Poetry Post

Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou

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.

http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/maya_angelou/poems/492

1. I picked this poem because its a poem about a strong woman who is confident in who she is. She isn't afraid to sound conceited and exerts herself and enforces the beauty of being a woman. and Maya Angelou is one of my favorite poets.

2. The title isn't trying to get at any hidden meanings. It is straighforward and is the point of the whole poem summed up in two words. I like titles like these, the ones that don't keep you guessing even after you have read the poem.

3. The poem uses several literary devices to enhance the work. One of them is rhyme. It doesn't rhyme after every line it does after every four or so. This just keeps the whole poem together and makes it sound nice. And the rhymes aren't a stretch so it sounds like she is trying to rhyme. It flows nicely. Which leads to another device. She uses short lines and creates a rhythm that keeps the poem moving. When you read it faster it has more meaning because each line is more powerful. The sound of the poem goes along with the tone of the poem as i'll describe below.

4. The poem does indeed have a tone. This tone is happy, confident, independent and passionate. Its the tone of a woman who knows who she is and isn't afraid to share with the rest of the world. I think the tone is very powerful and should be an envy of others to write poems with this kind of passion.