Maya Angelou, a poet, historian, author, actress, playwright, civil-rights activist, producer, and director, left an indelible mark on the world. Born Marguerite Johnson on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, she was raised in segregated rural Arkansas. Angelou lectured throughout the US and abroad, holding the position of Reynolds professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University in North Carolina since 1981. She published ten best-selling books and numerous magazine articles, earning her Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award nominations. At President Clinton's request, she wrote and delivered a poem at his 1993 presidential inauguration. Maya Angelou will be greatly missed.
Her quotes give advice on love, liberation, freedom, women, men, education, and on many other dilemmas of life. She will live on through these quotes, her poems, and novels. I can say I was one of the lucky ones to have had the pleasure to see and hear this intelligent, wise beyond centuries woman speak in person. I remember how captivated the audience was when she spoke. The air was light and our spirits were lifted. The silence in the room was devoted to that special moment of sharing her poetry, her expression. I’ll never forget it.
‘Phenomenal Woman’ appeared in Maya Angelou’s third volume of poetry, ‘And Still I Rise‘. It was first published in 1978. In this poem, she celebrates her body alongside the bodies and positive characteristics of women as a whole. Before reading this poem, it is important to note that Maya Angelou was a deeply Feminist poet. As such, elements of her belief run throughout the poem, empowering and uplifting women of all types.
“Phenomenal Woman” is a poem by the amazing Maya Angelou. The poem features a proclamation of love from the speaker, but the love is for herself. The poem starts off making sure that the reader knows this is not a poem that knocks the beauty of other women with the collectively “pretty women.” Each stanza of the poem, except the third, starts off with an observation from the speaker, whether it be recognizing that her beauty is not conventional to society in the first stanza or the effect she has on men in the second stanza. Most of the proclamations are about her physical appearance. This poem has always been one of my favorites. Growing up, I had a hard time finding a ton of images of people who looked like me in media, whether it be books, movies, or magazines. I had an especially hard time finding those images portrayed as being beautiful. So when I did come across representation like that, I clung to it. This poem was no different. The speaker doesn’t apologize for finding herself beautiful. She doesn’t care that she’s not conventionally “cute” or that she doesn’t fit a certain size or that men don’t really know what they see in her. All that matters is that she finds herself to be phenomenal.
Analysis of "Phenomenal Woman"
The first-person speaker of ‘Phenomenal Woman‘ describes the allure she possesses and celebrates her identity as a woman. The first stanza includes the physical traits that make her stand out, from her hips to her smile. As the poem continues, she extols the inner mystery that makes her so attractive to the men around her. Despite her willingness to share what makes her so alluring, neither women nor men seem to understand. Her attractiveness is passive, natural, and evidently, unfathomable. However, in the final stanza, she shifts to direct address as she speaks to the reader. At the end of this poem, she describes the confidence and pride she has in herself. Although she is uncaring about the opinion of others, her opinion of herself becomes the most important aspect of this poem. It highlights the pride and wonder to be found in being a woman, abandoning the shame and needless expectations that have oppressed women in the past.
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This poem is beautiful in its inclusivity, rejecting societal standards and embracing femininity at its core. I think Angelou was a particularly powerful Feminist poet, which comes through brilliantly in this poem. In an interview, she acknowledged the equal "phenomenal" nature of men: this reflects the goodwill which characterises the activism of this poem. It does not aim to disparage men, but to dismantle the unreasonable expectations laid on women by the patriarchy to oppress them for centuries. Angelou’s constant use of the word “phenomenal” is twofold. One most often defines the word as meaning extraordinary and impressive, and she is certainly reveling in being an extraordinary and impressive woman; however, the word phenomenal is also synonymous with unbelievable.
Structurally, Angelou breaks her poem into four major stanzas of varying length, with a smaller - yet significant - couplet in between. So, there are a total of five stanzas. While there is some evidence of rhyme, she mostly utilises an unconventional rhyme scheme. She begins her poem with a couplet in the first two lines: “Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. / I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size”.
‘Phenomenal Woman‘ employs a predominantly trochaic meter mixed with iambic passages, creating a rhythmic pattern that emphasizes strength and conviction. The meter varies considerably throughout: shorter lines often contain just one or two stresses, while longer lines may have four or five. This metrical flexibility creates a jazz-like cadence.
Literary Devices
Throughout this poem, the poet makes use of several literary devices:
- Repetition: Angelou ends each stanza with a repeated refrain, which features some minor changes each time. The nature of this refrain creates a sense of unfailing, unapologetic pride, as the speaker revels in being a woman.
- Alliteration: Examples of this device include the phrase “women wonder” in line one and “sun” and “smile” in stanza four.
- Imagery: This device largely characterises this poem, as the speaker uses ample imagery to describe herself and what makes her “Phenomenal”.
This poem features themes of womanhood, identity, pride, self-love, and self-acceptance. The main theme, womanhood, is celebrated throughout the poem. The line, “I’m a woman,” propagates the speaker’s self-confidence in being a woman. She celebrates not only her bodily beauty but also her inner glow. Another important theme, identity, is explored from the perspective of gender. Themes of self-love and self-acceptance are also present in this work. In the final stanza, the speaker says that her head is unbowed as she accepts how she is.
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The poem begins with strong alliteration, as “w” is repeated in “women wonder where”. It creates a sense of lyricism within the poem, heightened by the use of consonance in the first four lines with the frequent repetition of the “t” sound. This musicality is reinforced through the repeated refrain, which debuts at the end of the first stanza.
The “secret” alluded to by the speaker appears to be how she attracts so many men. As the first line appears directly under the title, ‘Phenomenal Woman’, the speaker immediately draws a distinction between beauty and what makes a woman “phenomenal”. This poem’s sense of female empowerment becomes even clearer in the second line, as the speaker embraces the body types of women who aren’t “fashion model’s size”. This follows lifetimes of societal pressure on women to be thin - but not too thin - and tall - but not too tall. In fact, note that the speaker says she is not “built” to be as thin as a fashion model, not that she is unable to maintain this weight. This acknowledges the inherent curviness of some feminine body types, which require a higher body fat percentage to demonstrate their true beauty.
By the third line, the speaker clarifies that there is no secret. She readily tells those who ask, but is met with disbelief. This shows the judgment which can be present in women as well, holding those around them to unattainable, universal standards which do not fit everyone. The negativity of this is underlined through the word “lies”, which is evidently a recurring experience as multiple women ask and respond in this manner. However, while these women may try to bring the speaker down, she continues to call them “Pretty women”, lifting them up.
The speaker enlists a listing device as she describes the attributes which make her “Phenomenal”. All but one of these contribute to a pattern of anaphora, as “The” is repeated at the beginning of every line. Throughout this list, sibilant consonance features predominantly throughout, creating a tone of sensuality. This can be seen in “say / It’s“, “arms“, “span”, “hips“, “stride”, “step”, and perhaps most sensually, “lips“. These also contribute to constructing rich imagery, heightening the sensuality of the poem overall. The reader is invited to imagine and gaze upon the speaker, highlighting how confident she is in her body.
In the final four lines of the first stanza, the refrain is introduced. There is repetition of “woman” and variations of “Phenomenal” throughout, emphasizing the speaker’s status. The first half of this refrain suggests that being a woman is an active effort, which the speaker does “Phenomenally”. This reinforces the idea that her behaviour contributes to her distinction. However, the second half of this refrain seems to imply that “Phenomenal woman” is a title - perhaps even a singular one.
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This stanza begins with a simile which depicts the speaker as “cool”. She does not aim to impress: she is not eager, flustered, or concerned by others’ perceptions of her. This highlights that her attractiveness is a passive trait, not something she must try to achieve. As she approaches “a man” (a broad, indiscriminate term which demonstrates her indifference), she does so with confidence, not shyness or apprehension. This embodies confidence as she remains “cool” at all times - her indifference is underlined by the following phrase “as you please”.
The speaker shifts her attention from the effect she has on other women to the effect she has on men. The effect she has on them is notable, lowering them to their “knees”. The physical placement of the speaker over the men is a symbol of her power - they kneel as they would to a monarch or a deity. Men either assume this position of worship or they “stand”, a detail which highlights the notability of the speaker when she enters a room. Often, standing when one enters a room is a mark of respect. Think of how the court must “all rise” as the judge enters the room.
Through metaphor, the men are transformed into “a hive of honey bees”. Note the nature of this metaphor, as the men are depicted as male bees - drones - swarming around the speaker. Only the queen bee of a hive will reproduce with the male bees: as such, this elevates the speaker to the status of a monarch once again. However, as the male bees “swarm” her, this also draws parallels between her and honey. The verb “swarm” contributes to the bee metaphor, but also emphasises the number of men who are drawn to the speaker. By using a metaphor rooted in nature, the speaker highlights that her attractiveness is inherent and natural, not manufactured or performed.
It appears that the speaker continues to answer the question of the “pretty women”, as the repeated line from stanza one - “I say” - frames the remainder of this stanza as a response. In a metaphor, the speaker claims to have “fire” in her eyes. While this is symbolic of passion, it also bears connotations of hostility, which is reinforced in the following line. The “flash” of her teeth conjures imagery of snapping jaws, likening her to an animal in her ferocity.
Angelou employs another listing device in this stanza as the speaker continues to describe what makes her “Phenomenal”. The final two items in this list relate to rhythm and dancing. The speaker’s “hips” and “feet” are personified: they are evidence of her “joy”. The word “swing” is a pun, as while it refers to the literal swinging movement of the speaker’s hips - whether through dancing or walking - it is also a pun which capitalises on the use of a musical lexicon. Swing is a type of jazz music which was created by African Americans in the early twentieth century. This relates to Angelou’s oeuvre, embracing and celebrating her cultural heritage through poetry.
At the end of the stanza, the four-line refrain repeats again, clarifying that these attributes make the speaker “Phenomenal”. Angelou’s use of rhyme becomes more prevalent in the fourth stanza. In combination with her frequent use of enjambment, Angelou creates a musical feel to the poem, which is particularly noticeable in the euphony of the lines: “What they see in me / They try so much / But they can’t touch / My inner mystery”. Rhythm is also introduced through the consonance of lines 34 and 35. This is the repetition of dental “t” and “ch” sounds, which ceases in line 36, adding to the musical feel.
While the speaker began the poem with a confident tone, it seems to increase through the implicit playfulness of these lines. While men can’t understand what in particular makes the speaker attractive, they certainly acknowledge its effectiveness. The speaker makes this “mystery” tangible, as the men could touch it, but were unable to. This “mystery” is metaphorical, likely referring to her confidence and charisma. By referring to this innate charm as her “inner mystery”, the speaker keeps the nature of her attractiveness ambiguous. As the men are unable to see this “inner mystery”, the speaker increases the sense that it is an innate, natural state of being, not something she has willingly constructed.
The latter half of stanza four features the repeated refrain once again alongside the third repetition of the line “I say”. Listing appears here once again, featuring anaphora in the repetition of “The” and the recurring use of sibilance, as the speaker describes what makes her “Phenomenal”. The “arch” of the speaker’s back is an innately sexual piece of imagery: it shows that she is physically attractive, emphasising her best qualities. This is repeated in “The ride of my breasts”, which is more explicit in its sexuality. Note that it is not the size of her breasts, as many societal beauty standards would dictate, but the way she carries herself. They are a part of her, and she is proud of it. The alliterative “sun of my smile” is a charming use of metaphor, likening the speaker’s smile to sunlight. While this contributes to the theme of nature throughout the poem, primarily associated with the speaker, it also characterises her as bright and warm. There is simplicity in the joy her smile brings: it makes others feel good.
The final stanza opens with direct address - speaking to the reader specifically. Just as the speaker has told both women and men throughout the poem about her “inner mystery”, she tells the reader as well. However, unlike the others, it is implied that the reader can “understand” what the others found unfathomable. This creates a personal connection between the speaker and the reader, establishing a level of understanding and reciprocal respect.
By using a “bowed” head to represent a feeling of shame or shyness, the speaker employs a kind of synecdoche. A single action associated with these feelings represents them as a whole. The resulting implication is that the speaker’s head is, in fact, held high. This reinforces the sense of confidence the reader now firmly associates with her character. Bowing one’s head is also a sign of submissiveness, usually associated with approaching an authority. This relates back to the collective “stand[ing]” associated with acknowledging the entrance of a respected person, such as a judge. It also relates to the actions of the men in stanza two, who get on their “knees” in front of the speaker.
In a tricolon featuring the repetition of “or”, the speaker describes obnoxious ways to gain attention, clarifying that she does not need to use these. Lines 52 and 53 imply that the speaker is addressing female readers in particular. Observing the manner in which she commands attention, women should be proud as the speaker becomes a symbol of feminine power.
The line “I say” is repeated for the fourth and final time, as the speaker uses a listing device to further describe her allure. The final two attributes listed appear distinct from the others. The figurative language of “palm of my hand” often means to have power over something. While the speaker lists things she is proud of, the final one, “The need for my care”, underscores the burden of women. It is an example of double entendre, as the men want her “care “in terms of love, but also in terms of service. Even though the speaker is irresistible to men, they are still only thinking about what she can do for them.
The poem ends strongly with the repeated refrain, as the speaker solidifies her identity as a “Phenomenal woman”. This poem demonstrates that pride and confidence should characterise all women.
| Theme | Description |
|---|---|
| Womanhood | Celebration of being a woman, both physically and emotionally. |
| Identity | Exploration of gender identity and self-perception. |
| Self-Love | Acceptance and love for oneself, regardless of societal standards. |
| Pride | Unapologetic pride in one's identity and being. |
