I can’t say that I am an avid reader of poetry; however, I will not deny its power as a literary work. Poetry has been consistently associated with every type of human rights protest there is, whether it is women’s rights, rights for different races or just a right as an individual.

A poet whose work has stuck with me for my entire life is Maya Angelou. Her brilliance always evokes empowerment and pride as an African American woman and personally, I have the utmost respect for such pride.

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Maya Angelou’s work resonated with me so much that I wrote an eleven page paper analyzing her work.

One of her poems that I analyzed was:

Phenomenal Woman

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 for my care.
’Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Dr. Angelou’s poem, “Phenomenal Woman” has impacted femininity and empowerment of the mind, body and soul of a real woman. The central themes of “Phenomenal Woman” include empowering and uplifting women and ensuring a woman’s confidence and self-worth.

In the first stanza, she immediately gave the reader a sense of how much self-respect she possessed and emphasized her refusal to conform to the Western standards of looks. Angelou was audaciously proud of who she was, how she looked and the way she carried herself. The confidence she exuded was beautifully portrayed throughout those four lines because there was no sense of apology or regret in who she was or the way she lived her life. Ms. Angelou was telling other women that the secret to her self-confidence, self-worth and self-respect all derived from knowing that she was different and being proud of it. She was a phenomenal woman because she wasn’t afraid to express herself; she wasn’t afraid of living in her truth and she wasn’t afraid of going against the “typical” look of women. She was an African American woman who had curves, which was a part of her femininity.

The poem also provides a sense of sexuality as she describes some of her physical attributes that she is proud of. Discussing the curves of both her lips and hips is a profound and explicit way of instilling confidence within other African American women.  She described numerous parts of her body through the use of imagery which included, “The span of my hips”, “The ride of my breasts”, “The curl of my lips”, and “The swing in my waist” to provide the reader with a sense of how she felt about herself and the readers should feel about themselves. Dr. Angelou was saying to her female audience, look at yourself in the mirror, find whatever makes you feel proudest of yourself, how you look, and who you are. She wanted black women to know that having fuller lips, a bountiful amount of curves, deeper curves even, should not be used as something to drag them down. These physical features are what sets black women apart from the bunch and makes them uniquely beautiful phenomenal women.

Angelou also uses a repeating phrase, which is the forefront idea of the whole poem. At the end of all four stanzas, Angelou said, “I’m a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, that’s me.” This form of repetition once again says a lot about her sense of self. She repeatedly declared that she was phenomenal and this definitely rung true and continues to do so. She instilled the idea and lesson of studying yourself as deeply as possible, being proud of who you are and respecting and loving yourself the most. If one does not love or respect herself and know her self-worth, then someone she encounters will not have any respect for her.

In terms of liberation, “Phenomenal Woman” provides words of wisdom for fellow  women that free them from themselves. “Phenomenal Woman” was and still is like a national anthem for the freedom of women because the words are used to encourage women to believe in their beauty.

Angelou’s purpose for writing this poem was for women to read it and become emotionally connected to her message. For a brief snippet of Maya Angelou discussing this magnificent piece of work, go here!

 I can honestly say that writing an analytical paper on Dr. Angelou was an honor and that sharing a snippet of it was equally as honorable. Dr. Angelou’s prominent work has taught me to be proud of who I am and to never ever change who I am to suit someone else’s needs or wants. Perception begins with self-perception and someone may not love you if you do not love yourself. Someone may not respect you if you aren’t aware with the concept of self-worth or self-respect.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed writing and sharing it.

Ladies, remember to love yourself!

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And that’s all that matters!

Love and peace,

Kayla