Teacher Example of Poetry Analysis Paragraph for “Still I Rise”
Basic Outline:
- Topic thesis sentence
- Rhetorical Unit: sub-claim related to thesis and poetic device, evidence (quoted line(s)), analysis
- Transitional phrase or sentence to next point
- Rhetorical Unit again
- Transitional phrase or sentence to next point
- Rhetorical unit again
- Closing sentence
Model paragraph
[Topic sentence]Maya Angelou’s poem “Still I Rise” clearly illustrates the power of disenfranchised people, such as women of color like herself, actually do possess. [Sub-claim of rhetorical unit #1]She shows this through her use of strong diction, such as her use of onomatopoeia throughout her poem. [Evidence +Analysis]For example, the terms “trod” and “pumping” in the first 2 stanza show a juxtaposition of those with power on her, “trod me”, and her power in response, “oil pumping in my living room”. [Analysis continued]With such imagery-laden, sound-based power words, the audience can hear the power struggle that the speaker is winning. [Transition] Additionally, [sub-claim #2] Angelou uses a classic folk-ballad rhyme scheme of ABXB for most of her stanzas.[Evidence] In her first stanza, her end words are “history”, “lies”, “dirt”, and “rise”. [Analysis]Her only rhyming words, lies and rise, also show a juxtaposition of the power of others versus her own power, switching a negative to a positive result. This not only points to her theme overall, but the simple alternating rhyme scheme used in folk ballads help the reader feel invited in to the struggle along with her: it’s a folk ‘song’ for all of us who feel a lack of power in some way. [Transition] Furthermore, [Sub-claim] Angelou also uses strong repetition with a change in meter throughout her poem of her title “Still I Rise”. [Evidence] At the end of each stanza, she reiterates the phrases while shifting her meter from anapests to an uplifting spondee. This shift in the rhyme also shows how the power will shift from those who oppress her to her uplifting her self. The spondee’s effect on the tone of the piece uplifts the audience with the speaker, creating a poem that is both angry and empowering for the reader. [Transition + Closing]With just these three poetic devices, the author is able to create a powerful poem that brings others up with her, and shows how we all have power to control our attitudes. We cannot control others’ actions towards us, but we can control how we react to them.