"Phenomenal Women"

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 of my care,

'Cause I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

~ Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou is a an African-American poet, dancer, and activist. Born in 1928 in  St. Louis Missouri, Angelou has conquered a turbulent childhood that included her being raped by one of her mother's boyfriends. After the rape, Maya became mute for six years. Now, She is definitely speaks. She worked as a dancer during her teen years and her early twenties. She toured Europe and Africa as a part of a musical after giving birth to a son at 16. Maya has overcome many obstacles and has become an acclaimed poet and an outspoken African-American Activist. One of her best known works is I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, the first part of a  five-volume autobiography.  

The theme of this poem is that by being a woman, you are magnificent. Angelou is saying that she does not do anything special to gain attention from men or admiration from other women. It is her pride in what she is. This pride translates into holding oneself in a way that exudes self-esteem and confidence in who she is. 

The part of the poem that makes it phenomenal is Angelou's word choice. The words that Angelou send a deep message and a rich and luscious flow. The choice of the word phenomenal in itself shows how magical and important being a woman is. She could have choose words such as great or wonderful. These words would not have held the same power and punch that the word phenomenal does.  The words that Angelou uses to describe the qualities that make her important and a woman are so rich. "It's the fire in my eyes,  And the flash of my teeth, The swing in my waist, And the joy in my feet." The metaphor comparing the men to a hive of bees is also very compelling. The way that Angelou writes about the awesomeness of being a woman excites the senses and strikes a cord within others of her sex.