Still I Rise by Maya Angelou

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

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.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

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.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.

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?

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.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise




http://lcdd.podbean.com/mf/web/368sgy/StillIrise-MayaAngelou.mp3

Still I Rise, by Maya Angelou, is about rising above inhumanity.
The poem begins with 'you'. Anglou's finger is immediately pointing at the reader and the tone is an accusing one. It makes the assumption that history is a matter of angle and perspective and that there are two sides to the same coin. The line "with your bitter, twisted lies," implies that historical facts were changed to benefit one side.
It is quickly evident that this poem is about racism, and the freedom of the African American from slavery, prejudice, and oppression.
The 'you' in the poem is directed not only to the oppressors, the white race, but it also represents those on the opposite side of 'me'. This poem asks the personal 'you' to evaluate your position or form and opinon.
The 'Me' in this poem is both collective and personal. The collective 'me' is the collective hurt, historical injustice of a peoples, and represents an ancestral pain and anger. The personal 'me' is the narrative as manifested through the body, the physicality of pain and triumph understood through images, metaphors and similes. In the poem there is rich imagery of nature and natural cycles- dust, air, moon, oceans, sun. There is profound opposition, as things wax and wane and rise and fall. She is relating herself to Mother Earth as she speaks of oil wells in her living room, gold mines in her back yard, and diamonds at the meeting of her thighs, and being a black ocean. The first three act as a double metaphor. They are found under the surface of the earth, so perhaps Maya Angelou is stating that if one looked beneath her surface, they would find an abundance of spirit, which equates to a spiritual wealth. She is mirroring internal wealth through the external form of wealth.
The human body embraces and manifests this unbreakable spirit through her laugh, her walk, her dance, her thighs. This spirit, this body, is always part of a bigger picture, a history, a present, and a future. Angleou gives the African American woman a voice, and by doing this, the poem becomes social commentary whose premise is abuse, and mans inhumanity to man.
"Out of the huts of history's shame"- Here Maya Angelou is referring to America's shame. The African American is supposed to feel shame, and should be condemned merely for being black, which immediately places the shame upon the oppressors. The implication is that her success, power, and sexuality makes 'you' disconcerted and therefore need to destroy it, whilst 'your' triumph lies in 'my' downfall. This oppression becomes white Americas weakness and consequently the African American strength.

Ultimately, this poem is about finding strength from obstacles and being able to overcome adversity. It is about spirit over matter, and rising into growth and freedom. It is about identity, self respect, power, motivation, inspiration, and resilience.

Synopsis of Paradise Lost by John Milton

Paradise Lost written by John Milton is an epic poem based on the biblical story of Adam and Eve. The poem begins with Satan and other rebel angels creating hell in spite of heaven. Satan, devoted to provoking the Fall of man by tempting Eve with the apple, travels to Earth disguised as an angel. Gabriel catches Satan and sends him back out of Earth. Eve eventually divulges her temptation and eats the apple and Adam does the same. They then divulge in sin and fall into a deep sleep. When they wake up they feel extremely guilty and grasp the extremity of their wrongdoings and God expels them from the Garden. The poem ends when Adam and Eve are taking a walk of solitude with 'the world before them'.

Fault.

A falls off B's roof while fixing it.

In this situation B is not at fault. In the case that B is to blame, B would have to be responsible for whatever A's reason was to fall, which was most likely the roof, and if B could fix the roof then he would not have asked A to fix it.

A is homeless and begging on the street. B walks by, does nothing and just keeps walking.

Again B is not to blame. A's way of life or lack of money is not B's responsibility. In my opinion the only way B would be responsible for A's life is if B was A's guardian and A is under the age of 18.

B lends his car to A, which has some problems, and A get's in an accident.

The blame can only be placed on whoever first suggested that A uses the car. If A asked for the car then it is A's fault, and vice versa.

B has the piggy virus, goes to school, and gives it to A.

The blame certainly does not lie with A. And the only reason B would be at fault is if B knew that he was ill.

Homage to the epistolary.

Hello Brother,
It has been a while since I have spoken to you, nonetheless I feel I ought to inform you of my happenings and you of your own. I know I have not spoken to you since that unfortunate death of our father, nonetheless, I feel it is time to move on. I think I should tell you that I am living now in the south of France, in Toulouse, and learning French myself! The city here is amazing! you should definitely come visit when you get the chance. I am living in a wonderful little townhouse right in the middle of the city, and have taken up the hobby of photography.

On a more serious note though, I have been feeling slightly like I am on the verge of a breakdown of sorts. I feel bad to admit that every night I intoxicate myself in the hopes of feeling better, only to later feel an overwhelming urge to kill. Please help me, I need to hear from you that I am not like our father.

Sincerely,

Jack

Dear Jack,

I was delighted to receive your heartwarming letter in the post today, and even more delighted to learn that you are in the South of France, like you always spoke about! Now, first I should probably address the fact that I got married last Spring to a woman called Elizabeth, whom I very much want you to meet. I have one child now, a boy, while expecting another in three months, a girl! Now, Jack, proceeding to the more serious note, you ought to stop intoxicating yourself. And our drunk of a father was nowhere near as good a man as you. So please, don't worry. I'm sure it is just a stage of grief.

Sincerely,

Henry

Dear Henry,

Thank you ever so much for the advice and encouragement that you, so kindly, gave to me in your last letter. I have taken up your advice to stop intoxicating myself and have begun reading a book. It is wildly fascinating and about Jack the Ripper. He was a grand old man wasn't he? I feel somehow connected to him, or of his descent. I am beginning to think that the work he did was for me, his student. But I am getting off the point, and that is to congratulate you on your wife and children! I could always picture you as a family man!

I am feeling better, as if cleared of all uncertainty and pain. Anyway, again I am talking about myself. Wish my best to your wife and boy!

Yours truly,

Jack

Dear Jack,

I am so glad that you are feeling better, it makes me feel so greater knowing I have helped my brother become a better man. Last night, in the excitement of having contacted you I found some old books of ours. Those that we read when we were little. Do you remember the one with the leather aprons? It always made us laugh. I have begun reading it to little Henry, who is enjoying it thoroughly. Tell me more about your life.

Your brother,

Henry

Dear Brother,

I killed a woman today. A prostitute, just like Jack the Ripper. I have never felt so alive. I am writing this with blood of the whore. I think I did a job even Jack would be proud of. I performed the murder just like Jack the Ripper's first kill. Don't you love it? It's as if me and Jack the Ripper are taking a journey together! Oh, you should have seen me, it was as if I were an artist. I also should probably tell you that I am going to be calling you Boss, it is what Jack used to call the person he would write letters to. I felt it would only give me delight to do the same! And I do remember the story about the leather aprons! It was my favourite! Anyway, please write back tell me what you think of my newest adventure!

Yours truly,

Jack the Ripper

Dear Jack,

I was most shocked when I read your letter! At first I was afraid the police were going to catch you, but then my fear transformed into pride! The thrill you must be feeling is one I wish to feel now! Your 'adventure' seems positively fantastic! I am reading up about Jack the Ripper this very moment actually, and the more I read the more excited I become! You always amused me to no end, and this new deed of yours gives me great fits! I cannot write long, I want to return to the aforementioned book!

Sincerely,

Boss

(haha)

Dear Boss,

Since I have last spoken to you I killed one more. I am taking it slow, like Jack the Ripper did. Following his every footstep to make the ultimate student, even though the urge to kill feels as though a battle is going on inside of me! I feel like I discover myself a little more in each of my killings. I am delighted that you are enjoying my adventure here. You should come visit. My next kill will be a 45 year old woman. For the next four murders I will be very busy, I may not reply as quick as I have been, but do not be insulted.

They talked about my last murder in yesterdays newspaper, I am sending you the article cut-out with this letter. I think it is my proudest moment.

Sincerely,

Jack the Ripper

A Dream by Edgar Allan Poe

The Child and Parent

“You see that lady over there?” a child asked his parent. “Yep, what about her?” the parent answered. The child and parent were walking in the middle of a rather large and seemingly endless street. “She is actually a male, did you know that?”
“That’s ridiculous, no he’s not” the parent replied with a hearty laugh.

“Why yes she is,” the child answered, “why would you think that he is not a male? Look I’ll prove it to you, the shoes that she’s wearing are only worn by males”
“Are you sure? How do you know?”
“It’s just a basic fact of life, how could you not know?

“And, you see that sign that says ‘Open’?”
“Yes, I see it”
“Ha, well it actually says the word ‘Phone’, how could you not know that?”
“Oh, ok, how can you tell?”
“Well when the letters are green that means that the word is phone.”
“But the words aren’t green they’re purple, aren’t they?”
“Ha! No they are not purple, they are green. That colour is green.”

“Ok, I agree”
“And look at that strange person putting food in their mouth!”
“Isn’t the person just eating?”
“Yes, but it is common courtesy not to eat outdoors, haven’t you ever noticed how everyone eats indoors?”
“But what about that man right there?” The parent pointed to a stranger eating a sandwich.
“Well that is a rare sight; you don’t usually see that”
“But what about that other female, the one that’s eating a chocolate bar?”
“What female? I see no female where you are pointing. Do you?”
“No, I don’t, ha, must have been just my mind playing tricks on me, or maybe she was a ghost!” the parent exclaimed.
“There is no such thing as a ghost, as there is no such thing as death, how did you not know that?” The child said simply.
“I knew… well actually that must be impossible, if there is no such thing as death shouldn’t the world overpopulate if everyone gave birth to new people and nobody died?”
“Who said people give birth? We weren’t born. Do you remember being born?”
“No, I guess not”
“Exactly, because it never happened.”
“But I remember being younger, how do you explain that?”
“Ha! You just must not have a good memory because you were always like this, even when you were young,” the child said simply.
“Look at that man over there, child, look!” The parent exclaimed while pointing to a female.
“Yes I see him, what about him?”
“Nothing.”
The child and parent continued walking in the middle of the large and seemingly endless street.

Film Critiques

Romeo and Juliet ANIMATICS

I think some aspects of the movie are well done. One aspect is the image. The drawings are clear and expressive, so one can get an idea of what is going on. Another aspect is the sense of a stage. Rather than conveying the scene like a movie, these two people clearly chose to make it as though the viewer is part of the audience at the play. This I find interesting.
Other than these two aspects I find this clip terrible. The sound is unclear and cut wierdly which reminds us , the viewers, that it is home-made. Another part of the film which I disagree on is the fact that Juliet is a donkey. Perhaps the choice to do so represents the thought, of the creators, that Juliet is an idiot or perhaps it is merely for the sake of humour, nonetheless this liberty that the creators took makes one (or maybe just me) take the clip less seriously.
My overall thought is that the film is boring as it does not provoke thought. But my judgement may be clouded by the fact that I don't find this funny.

Romeo and Juliet Flipbook

Overall I find this clip good. This is for several reasons, one being that in just four minutes the creator managed to sum up the entire play with simple images that the viewer can understand. Another is the music. I like the music because it does not overpower the images like it often does in home-made movies. I also liked it because in the beginning it was pleasant while it began to climax at the end. The reason i don't like the clip is the fact that it is a recording of a flipbook. I think it would have been much better if the drawings were on the computer and it was a stop-motion. I think this because if it were on the computer the images would be shown with more fluidity and it would be more stable.

Romeo & Juliet

This is another movie I find relatively good. The music has a perfect volume while the sound is clear and easy to understand. One aspect I like very much about this clip is that there was a sense of depth in most scenes. Also if one did not know of the storyline in the play, they would still understand what's going on. The only thing i did not like in this movie is the liberties the creators took regarding the language.

Romeo and Juliet Stop Motion Style

This movie is my favourite interpretation of the play. I find the directing of both camera work and figures really good and rather sophisticated. With the different camera shots one feels as though they are watching a movie. Another element I enjoy is the music.The way the movie began with fast and intense music but made a transition into slow music. Both pieces of music were really well-chosen, I thought, especially the latter piece as I thought that I would only hear it in the sad moments of 'LOST'. Most of all though, I liked the way the music, camera work, and figures corresponded with each other.