Still I Rise
by Maya Angelou
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. . . .
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 back yard.
What interpretation is supported by the poet's use of rhetorical questions in these lines? Select the TWO correct answers.
(2 points)
Responses
She is confident in her own abilities and in her beauty and power.
She is confident in her own abilities and in her beauty and power.
She offers an alternative definition of wealth and what it involves.
She offers an alternative definition of wealth and what it involves.
She feels she has the ability to control others even though they are unaware.
She feels she has the ability to control others even though they are unaware.
She shows defiance and boldness in the face of oppression and suffering.
She shows defiance and boldness in the face of oppression and suffering.
She alludes to other stories that support the themes of the poem.
1 answer
The two interpretations supported by the poet's use of rhetorical questions in the lines from "Still I Rise" are:
She is confident in her own abilities and in her beauty and power.
The rhetorical questions convey a sense of self-assurance and pride, highlighting the speaker's confidence.
She shows defiance and boldness in the face of oppression and suffering.
The use of rhetorical questions also serves to challenge societal expectations and assert strength in the face of adversity.
