Still I Rise (Junior Cert English): Revision Notes

Quote Bank

Quote	Explanation
"You may write me down in history / With your bitter, twisted lies,"	Highlights the oppression and false narratives imposed on the speaker and her determination to rise above them.
"But still, like dust, I'll rise."	A powerful simile emphasising the speaker's resilience and ability to rise above adversity.
"Just like moons and like suns, / With the certainty of tides,"	Uses natural imagery to illustrate the speaker's unstoppable strength and persistence.
"Does my sassiness upset you? / Why are you beset with gloom?"	Conveys the speaker's confidence and challenges the oppressor's discomfort with her assertiveness.

Quote	Explanation
"You may shoot me with your words, / You may cut me with your eyes,"	Demonstrates the various forms of oppression faced by the speaker and her ability to withstand them.
"I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide, / Welling and swelling I bear in the tide."	A metaphor conveying the speaker's immense strength and uncontainable spirit.
"Leaving behind nights of terror and fear / I rise"	Reflects the speaker's triumph over past hardships and her ongoing resilience.

Quote	Explanation
"Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, / I am the dream and the hope of the slave."	Celebrates the legacy and strength inherited from the speaker's ancestors, reinforcing the theme of pride in identity and heritage.