Imagery (Junior Cert English): Revision Notes

Imagery

"I Rise"

• The poem uses the image of "rising" to show the speaker's strength and determination. For example, in the line "But still, like dust, I'll rise," the speaker compares herself to dust that can't be kept down, showing how she can't be stopped.

• This image of dust rising symbolises the speaker's ability to overcome difficulties and restrictions placed by society. It represents the central idea of the poem: overcoming challenges.

  

• The simple phrase "I rise," repeated throughout the poem, highlights the speaker's strong spirit and refusal to be defeated.

"Black Ocean"

• Angelou's poem uses the image of a "black ocean" to represent the speaker's vastness, depth, and power. In the lines: "I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide, / Welling and swelling I bear in the tide." the speaker compares herself to a powerful and unstoppable force, suggesting her spirit is boundless and strong.

• The imagery of "welling and swelling" adds a dynamic quality, highlighting the speaker's continuous and growing strength. This illustrates the theme of resilience and the power within the speaker, celebrating her identity and heritage.

• The metaphor of a black ocean conveys immense strength, reinforcing the speaker's powerful identity and heritage.