'Society's Girl' and Phenomenal women - Written text

'Society's Girl' and Phenomenal women - Written text

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size. But when I start to tell them, They think I’m telling lies.

I say, It’s in the reach of my arms, The span of my hips, The stride of my step, The curl of my lips.

I’m a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s me.

I walk into a room Just as cool as you please, And to a man, The fellows stand or Fall down on their knees. Then they swarm around me, A hive of honey bees.

I say, It’s the fire in my eyes, And the flash of my teeth, The swing in my waist, And the joy in my feet.

I’m a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s me.

Men themselves have wondered What they see in me. They try so much But they can’t touch My inner mystery. When I try to show them, They say they still can’t see.

I say, It’s in the arch of my back, The sun of my smile, The ride of my breasts, The grace of my style.

I’m a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s me.

Now you understand Just why my head’s not bowed. I don’t shout or jump about Or have to talk real loud. When you see me passing, It ought to make you proud.

I say, It’s in the click of my heels, The bend of my hair, the palm of my hand, The need for my care.

’Cause I’m a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s me.

Phenomenal Women, Maya Angelou

'Society's Girl', Christine Bell

She stares into the looking glass

But she cant see herself.

Maybe shes hiding behind the glass

But she looks and shes not there either.

What can she see then?

Nothing much apart from a painted face

So perfectly applied as if a piece of precision engineering

Each lash is defined and her brows in attention stand

Her lips move gently, fearing to rub red onto the white stones behind.

Her skin stands, as a piece of art

It took so long to make it look natural.

But where is she?

Hidden perhaps behind her precious image

Daring not to show herself in case they should laugh

They all cry out for this china doll

They all want her to be theirs

'But how can I be theirs if I'm not mine?'

She asks, shaking her head

The doorbell rings and she puts her thoughts into her tweezer case.

Gets out her false smile and leaves her soul behind

Theme: How Society's expectations can be damaging but you can choose to either conform or ignore them

Purpose of the text:

To demonstrate the conflict many young girls face when it comes to defying who they are in relation to society

The purpose is to offer an alternative view of what makes a "phenomenal women." While the poem is speaking about one women, the descriptions in the poem ask and inspire all women to celebrate their womanhood in terms of character,rather than external beauty

Techniques:

- Metaphor

- Simile

- Personification

- Imagery

- Alliteration

- Objectification

- Rhetorical questions

- Third and first person

- Pronouns

- Repetition

- Symbolism

Techniques

- Rhyme

- Imagery

- Alliteration

- Repetition

- Simile

- Hyperbole

The protagonist masks herself in make-up and as a result loses who she is. She cannot find her "true" identity under the mask, instead her identity is defined by what others (us) want and expect from her - perfection.

Bell, critiques the effects society can have on young girls, especially in the form of peer pressure and expectations that society portrays everyday.

Metaphor

"Fearing to rub red onto the white stones behind." "She puts her thoughts into her tweezer case." "Gets out her false smile and leaves her soul behind."

Simile

"Her skin stands as a piece of art." "so perfectly applied as if a piece of precision engineering."

Personification

"Her brows in attention stand."

Imagery

"What can she see then? Nothing much apart from a painted face"

Alliteration

"So perfectly applied as if a peice of precision

Objectification

"painted face" "Piece of art" "Precious image" "China Doll" "Puts her thoughts into a tweezer case."

Rhetorical Questions

"What can she see then?" "But where is she?"

Third and First person

The poem is all in third person for a outside view with one line in first person " "But how can i be there's if I'm not mine."

Pronouns

"She" "Her"

Repetition

"They all"

Symbolism

Make-up: masking of identity

The Mirror: blurred vision between reality and expectation

Rhyme

Imagery

"I'm not cute or built to fit a fashion models size." "It's in the reach of my arms." Its in the arch of my back

Alliteration

"The stride in my step"

Repetition

"I'm a woman, phenomenally, phenomenal woman, that's me."

Simile

"as cool"

Hyperbole

"fall down on their knees."