“Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou

“Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou

1. Author Background

   • Maya Angelou, b. 1928, St. Louis, MO, d. 2014
     • She grew up in Missouri and Arkansas.
       • Over the course of her career she dabbled in many areas. She worked as an author, poet, historian, civil rights activist, songwriter, playwright, dancer, stage and screen producer, director, performer, and singer.

2. Poem Background

   • Published in Angelou’s 3rd volume of poetry "And Still I Rise" (1978).
     • Angelou’s poetry focused a lot on her identity as a Black woman.
       • She was influenced by her childhood growing up in the South, as well as her adult life working as a civil rights activist.

3. Poem Breakdown

4. Poem Analysis

   • Structure
     • 60 lines
       • 5 irregular stanzas
         • Irregular rhyme schemes
   • Perspective
     • This poem was written with a first-person perspective.
       • The narrator shares with all of the nay-sayers what exactly makes her a “phenomenal woman.”
   • Poetic Devices
     • Imagery
       • All the ways that Angelou is a phenomenal woman sketch out a vivid picture of how she sees herself.
         • “It’s in the reach of my arms, / The span of my hips, / The stride of my step, / The curl of my lips.”
     • Enjambment
       • Numerous lines end without any punctuation
         • The thought continues on to the next line.
           • Example: “’Cause I’m a woman / Phenomenally.” (There is no punctuation or stop after woman)
     • Internal Rhyme
       • “I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size”
         • 2nd line; cute and suit rhyme within the line)
     • Repetition
       • “I say” and “Phenomenal woman / That’s me” and “I’m a woman / Phenomenally.”
         • This serves to add emphasis to Angelou’s assertions of her phenomenal nature.
           • The last repetition adds a “Cause.” Angelou has all of these characteristics, because she is a phenomenal woman.
     • Metaphor
       • Men swarm around the narrator, who calls them “A hive of honey bees.”
         • Emphasis on the erratic behavior of men towards women
     • Alliteration
       • “Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.”
         • 1st line; Words begin with W
     • Syntax
       • Lengthy sentences, followed by the short, powerful statement “I’m a woman / Phenomenally”
         • Angelou creates a nice flow in her poetry. She ends it with a short statement, which makes it more noticeable and important.

5. Poem Themes

   • Feminine Mystery –> Self Confidence
     • Angelou describes her womanhood as phenomenal. Phenomenal means remarkable, extraordinary, something beyond the usual. But this phenomenal womanhood is not understood by other people, both women and men.
       • Angelou lays out all of the ways she is remarkable despite not fitting the typical idea of feminine beauty. She doesn’t need to be pretty, because it is confidence and pride that make her a woman.
         • Women think she’s telling lies; Men cannot seem to grasp her fully. She says they are out of reach of her “inner mystery.”
           • In the end, though, her allure is simply down to her self-confidence and celebration of herself as a phenomenal woman.
   • Unapologetic Pride –> Self-Acceptance
     • Angelou does not let her head be bowed under the pressures or assumptions of society. She is a proud Black woman, who is confident in her identity as a woman.
       • This poem subverts cruel stereotypes about Black women by showing Angelou living her life unapologetically.
         • Angelou encourages other women, especially women of color, to take pride in her bold life.
           • “When you see me passing, / It ought to make you proud.”

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