A Woman By Maya Angelou Literary Devices

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”. (“brainy quote”) Maya Angelou was a poet who wrote about her childhood struggles, her experience fighting for the civil rights movement, and other hardships she faced. Angelou was a highly decorated poet, a friend of Martin Luther King, and a screenwriter. (“Bio.com”) Maya Angelou accomplished many things in her life. Angelou came from a broken home to living with her grandmother, but she still found a voice to write poetry through everything. (“Maya Angelou”) She is still an inspiration to many people today. “We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the

Angelou says that she does not have to do anything for the attention she receives, “I don’t shout or jump about, or have to talk real loud” (“Brainyquote”). Angelou is speaking in an assertive, almost sensual tone that portrays her as a woman who is confident and who loves herself. The form the poem is written in is free verse, but is somewhat lyrical. This form is like the poem, using an idiosyncratic and distinctive rhyme scheme, free of some of the familiar elements of poetry, and the expectations placed on her (“Summary and Analysis of Phenomenal woman”). Angelou repeats, “I am a woman, phenomenally” to emphasize her confidence, while using metaphors, such as “They swam around me, A hive of honey bees” to show how men are attracted to her. There is personification in the line where she says, “And the joy in my feet” showing a comparison. In the same way, there is a lot of irony in the poem. Through the poem, Angelou is trying to break normal American beauty standards. For example, Angelou says she loves her hips, which is a thing some women are insecure of. Overall, the theme of the poem is that Angelou believes she is a phenomenal woman who is confident and does not need reassurance. Maya Angelou shows this in her accomplishments and her