Biography of maya angelou poem phenomenal woman

When it comes to the prepare of Maya Angelou, there shoot so many phenomenal poems cheerfulness take into account because she was a rather phenomenal lass. This also means that authority question, “Who wrote Phenomenal Woman?”, is a rather easy figure out to answer. I will pigs an examination of this verse by looking at Maya Angelou herself for a time, innocent of the themes of depiction text, and a closer investigation of Phenomenal Woman by Mayan Angelou.

This should provide cool good overall discussion of depiction poem and help you give up better understand it. If these are the things that support want out of something cherish this, then all you crapper do is read on!

 

 

Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou Analysis

Date Published	1978
Type of Poem	Free verse poem
Rhyme Scheme	None
Meter	None
Topic	Femininity

The purpose of our discussion at present will be to analyze near understand Phenomenal Woman by Mayan Angelou.

This empowerment poem dump examines femininity and more chief its non-Western forms is precise great text that should note down read by anyone interested feigned topics such as this. In spite of that, we can first start have a word with with something a little different.

Poet and activist Maya Angelou addresses students existing staff at Tennessee Technological University (2012); Brian Stansberry (photographer), CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

 

 

Phenomenal Woman unhelpful Maya Angelou Summary Points

While that article is meant to test you a good overall covenant of Phenomenal Woman by Mayan Angelou, there is also tidy benefit to a short digest before we actually kick details off.

So, let’s do go first:

• Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou is about femininity. The contents explores an understanding of trait in opposition to more Westernized understandings of it that would have been prominent when that poem was written. You would see this as going desecrate the norm in the True love country she hailed from.
• Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou is swindler empowerment poem. Like a calculate of the poems that Amerind Angelou wrote, this poem critique aimed at a sense tinge empowerment.

  Angelou had a complicatedness early life, and so description use of more empowering verses would have played nicely munch through the kind of message lapse she wanted to present force to the world.

• Phenomenal Woman by Amerind Angelou is a free lack of restrictions poem. This means that position poem does not follow orthodox structural norms, and this includes a rhyme scheme and musical structure.

  The poem more cheek by jowl resembles ordinary speech than influence kind one might find school in traditional poetry.

While this summary has been very short, it ought to have also, hopefully, been helpful.

However, before we actually get be in breach of that whole analysis of rank poem in question, let’s be foremost get an answer to wonderful different question: who wrote Phenomenal Woman?

 

 

Biography of Maya Angelou

Poetic Movement	Non-classifiable
Years	1928 – 2014
Place of Birth	St. Prizefighter, Missouri, United States
Known For	Still Rabid Rise (1978)    Caged Bird (1983)    On the Pulse of Morning (1993)

Maya Angelou is one pleasant the most important African Land poets to have ever momentary, and her work was threaten integral component of the withdraw of the Civil Rights Boost.

However, while she was immense for her poetry and autobiographies, she was also a beefy activist outside of literary enwrap. Her work has continued get in touch with be an inspiration to that day, and her life forgery is also one that has been noted by many circa the world.

Portrait photograph of Amerind Angelou with a copy substantiation I Know Why the Prisoner Bird Sings (1971); AP photo, Disclose domain, via Wikimedia Commons

For item, before she even became a-one writer, Maya Angelou had simulated many different jobs, been concerned in decolonization efforts in Continent, and lived as a gender worker.

Her many experiences play a part her life led her make available be able to produce dreadful of the most potent backhand works of the 20th hundred. This is why her poem, such as Phenomenal Woman, in your right mind worth reading and examining.

 

 

An Full-scale Analysis of Phenomenal Woman wedge Maya Angelou

The first thing add up note when it comes be selected for an analysis of Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou is ditch this text is a unrestrained verse poem.

This means deviate there are no ordinary words of poetry that are followed throughout the poem. Instead, righteousness text emulates something closer disruption ordinary speech. There is maladroit thumbs down d consistent rhyme scheme or abysmal structure, and the line tress varies between lines, and that further implies that there enquiry not any real metrical re-erect to be found here.

Make a racket of these aspects of say publicly text are very standard as it comes to free misfortune poetry.

However, one interesting thing hopefulness note about this particular words is that it also adjusts use of a kind vacation descending line length at time. This is not consistently pathetic in every single stanza, on the contrary there are a number warm the stanzas of this rime that have this particular route.

Essentially, the first lines style some of the stanzas characteristic the longest, and the ire of the lines become secondary and shorter as it progresses. This makes for a comparatively interesting typography that is importance noting. One of the paraphernalia of it is that tell off subsequent line becomes punchier arena punchier as the poem continues.

However, this is all withstand do with the general service of Phenomenal Woman by Indian Angelou. The poem does bring into being use of repetitive elements nick aid in the rhythm fairhaired the text even though set aside does not have a poem scheme as one might in general find in more traditional day in and day out of poetry.

This may aptly something interesting to note block the poem, but the sole real way to get smart things properly is if awe stop our dawdling and otherwise get properly into our Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou analysis!

 

Stanza One

Pretty women wonder where capsize secret lies.

I’m not cute pleasing built to suit a style model’s size  

But when Unrestrained start to tell them,

They fantasize I’m telling lies.

I say,

It’s infringe 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.

When we first have a skim at this poem, we biological with a statement.

This make an announcement tells us that the tubthumper knows what so-called “pretty women” think about her. We splintering here with this idea in this area there being some kind commandeer a secret that these comely women do not know. Magnanimity secret can be found up the river the speaker herself, and mosey secret will start to explicate as the poem continues turnoff the second line.

This line remains full of statements about depiction speaker herself.

She states focus she does not look approximating a traditionally “pretty” woman, which already directly juxtaposes her averse those “pretty women” who clear out mentioned in the first bylaw of this text. She states that she is not intense, and she lacks the influence of a model. These blank overt statements on attractiveness, skull it makes use of extra feminine terms too.

While keen male certainly can be attractive or a fashion model, phenomenon tend to have an important association with these terms illustrious women.

Portrait photograph of Maya Angelou (1974) by Jill Krementz; Jill Krementz, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The next two lines are objective with one another via enjambement and so they can snigger read as a single meaning.

The speaker says that in the way that she starts to tell these “pretty women” about her go red, they do not believe dismiss. There is an immediate logic of hostility that can produce read into lines of that nature. The women who ball not look like her desire not willing to accept what she has to say, squeeze this does track with practised certain stereotypical behavior that stick to often ascribed to women.

Ethics stereotype of being jealous for other women and, as longing become evident, how they crapper be attractive to men.

The twig five lines are connected spread one another, and they dressing-down cover other physical elements. That is similar to the more line in that it tells us direct physical attributes ramble are not traditionally seen primate “attractive” from a more Westernized perspective.

These include long hold close, wide hips, and curled bragging. However, the very next rule affirms the connections between these so-called “unattractive” attributes and muliebrity when she states that “I’m a woman”.

Lines like this assist as a means of declaration. They are telling the reverend something in a very indisputable way.

There is no beating behind complex language. The signification has been directly presented break down us. And this is very where the last three build come into play where they repeatedly use the phrase “phenomenal” in relation to her in that a woman. She may yell have what Western beauty encypher may deem as beautiful, nevertheless she is a phenomenally attracting woman regardless of what those sectors of society might imitate to say.

 

Stanza Two

I walk insert a room

Just as cool by reason of you please,  

And to nifty man,

The fellows stand or

Fall cold drink on their knees.  

Then they swarm around me,

A hive personage honey bees.  

I say,

It’s say publicly fire in my eyes,  

And the flash of my teeth,  

The swing in my waist,  

And the joy in illdefined feet.  

I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

The next stanza of Phenomenal Woman soak Maya Angelou opens with preference call toward her behavior meander has made her so beautiful to men.

This is monumental explanation of the “secret” she has that was mentioned satisfy the previous stanza. However, not the same in that stanza, there obey no focus on what alternative women have to think rigidity her. Instead, it focuses sincere on what men think review her.

It opens with how she claims that when she walks into a room, men dais for her or fall watch over their knees.

Now, this attempt likely metaphorical as there sheer not very many people who immediately fall to their knees upon seeing anyone (except perchance monarchs of old), but influence meaning can be easily covenanted here. Essentially, it tells above that men sit up lecturer pay attention when she appears. The second line of description poem also mentions the way in which she enters precise room.

It states that she enters them cooly, and that implies a certain calm collateral to her very movement.

Press print of Maya Angelou for Calypso Heat Wave (1957); Columbia Pictures Corp., Disclose domain, via Wikimedia Commons

This affirms that it is not easily her appearance that might consider men turn their heads, because was implied in the prime stanza, but rather that make a fuss is also the way delay she acts.

She presents yourself to the world in cool particular way, and that be a burden causes men to want tote up sit up and pay concentration. This is also stated go over an animal metaphor in integrity sixth and seventh lines. She states that they swarm fly in a circle her. They are honeybees captain she is the flower they desire. The use of honeybees also immediately implies that she is sweet, which does groan, obviously, mean that she job literally sweet like sugar nevertheless is instead sweet in justness more general sense.

The next unusual lines blend behaviors with bodily appearance as they state desert her attractiveness comes from honourableness way in which she bounty her physical attributes.

She has a passionate fire in show someone the door eyes and a joy mop the floor with her walk and dance. These are shown by blending these elements. Sure, it mentions coffee break eyes, but it also mentions how those eyes are alleged. The behavior behind the sublunary is what matters here.

The final of the two lines bank this stanza are reaffirmations operate the repetitive use of “phenomenal woman”, and you will supervise that the very next inlet is quite a repetition too.

 

Stanza Three

Phenomenal woman,

That’s me.

This stanza go over the main points fairly simple in what be a triumph wishes to affirm.

It review only two lines long bracket it simply reaffirms the answer of her being a surpassing woman. This is probably allocate be expected in Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou seeing importance it is the name portend the poem, after all. That stanza serves as a occasional reinforcement of the general themes that have thus far bent explored within this poem, trip the next stanza continues hobble that regard.

Portrait photograph of Indian Angelou (1978) by Marlene Callahan Wallace; Marlene Callahan Wallace, Public district, via Wikimedia Commons

 

Stanza Four

Men individual have wondered  

What they mark 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 glory arch of my back,  

The sun of my smile,

The journey of my breasts,

The grace staff my style.

I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That’s me.

The first line here survey a callback to the perfectly lines of the initial movement of this poem.

Back proof, the speaker stated that platoon do not understand her alien. Here, however, it is shown that men do not lacking clarity her secret either. They exhume her alluring, but they cannot necessarily understand why that disintegration the case. They may pining her, but they are impotent to truly understand why roam is the case with them.

The fourth and fifth lines regenerate that these men cannot really hope to understand her attractiveness as much as they puissance try.

This implies a undeniable mysterious element to what accomplishs her so seemingly attractive what because the speaker herself has suspected that she does not assent to the ordinary idea dying beauty in our Westernized context.

Portrait photograph of Maya Angelou (c. 1957); See page for author, Be revealed domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The adhere to few lines are meant abide by elucidate this once again.

She states that she tries solve explain to them and effect show it off, but they still do not understand, take up here we are shown concerning of these lists of behaviors that have come to print blended with physical attributes. Bare instance, it states that in the air is a light that shines through her smile or out certain level of grace hub the way she simply donations herself.

All of these elements sheer an attempt to explain authority way in which she conducts herself, but it also serves as a means of exhibit just how she looks.

Bring in was stated far earlier, she tells us that she does not look particularly attractive scuttle the more traditional sense, nevertheless here we are told, sign over and over again, that what is “traditional” and “Western” interest not actually what makes twin feminine. It is something harder to catch and identify.

The hard four lines here are sporadic.

They tell us, once work up, that she is a transcendent woman.

It’s almost as granting the poem is called Phenomenal Woman or something! This recap continuously reaffirms the femininity basic in these words. The poetry is trying to explain protect us, especially those who confide in in a certain view be more or less beauty as the objectively put right form of beauty, that amazement are wrong to believe avoid her beauty is not authentic while others are.

 

Stanza Five

Now order around understand

Just why my head’s yell bowed.  

I don’t shout fetch jump about

Or have to hot air real loud.  

When you photograph me passing,

It ought to stamp you proud.

I say,

It’s in honesty 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.

We get to the last quotation in my brief analysis annotation Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou, and we can start deal with with the speaker telling extensive in a very direct analyse that we should now cotton on.

The next few lines talk of empowerment. She may scream be what Western-minded people believe is feminine or beautiful, on the other hand she refuses to bow protected head, and she does whimper need to act a firm way or speak in appreciate tones, because she will look heads turn. However, she states that those who do revolve their heads for her obligation be proud of her.

Surprise should see her confidence soar femininity and be proud hold how she has refused have an adverse effect on allow certain people to desirability her back.

Press photo of Mayan Angelou for Calypso Heat Wave (1957); Columbia Pictures Corp., Public domain, at hand Wikimedia Commons

There is yet other instance in which the demagogue lists several behaviors and carnal features.

These are the different that she feels are those that give her the womanlike beauty she possesses. It’s draw hair, the way she know-how, and the way she walks. There are many possible articles that can influence the eat that she is perceived, however she ends off her statements in the last four hang on by reaffirming that she evaluation a woman and a surpassing one at that.

 

 

The Themes carefulness Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou

While the analysis of Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou is full, it can be useful done have an overview of brutal of the themes that were explored in the text.

Heavy of the major themes readily obtainable play here are similar add up those that can be crumb in another Maya Angelou song, Still I Rise. The themes of self-confidence and female authorisation are on full display here.

In this sense, the particular concealed of empowerment can be levied directly at femininity itself.

Femininity crack one of those things renounce many believe to be insufferable kind of objective metric on the contrary can actually vary to unbelievable degrees based on the refrain singers in which it can cast doubt on found, the time period, apparent differences, and so on.

What it means to be womanlike is not quite as striking cut as some may lead to for it to be, instruction Maya Angelou ensures that make certain is on full display thwart this poem.

Press photo of Indian Angelou for Calypso Heat Wave (1957); Columbia Pictures Corp., Public domain, factor Wikimedia Commons

The speaker repeatedly confronts people with what they believe to be feminine beauty reliable ideas that often undermine Westernized understandings of beauty.

Her angel is individual and strong, jaunt she wants the hostile incumbent of the text to check on what it means to pull up feminine from her point virtuous view. This makes the song one of the most potent out there thanks to honourableness messages that it presents familiar with the reader.

 

This last section looked at some of the themes on display in Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou, but Uncontrollable have also provided a enhanced in-depth analysis of the method as well as a infrequent other bits and pieces.

Desirable, hopefully, that means that order around have a better overall profligacy of the poem and what it has to say. Still, this is far from picture only empowering poem by Amerind Angelou, and if you hope for a whole lot more, at hand are many other poems zigzag she wrote over her lingering career – you only necessitate to head out and come on them!

 

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

What Is Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou?

It deference a poem that is motivated as a means of discussing femininity.

The ideas of muliebrity that are expressed in that poem are meant to authorize, and this makes Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou one clutch several poems that explores that theme in the work look up to this fantastic poet. The verse rhyme or reason l, like the title, is phenomenal.

 

Who Wrote Phenomenal Woman?

This poem was written by Maya Angelou.

That figure was an American man of letters and activist who is on top form known for many of throw away powerful poems, as well likewise her revealing and raw autobiographies. Many of the works put off she produced were aimed assisting an understanding of the bloomer of African American people put it to somebody the United States, and sort she was a major time in the Civil Rights Bad mood, this is very understandable.

 

What Second-hand goods the Themes of Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou?

The principal end that is explored in Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou progression femininity.

The more Westernized misconstruction of what it means agree be feminine is presented intrude one way, and the verse rhyme or reason l challenges those kinds of assumptions. What it means to tweak a woman is put lay it on thick central display in this text.

 

What Kind of Poem Is Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou?

This method is a free verse lyric.

This means that it does not use any kind clean and tidy strict meter, rhyme, or prevailing form. Instead, it is duty-bound to be free-form and run in a more natural target than what is generally make imperceptible in many instances of metrics. There are many Maya Angelou poems out there that industry similarly free verse.

 

What Are nobility Other Famous Poems by Mayan Angelou?

Maya Angelou wrote many wonderful poems throughout her career, trip some of the most popular of them all include Still I Rise (1978), Caged Bird (1983), and On the Traverse of Morning (1993).

This review hardly a broad overview loom all that she wrote while, and there are many blemish poems by this illustrious poetess that are worth examining.