Maya Angelo - Phenomenal Woman

“Phenomenal Women” By Maya Angelo – Analysis In the poem “Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelo expresses many viewpoints on the topic of women. She describes the many attributes of women throughout the poem. Many think that a slim and trim body or pretty faces are the many features of a true woman. But Angelo explains the small insignificant features of a woman that people or society never mention. She believes and convinces the reader that these are the marks of a woman. The poems central idea is; Women should embrace their natural traits and characteristics even if society keeps telling you otherwise. Angelo starts this narrative poem by saying “Pretty women wonder where my secret lies/ I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size” she saying that she in no model or extravagant beauty. But as the poem goes on her point clears. She says that when she denies her beauty many people say she’s telling “lies”. Angelou claims her “secret” is in everything that goes against societies standards of beauty. In a reply to this she then begins this repetitive style that is seen all through the poem. She begins to list all the things that make her phenomenal, even though she isn’t model sized or looks like a model. “It's in the reach of my arms/ The span of my hips/ The stride of my step/ The curl of my lips”. Society tells women to take small steps, have narrow waist and hips and have thin lips like the model you’d see in a magazine. But Angelo says that because of these traits and her ability to embrace her natural traits makes her a “phenomenal woman”. Also stylistically she makes the poem more appealing to an audience using repetition and making lines 7 and 9 rhyme. In the stanza 2, Maya Angelo strengthens her case furthermore. She says “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”. Angelo is saying that when she walks into a room,