“Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou. Questions Answers of 2 Marks. These questions are very important for 2nd Semester of class XI students of WBCHSE. So, if you want to score an excellent result, read regularly and prepare these questions now.
Q: Who is the ‘you’ addressed in the poem?
Ans: The `you’ addressed in the poem could be the white people who dominate over the slave. It can refer to anyone who tries to oppress an individual, a minority community or a nation.
Q: Why has the title ‘Still I Rise’ been repeated many times in the poem?
Ans: The title ‘Still I Rise’ is repeated ten times throughout the poem. This creates an atmosphere of indomitable spirit of the oppressed black community and their iron determination to fight against the racists and rise above all injustices. This also enables the harmony of the rhyme scheme and makes the theme of the poem more clear to the readers.
Q: Why do you think that the poet uses plurals in the line `just like moons and the suns’?
Ans: In the poem “Still I Rise”, the poet uses plurals in the line `just like moons and the suns’ to denote the changes occurring in time. ‘Moons’ symbolize the nights and ‘suns’ refer to the days passing by.
Q: What do ‘oil wells in the living room” signify?
Ans: The poet, through this line, tries to communicate the idea that the slaves remain happy even in adversary circumstances. They have immense energy making them richer than the richest.
Q: What does the phrase “You may trod me in the very dirt” signify and how does the poet respond to it?
Ans: The phrase “You may trod me in the very dirt” signifies attempts taken by the oppressors to demean and oppress the poet, reducing her worth to nothing.
The poet Angelou responds to it by asserting that she will rise, symbolizing her resilience and unconquerable spirit.
Q: Why does the poet laugh as if she had gold mines digging in her backyard?
Ans: The poet laughs whole-heartedly as if she had gold mines digging in the backyard because the whites find it difficult to cope with the slave’s laughter. The slave’s laughter unsettles the white masters because it is a representation of their determination and unified energy.
Q: “I’m a black ocean leaping and wide.” – How does the imagery relate to the poem’s theme of overcoming adversity?
Ans: This imagery emphasizes the poet’s ability to rise above challenges with boundless energy and power. Thus the image relates to the poems theme of overcoming adversity.
Q: “I’m a black ocean leaping and wide.” – How does the use of this imagery enhance the impact of her message through the poem “Still I Rise”?
Ans: The ocean is a mighty and powerful agent of Nature with its ability to leap and swell. It symbolizes an unstoppable force of nature. Angelou’s use of this ocean imagery enhances the impact of her message by focusing on her strength as vast and powerful. This powerful imagery also reinforces the poem’s theme of overcoming adversity.
Still I Rise Short by Maya Angelou
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