Hope in the Future

In nearly every poem of this anthology, the theme of hope in the future appears. From the oppressed minority to the slave and even to the dead and dying, hope remains. When society seems to be falling apart, the chance for improvement lies within its members. The poet hopes for more freedom and more opportunity in the future. She also writes of better understanding and tolerance. Angelou pleads for change in the present in order to change the future.

"Still I Rise" illustrates this theme well by listing many injustices in life. Despite all that, the speaker of the poem vows to succeed, partly in spite of the hardships, and partly because of them. This poem, along with "Phenomenal Woman," shows a person who breaks the societal mold, yet thrives in a happy life. Often a poem laments those differences that make the person stand...