I Can Cross Any Obstacle Because I Am Me

     The poem Still I Rise by Maya Angelou is about a person who knows that can overcome anything. She knows that she can overcome anything because of her personality. In order to define a person we need to know who they are, which is their personality. Also many people live almost a double life; at school they are one person and at home another. Many people don't like others because of who they are, but they can't do anything about it because it is who they are. Some because they don't like a person, they treat them like dirt. So the ones that aren't being liked have to be strong and overcome anything with their personality.  We can't do much to change who they are so we have to deal with the fact that they are themselves.

     In the poem, the author says that no matter the way they are they can overcome anything and if not they have to deal with it. In the poem, for example it states "Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like teardrops. Weakened by my soulful cries." Here in this stanza, Maya Angelou is trying to say that if people wanted to see them fall and treat them like dirt, they are the ones that will weaken with their tears. They will be weakened because they are strong and overcome any obstacle. Another example in the poem is when it says, "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." Here in this part of a stanza Maya Angelou is trying to say that the person was past all the pain and able to overcome it. All the troubles are left on the past. Now this person is strong; they learned from their past and knows who she is defined as a person. Overall a person can overcome any troubles with their personality.

     The way I can relate to this poem is because even though I know I am not like the others I can surprise them. I can surprise them because I have my own personality who defines me. Another way I can connect to this poem is because some people have been treated like they are nobody, but now they are the ones that are weak. They are weak because they thought they could become superior by destroying others. People can be superior by being themselves and not worry what others think about them. The ones that are being "crushed" can overcome anything, but mostly it starts with confidence. Confidence is usually the key to do anything a person wants in life. Also personality is the key to anything also.