Still I Rise
Maya Angelou · Non-African poetry — United States, 1978 · WAEC set text 2026–2030
What it is doing
A Black woman answering history, owners, liars, and anyone who expects her to stay broken. The refrain is the argument: still I rise.
What to listen for
Rhetorical questions; refrain; similes (moons, suns, tides, air); shift from “you” to a gathered “I” that includes a people.
In the exam
Voice and resistance. Structure the essay around the refrain and two images, not a paraphrase of every stanza.