2. Why is the speaker's past "rooted in pain" (line 32)?
(a) Because she has been abandoned by someone she loves.
(b) Because no one appreciates her value.
(c) Because of bigotry and discrimination.
(d) Because of the death of a loved one.

3. Which two things does the final stanza use to represent the past and present?
(a) Night and daybreak.
(b) Gathering clouds and rain.
(c) The directions east and west.
(d) A seed and a sprout.

4. What technique is used in line 29, "Out of the huts of history’s shame"?
(a) Oxymoron.
(b) Allusion.
(c) Allegory.
(d) Juxtaposition.

5. What technique is used in lines 7 and 8, "’Cause I walk like I've got oil wells/ Pumping in my living room"?
(a) Metaphor.
(b) Simile.
(c) Juxtaposition.
(d) Personification.

Short Answer Questions

1. What techniques are used in line 19, "’Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines"?

2. Which is the most logical description of who "You" is in line 1?

3. Which is the best definition for "trod" in the context of line 3?

4. What technique does the first line of the poem, "You may write me down in history," introduce?

5. What is the rhyme scheme of the first seven stanzas?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe how the final two stanzas of the poem differ from the first seven stazas.

2. What specific historical phenomenon does the speaker talk about rising above in the final two stanzas, and what allusion does she use to introduce the topic?

3. Describe the pattern that stanzas 2, 4, 5, and 7 have in common.

4. What oppressive actions does the speaker suggest "you" might take, and how does she say she will respond?

5. What do all of the questions the speaker asks have in common?

6. In the final stanza, what metaphor does the speaker use, and what does it signify?

7. Why is the poem titled "Still I Rise" and not just "I Rise"--what additional idea does the word "Still" convey?

(see the answer keys)

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