The first stanza of this poem reads like a love letter to a continent. Africa, transformed into the luscious body of a woman, turns out to be gorgeous. It turns out, though, that this "woman" is actually a continent. It's sort of like thinking of the US as "Lady Liberty."
Questions About Appearances
- In your own words, how would you describe Africa's appearance?
- Why do you think Angelou starts the poem with such a detailed description?
- Do you think this description is romanticized? Why or why not?
- How does the description of Africa change over the stanzas?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Angelou starts the poem with such a detailed description of Africa to help us visualize what slavery has done to the continent.
Africa's description doesn't necessarily change over the course of the poem, but her strength undergoes transformation. Our speaker tells us at the end that she is "rising" and that her strides are getting longer.