Phenomenal Woman In The Yellow Wallpaper By Maya Angelou

However, it can also be argued that both the female voice in The Yellow Wallpaper or the Still I Rise collection cannot be admired by the reader. In the poem ´Phenomenal Woman´, Angelou exposes the attributes that the titular woman possesses that deem her irresistible to others, particularly to those of the opposite sex, although she does not conform to societies definition of ´beautiful´. Although Maya Angelou´s is regarded as an advocate for both racial and gender equality, it can be argued that Phenomenal Woman generates an undertone of arrogance and female superiority. ´And to a man, The fellows stand or, Fall down on their knees.´ is a physical representation of female superiority in which men are subservient. Supporting the notion of female supremacy is the use of the metaphor ´Then they swarm around me.
The use of the verb ´swarm´ analogises men to insects, a derogatory comparison which may warrant a sense of hostility within the reader. The Guardian obituary states 'Angelou was an outspoken advocate of "womanism", a quality which she ascribed to black women, and included their strength, commitment, sexual understanding and their complete equality with men'. However, from the very title ´Phenonemal Woman´ and the continuous repetition of the adjective throughout the poem, the female voice appears to revel in her superior status, phenomenal being synonymous with something extraordinary, as opposed to ´complete equality´. In addition, the poem Caged Bird utilises the metaphysical conceit, a complex device which draws a comparison between the human and natural world almost to the point of exhaustion. The laboured parallel drawn between human and bird in the poem suggests Maya Angelou potentially exaggerates in order to evoke empathy within the