The Phenomenal Power inside Phenomenal Woman in Phenomenal Woman’s Maya Angelou 1978: Feminist Approach

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.

Analysis

Starting the analysis of Phenomenal Woman by exploring what feminism is. Hearing the word “feminism”, it will be deal with women. Women are viewed as weak human being, follower of man, human that have limited motion, as minority group, and so on which tends to contemn them. Women tend to be the object of inequality in every side than men. They tend to have those kinds of stereotype. From time to time, the world view toward women change through the emergence of feminist theory. Feminist theory tried to huddle them up that they are not like what the stereotype of women that has been made by the world. Feminist theory is a theory that aims to understand the nature of gender inequality. It examines how the social roles of women are, how their motion is, and so on. Some feminist declared their appreciation through literature. As it has been known that literature is a reflection of how the society is. Through a poem is a simple example to declare feminism.
Dr. Maya Angelou is one of the most renowned and influential voices of our time. Hailed as a global renaissance woman, Dr. Angelou is a celebrated poet, memoirist, novelist, educator, dramatist, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist.
Born on April 4th, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri, Dr. Angelou was raised in St. Louis and Stamps, Arkansas. In Stamps, Dr. Angelou experienced the brutality of racial discrimination, but she also absorbed the unshakable faith and values of traditional African-American family, community, and culture.
Phenomenal Woman is one of Angelou’s works that has been phenomenal. Written in 1995, through this poem, Angelou tried to reveal the other definition of the beauty woman. She also tried to make women aware that beauty is not always like a woman who has perfect body. She depicted herself who had some physical characteristics through this poem. She was comfortable having her own skin whatsoever shape that may be; it has nothing to do with arrogance.
In this poem, Angelou used some imagery to show the reader a sense of what the beautiful woman is but she also tried to define that beauty is not always like she has mentioned in her poem for example “cute or built to suit a fashion model's size”. Beauty is proud being herself, proud of what she has had. Knowing that the author of this poem is a woman, it makes this poem have a specific chemistry that the reader can get when this poem read. She has some diction that can describe vividly how the beautiful woman based on her view is. On the other hand, the reader may not be able to catch the message of this poem, if it is written by a man. It is caused that a man has less sensitivity in describing a beautiful woman. When Phenomenal Woman is written by a woman, the reader especially women would feel the different atmosphere, that is they would get a kind of encouragement that they can be beautiful by enjoying what they have had. They needn’t to have an extra effort to be beautiful like an actress or model because they have been proud of being themselves.
Seeing a background of Angelou, it may be said that she lives in a glamour environment, she is in entertainment. Angelou has seen that women are trying to be like their idol is. They tend to have an obsession to get the perfection of beautiful woman, then Angelou feels that she must change that view. She should show that being beauty is not always like some people who are in entertainment such as actress or model. She tried to change the stereotype of beauty based on the world view. This poem tried to express what every woman wishes she could feel and she has told the world that she has imperfections but she is still beautiful inside and out not matter the world says.
Analyzing this poem per stanza can give a clear understanding about this poem. In the first stanza, Angelou said that some pretty women asked her what actually her secret was and she answered it by telling some physical characteristic of her. Knowing her answer, they thought that she told a lie, and then she tried to expose by telling “It's in the reach of my arms”, “The span of my hips”, “The stride of my step”, and “The curl of my lips”. It is clearly said that Angelou tried to describe her self through those words. In the previous line, she said that she had no slim body that is cute or built to suit a fashion model's size and then she strengthened her statement by mentioning some characteristics of her. The stereotype of beauty woman as has been known by most of women is a woman who suits a fashion model’s size. Through the emergence of feminism in literature, Angelou revealed the other stereotype of beautiful woman is.
In the second stanza, it was told that the men were trying to surround her like “a hives of honey bees”. They were seeing the phenomenal thing of woman and she was just as cool as she pleases. She was proud of being herself whether with or without man. She was enjoying being in that condition that could show the men, could show the world that she could still alive with or without man because she was actually a phenomenal woman.
The third stanza tried to tell the reader that Angelou has tried to show her allure but they still could not touch her inner mystery. It means that she has great inner beauty that can not be seen directly. She also tried to empower the other women that beauty inside is more than anything. Having beauty inside is great than having beauty outside and no beauty inside.
In the final stanza, Angelou tried to retell what she has said in the three previous stanzas. She has mentioned some physical things of her are powerful just because she is a woman, phenomenal woman. But in the fact she has great self confidence that could make her as a phenomenal woman. Her step, her arms, the palm of her hand could exude confidence and proud being a woman.
Finally, it may be said that Phenomenal Woman is the real phenomenal poem because this poem is not just a poem but it’s more than just a poem that tried to empower Angelou herself but also women around the world. A phenomenal woman is a woman who could see herself as a phenomenal and could empower the others that they are beautiful. A phenomenal woman is a woman who doesn’t care what the others think. A phenomenal woman is a woman who has a great self confidence and believes that even when she is not suit a model or actress, man can still bend to her knees.
Phenomenal Woman is an empowering poem that is proof all women need to be successful in life is a sense of self worth and pride in their capabilities. Every woman should be confident in whom they are, how they do, all beings are equal in their value on this world. Women have no need to feel inferior to men because their role on this earth has the same significance as the others. There is no shame in being comfortable with them and being confident does not mean a person is arrogant because they can show to the world that they can be a single fighter whether there are no men with them.