genders whether they are mental or physical have always been quite different amongst the two sexes and now those borders are finally being tested. Slowly but surely women are gaining power and respect. In Maya Angelou’s poem “Phenomenal Woman,” she demonstrates the love a woman can have for herself even though she is not considered beautiful by society. Through the use of the themes self-confidence, body language, and defining oneself as well as several different stylistic techniques Angelou paints
The poem "Phenomenal Woman is a poetic poem that women can relate to. It is a celebration of womanhood and femininity It expresses the jealousy, difference, and attitude that women see towards each other and how mean persee them. Every stanza is filled with explanations on how a woman should be confident with the way she looks and reveals woman 's attributes as a phenomenal woman. Angelou tries to show her confidence by stating the body parts that show that confidence and inner strength. This can
Phenomenal Woman by, Mya Angelou The phenomenal Mya Angelou was born on April 4, 1928 in rural Arkansas. Surprisingly, what a lot of people do not know is that Mrs. Mya Angelou was born with the name Marguerite Ann Johnson. Mrs. Mya Angelou is an American author who has published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, and several books of poetry. Mrs. Mya Angelou is also credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning more than fifty years of phenomenal works of literature
Any girl could say she is a woman. It takes a strong woman to be a phenomenal woman. A phenomenal woman does not rely on others for financial, mental and social needs. A woman like this takes pride in her-self and doesn’t let anyone put her down. Throughout the times a woman strives for her independence to become her own individual in life. Phenomenal Woman, written by Maya Angelou, is a poem which is an anthem for all women’s strength in their own womanhood. (Angelou 1) The poem speaks out to
and pride in her identity as a women in the poem “Phenomenal Woman” that I found on the internet. She says, 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,
society, it is believed that a woman should have fair-skin, hourglass figure and long hair to attain the title of ‘a beautiful woman’. This notion has degraded the stature of the entire female community instead of elevating it. The revolutionary poet, Maya Angelou, tried to break this notion by writing a poem to give tribute to ‘an average-looking woman’ who can become cynosure despite of not having fair-skin and the hourglass figure. In the poem “Phenomenal Woman”, the author urges women to celebrate
three poems; "Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou “Woman" by Nikki Giovanni, and "Barbie doll" by Marge Piercy, the perception of a woman is developed in different ways summarizing the needs of a woman. Firstly, a woman needs to feel confident about herself, she needs to feel empowered because she is a woman. Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou published in 1978, is a reminder for women about their ability to strive in dark times and feel confident in their skin. It
meaningful words that the poem “Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou illustrates. Angelou uses alliteration, rhythm scheme and her own personal style to convey the meaning of a “phenomenal woman,” which is what she considers all women to be. Angelou, as an example, enlightens readers that not all hardships and tribulations have to be known. One can interpret that every woman experiences a trial in their life that eventually makes them a stronger individual. Moreover, a “phenomenal woman” is different, but beautiful
Society creates the thought of what makes an ideal woman; however, Maya Angelou shows us what truly makes an authentic woman in her poem, “Phenomenal Woman.” The word “Phenomenal” is defined as something that is magnificent, remarkable, breathtaking, as well as extraordinary. This poem illustrates confidence and beauty from within, instead of the conventional view that society tends to have, which only focuses on the appearance. She shows how to acknowledge womanhood. One is able to appreciate the
In A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry and “Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou, both Hansberry and Angelou use gender to show two different perspectives women brought forth in the 1920s through the 1950s. Hansberry displays in Ruth, a woman of good faith and loyalty to her family, and Beneatha represents Maya Angelou’s phenomenal woman, a woman of poise, class, and dreams. Hansberry and Angelou use characterization, dialogue, archetype, and juxtaposition to compare and contrast a woman’s changing
“I'm a woman, phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, that's me” (lines 10-13). These are a couple of lines from Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou, which describes the black woman as a “phenomenal” being. These very words fuel the outlook of an average African-American woman in today’s society. Many people argue the outlook of women has not changed and that they are still portrayed as negative beings. However, African-American women in today’s society have had a very strong and powerful affect. They are
describes my life is by Maya Angelou, a powerful feminist and poet, in it she states, “I am a Woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal Woman, that’s me.” It shows that I am an intelligent, persevering, and vocal women in society. In life, so far I only have a few stages under my belt, like from childhood, preteen years, and teenage years. Through these periods in my life I have become a vibrant, focused, and independent woman. My life started in the womb of a young, loving mother with an equally young, loving father
that in her poem Phenomenal Woman. Angelou mocks the societal view of the ideal woman and drags many different types of audiences into her confident and majestic principles for being a woman, of being who she really is. Angelou uses various types of figurative language to express and illustrate her opinion of the phenomenal woman she is and of the phenomenal person anyone can be. By doing so, she “lampoons the conceived notions of beauty” and finds contentment in herself as the woman she is (source
Some people look through the glass and see a totally different person. All across the world identity is an issue that many women have. Woman today must be skinny, tall, thick, fair skinned and have long hair in order to be considered beautiful. Maya Angelou feels otherwise, as she gives women another way to look at themselves through her poem "Phenomenal Woman". Civil rights activist and writer, Maya Angelou was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 4, 1928. At the age of three, Angelou witnessed
Reader Response on "Phenomenal Woman" To look at woman in this day and age, we try to base ourselves off of the size two or below that we see on television walking down the runway. But what they don’t advertise is that it’s even more beautiful to be a size 10 or above. “Phenomenal Woman” is a poem that shows that even if you’re not that size two or below, you’re still beautiful no matter what size you are. Every woman is beautiful inside and out, but it is those who carry themselves with etiquette
high school, she gave birth to her son Guy. Even though being a single mother and working different jobs would challenge her, her passion for music, dance, and poetry grew (Bloom). Dr. Angelou is the true definition of a phenomenal woman. She describes a phenomenal woman as a woman who is amazing or an astonishing. She is not afraid to love her self and is confident when she goes out into the world. That is why I ch...
personal struggles of the African American Woman are brought to life through poetic works. With inspirations drawn from personal journeys of Maya Angelou herself, powerful poems praise, celebrate, and empathize with the feminine colored experience. Angelou’s writing sheds glaring light on themes of feminine power, beauty, and perseverance, raising the African American Woman to a pedestal that demands respect and adoration. For Angelou’s audience, the everyday woman is presented equipped with all the necessities
applies to “Ain’t I A Woman,” by Sojourner Truth and “Phenomenal Woman,” by Maya Angelou. Truth and Angelou center their works towards the idea of women using the strength of their voice to influence a change in society. Analyzing these two pieces reveals a message that a woman’s voice is powerful enough to raise the moral standards of how society treats and views women. However, “Phenomenal Woman,” by Maya Angelou, emphasizes the idea of self-confidence and beauty while “Ain’t I A Woman,” by Sojourner
shape. A perfect woman. In the poem Maya Angelou highly proclaims she doesn't have a dream girl figure nor a pretty face. That fact that she has accomplished things without the “must have” traits of a female and it shocks appealing women, they want to know the secret to her successfulness. According to Maya Angelou, her secret is her confidence, the way she stretches her arms, the way she walks, talks, smiles, and the rhythm of her hips. Her body is an expression of being a woman. Ending the stanza
After examining the life of Maya Angelou, it is easy to see that much of her work focuses on the significance and discrimination of African Americans and women. Poems written by Maya Angelou, including Phenomenal Woman, Million Man March Poem, and Still I Rise support this theme. Phenomenal Woman primarily focuses on the significance of women as Million Man March Poem does to the discrimination of African Americans. One of Maya Angelou’s most famous poems, Still I Rise, brings together both ideas