Angelou uses the image of dust to symbolize resilience. Being “trod” (Line 3) into the dirt suggests the image of a funeral or burial ceremony; the speaker refuses to be buried, and, instead, becomes like “dust” (Line 4). The dust is also a biblical reference; the Bible describes how people are created from dust and will return to dust. With this image, Angelou alludes to the spiritual salvation that offers many people a sense of relief from earthly suffering. Finally, though dust is insubstantial, dust has the power to irritate and to cause problems. In six stanzas of the poem, the speaker becomes this metaphorical irritant, choosing deliberately to upset the target of their questions.

In stanzas two, five, and seven, the speaker equates their self to valuable natural resources. The speaker exclaims that they walks as if they have “ oil wells” (Line 7), laughs as if they have “gold mines” (Line 19), and dances as if they have “diamonds” (Line 27) between their legs. These comparisons subvert the objectification that they, and other Black people, experience. By saying that their physical body and self-esteem are worth more than materials, they dismiss the oppressive system’s attempts to define and limit Black people.