Question

test
still i rise - maya angelou
you may shoot me with your words
you may cut me with your eyes
you may kill me with your hatred
but still, like air, i’ll rise.

1. look at the violent verbs (\shoot\, \cut\, \kill\). what was the author’s purpose for using them? the author’s purpose for using violent verbs was:

does my sexiness upset you?
does it come as a surprise
that i dance like i’ve got diamonds
at the meeting of my thighs?

1. why would the \you\ be upset by the speaker showing her femininity?

out of the huts of history’s shame
i rise
up from a past that’s rooted in pain
i rise
i’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,
welling and swelling i bear in the tide.

1. what is the allusion to the \huts of history’s shame?\ the \huts of history’s shame\ is alluding to

Explanation:

For Question 7:

The violent verbs exaggerate the harm of others' cruelty (verbal, gaze-based, emotional abuse) to highlight their intensity, making the speaker's eventual resilience ("I rise") more impactful by contrasting the severe oppression with unbroken strength.

For Question 8:

The "you" likely represents forces of oppression (racism, sexism, or societal control) that seek to diminish the speaker's identity. The speaker's unapologetic femininity and confidence challenge the power dynamic that tries to suppress Black women's autonomy, threatening their hold on dominance.

For Question 9:

The phrase alludes to the dehumanizing living conditions and systemic oppression endured by Black people throughout history, including enslavement, segregation, and poverty—periods of profound injustice and shame inflicted by systemic racism.

Answer:

1. To emphasize the severity of others' cruelty, and create a stark contrast with the speaker's unbroken resilience.
2. The "you" represents oppressive forces that want to suppress the speaker's autonomy; her unapologetic femininity challenges their control.
3. The systemic oppression, enslavement, and dehumanizing conditions endured by Black people throughout history.