The Full Text of “Refusal”
The Full Text of “Refusal”
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“Refusal” Introduction
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“Refusal” Summary
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“Refusal” Themes
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Death-Defying Love
Where this theme appears in the poem:- Lines 1-16
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Refusal”
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Lines 1-6
Beloved, ...
... Irreverent. -
Lines 7-8
Those sweet excesses ...
... I do adore. -
Lines 9-12
What surety is ...
... Future time undated. -
Lines 13-16
I defy my ...
... deign to die.
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“Refusal” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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End-Stopped Line
Where end-stopped line appears in the poem:- Line 1: “Beloved,”
- Line 3: “your lips”
- Line 4: “Your hands”
- Line 5: “laughter brave”
- Line 6: “Irreverent.”
- Line 8: “adore.”
- Line 10: “again,”
- Line 12: “undated.”
- Line 13: “haste.”
- Line 16: “die.”
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Enjambment
Where enjambment appears in the poem:- Lines 2-3: “lands / Have”
- Lines 7-8: “that / I”
- Lines 9-10: “there / That”
- Lines 11-12: “some / Future”
- Lines 14-15: “Promise / Of”
- Lines 15-16: “encounter / I”
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Repetition
Where repetition appears in the poem:- Line 3: “your lips”
- Line 4: “Your hands”
- Line 5: “Your laughter”
- Line 7: “sweet”
- Line 15: “sweet”
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Alliteration
Where alliteration appears in the poem:- Line 2: “lives,” “lands”
- Line 3: “lips”
- Line 5: “laughter”
- Line 16: “deign,” “die”
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“Refusal” Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- Irreverent
- Excesses
- Surety
- Defy
- Haste
- Deign
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(Location in poem: Lines 5-6: “Your laughter brave / Irreverent.”)
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Refusal”
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Form
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Meter
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Rhyme Scheme
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“Refusal” Speaker
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“Refusal” Setting
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Literary and Historical Context of “Refusal”
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More “Refusal” Resources
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External Resources
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A Brief Biography — Learn more about Angelou's life.
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An Interview with Angelou — Watch a segment of a 1987 interview with Angelou.
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Angelou's Website — Visit Angelou's official website, now a memorial to her life and work.
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A Portrait of Angelou — Admire a portrait of Angelou in DC's National Portrait Gallery.
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Angelou's Legacy — Read a New Yorker piece celebrating Angelou.
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The Black Arts Movement — Learn more about the Black Arts Movement, the important literary movement of which Angelou was one of the most important writers.
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LitCharts on Other Poems by Maya Angelou
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