bright sun spoke to our souls … I was a proud member of the wonderful, beautiful Negro race.” ( Angelou, 2004 , p. 143). She began to embrace meaning making in her life as she discovered the freedom within her to do so, as well as accepting the responsibility for her own life. Angelou took responsibility for her choices and felt that she had to carry out racial activism in a responsible manner ( Agins, 2013 ; Angelou, 2004 , 2013 ; Frankl, 1985 ). Angelou also felt responsible for her career; she believed that she had the freedom to choose the jobs that she wanted and the responsibility to be the best she could in these jobs. Racial politics and her career were always a freedom to will for Angelou and motivated her throughout her narrative. Angelou believed that, in general, she was responsible for any choices or decisions that she made, even those that were considered mistakes. This included her becoming pregnant with Guy:

For eons, it seemed, I had accepted my plight as the hapless, put-upon victim of fate and the Furies, but this time I had to face the fact that I had brought my new catastrophe upon myself … so I hefted the burden of pregnancy at sixteen onto my own shoulders where it belonged ( Angelou, 2004 , p. 218).

Her responsibility moved to responsibleness where she felt free to carry out her purpose and therefore have freedom in meaning making. A poignant quote by Angelou perfectly summarises her engagement with life and the importance of meaning making:

… how did I get to be Maya Angelou … I knew that I had become the woman I am because of my grandmother I loved and the mother I came to adore … Love heals … a condition so strong that it may be that which holds the stars in their heavenly positions … This book has been written to examine some of the ways love heals and helps a person to climb impossible heights and rise from immeasurable depths ( Angelou, 2013 , p. x).

Limitations and Direction for Future Research

The most notable limitation of this study is the specific focus on meaning making, which precluded the discussion of other aspects of Angelou’s life (e.g. her literary achievements, her activism). Future research should aim to utilise multiple theoretical lenses, such as those that explore creativity or social change, to offer a more comprehensive portrait of this extraordinary life. This study did indicate that Frankl’s theory provides a useful lens through which to analyse the development of meaning in an individual life and as such it is suggested that future research in psychobiography make use of this theory.

A further limitation is the focus on the first 40 years of Angelou’s life. This limitation is based on the period of time covered in Angelou’s autobiographies and as such is inevitable due to the nature of the available data. Future research may wish to expand the data set by including more extensive biographies and perhaps also interviews with Angelou’s friends and family to develop a portrayal of meaning making in the period of Angelou’s life not covered by her autobiographies.

The primary aim of the study was to explore and reach an understanding of meaning making in the early life and young adulthood of Maya Angelou, as illustrated in her autobiographies, through the application of Frankl’s existential psychology. The article utilised two major concepts within Frankl’s theory: that of the tri-dimensional nature of humans and the fundamental triad. The tri-dimensional nature of humans indicated Angelou’s movement from the biological dimension, through the psychological and achieving meaning making in the spiritual dimension. Her childhood, adolescent and early adult years were defined by biological concerns and psychological conflicts. She was able to come to terms with these and move towards transcendence into a spiritual dimension of existence ( Frankl, 1967 , 1969 ), which she seems to have reached by the time that her autobiographical narrative ceases. The fundamental triad draws from and builds on this view of humanity, as there needs to be an internal striving toward meaning making before understanding how meaning making works in a human life. Maya Angelou worked through insecurities and had become aware of meaning during her adult years and had an active will to meaning and freedom to will. She was motivated to create and to educate. She wanted to tell people about her experiences and struggles so that they could learn from them ( Lupton, 1998 ). She wanted to spread love and peace across the world. She had the freedom to choose her attitude and accepted responsibility for her life. She chose to do something worthy and purposeful with her life ( Agins, 2013 ; Angelou, 2013 ; Frankl, 1985 ).

Acknowledgments

This study forms part of a dissertation that was completed by the first author under the supervision of the second author while the first author was a student at the University of Johannesburg. Both authors wish to acknowledge the support of the University of Johannesburg in the completion the original dissertation.

Biographies

Nadene Harisunker is a Clinical Psychologist (registered in South Africa) and a lecturer in the School of Psychosocial Health at North West University. Nadene has an interest in working with severe pathologies such as personality disorders and severe trauma often experienced within South Africa. She is passionate about her work as a psychologist and lecturer and enjoys disseminating knowledge. Nadene is planning on carrying out further research related to meaning making using the psychobiographical method.

Dr. Carol du Plessis is a Clinical Psychologist (registered in Australia and South Africa) and a senior lecturer in the School of Psychology and Counselling at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. Carol’s research specializes in qualitative small sample and narrative methods, and she is passionate about sharing the stories of vulnerable and marginalized communities. In addition to psychobiography she is currently working on projects related to the experiences of transgender incarcerated people, lived experiences of suicide attempt survivors, and methods of teaching counselling online.

Financial support was received from a merit scholarship for the first authors masters’ dissertation. The merit certificate was awarded at the University of Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. The article drew on the dissertation.

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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what is an excellent thesis statement for still i rise by maya angelou

1 expert answer.

Leah G. answered • 11/09/22

Common Core Standards English Expert 9-12

When creating a thesis statement, I usually pose this question to myself.

"What is the author's message in the text?" then "How does she create the message?" Then I string them together for a thesis statement.

Martin Luther King Jr. 's message in I Have A Dream is that he believes that things will soon be better for black Americans. He creates the message by using specific rhetorical devices like parallelism, repetition and metaphor.

In the speech, I Have a Dream , MLK uses parallelism, repetition and metaphors to help people understand that things will soon be better for black Americans.

So what is Ms. Angelou's message in the poem? How does she create that message? Therein lies your thesis statement.

It depends on what the lesson's focus is, of course, but this method works in most cases.

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