Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 4, 1928 and she lived through some of the worst oppression and inequality for African American people. Although slavery had been long abolished, Angelou saw its effects on society and the African American people. ‘Still I Rise’ is her declaration that she, for one, would not allow the hatefulness of society to determine her own success. The poem, ‘Still I Rise,’ is not only a proclamation of her own determination to rise above society but was also a call to others to live above the society in which they were brought up. This poem is an inspiring and emotional poem that’s based around Maya Angelou’s experiences as a Black woman in America. It encourages readers to love themselves fully and persevere in the face of every hardship. The poem takes the reader through a series of statements the speaker makes about herself. She praises her strength, her body, and her ability to rise up and away from her personal and historical past. There is nothing, the speaker declares, that can hold her back. She is going to “rise” above and beyond anything that seeks to control her.

"I'm Nobody! Who are you?" is a short poem by American poet, Emily Dickinson, who wrote during the mid-19th century (though most of her poems were not published until the 1890s, after Dickinson had died). In the poem, a speaker introduces themselves—perhaps to the reader—as "Nobody," before excitedly realizing that the addressee is "Nobody" too. Paradoxically, this hints at a community of "Nobodies" out there. These people just don't make as much noise as all the "Somebodies," who crave attention and admiration. The poem, then, calls out to its readers to say that being humble, withdrawn, shy, or private is just fine. In fact, such a way of life has many virtues of its own. The poem is one of a number of Dickinson poems that questions the value of public admiration—something which eluded Dickinson in her own lifetime. The poem argues in favor of outsiders and criticizes people who depend on others' attention for approval. It sets up this premise immediately with its emphatic opening statement, in which the speaker introduces themselves with an oxymoron. The speaker refers to themselves as "Nobody," the capitalization of the word making it read as a proper noun (like a person's first name). Not only is the speaker "Nobody," but they're also enthusiastic to say so, as shown by the exclamation mark caesura in the middle of line 1. In essence, this opening is a kind of parody. Overall, the poem questions those who are overly reliant on external approval—people whose lives are governed by garnering attention and being liked. This type of social behavior—at least from this poem's perspective—is a kind of performance, and the first line seems to deliberately mimic such behavior. It's almost like the opening remark of one businessperson meeting another for the first time, making sure that the other is under no illusion as to the first's identity. It echoes the language that two people might use when shaking hands and gives the impression that they're trying to impress each other. But while the line has the tone and insistence of a confident meeting, it is actually a deliberate expression of anonymity. That's why it's an oxymoron—you can't be "nobody" in the literal sense if you are a living, talking human being saying the word "nobody" out loud (or writing it on the page). With that in mind, then, "nobody" already means something different from what it might mean in a sentence like "nobody was there." Whereas in that example, "nobody" denotes an absence (there were no people around), "Nobody" here does precisely the opposite—it announces someone's presence. Following this proclamation, the speaker asks the reader—or an off-page addressee—who they are. In a way, this is a rhetorical question—the poem provides no answer in textual form, and whoever is on the receiving ends of the question can't answer. But of course, the rest of the poem undercuts this brilliantly by providing its own answers. This begins in the second line, with the speaker asking hesitantly whether the reader is a "nobody" too. The two caesurae in this line—the characteristic Dickinson dashes—create a sense of hesitation. This is important, because the poem overall is implying that most people are not willingly "Nobodies," but rather prefer to be "Somebodies." The speaker is so amazed to find another "Nobody" that the basic question ("Are you nobody too?") doesn't come easily—it's almost like the speaker is checking that this other "Nobody" is real. The word "too," though small, is crucial. It speaks to a process of recognition, as the speaker realizes that he or she isn't the only "Nobody" in the world. Thematically speaking, these lines establish a sense of solidarity between two people, showing the reader how connection can occur without seeking the approval of others. This is the poem's central paradox: a community of people based on anonymity, who, by virtue of their shyness (or just personal preference) are unlikely to ever actually meet face-to-face. Dickinson's inability to find literary fame during her lifetime is also relevant. People who don't seek fame and attention, the poem seems to suggest already , still make an important contribution to humanity and are capable of living happy lives.