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Phenomenal Woman (1978)

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,

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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.

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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.

Analysis Of Phenomenal Woman Stanza By Stanza

Stanza 1

It's interesting to note that the people this phenomenal woman wants to address initially are pretty
women. The reason why is soon revealed - the speaker is plain looking herself, she's not cute or
slender or fashionable in shape, but inside she knows she has those pretty women asking questions
that are difficult to answer.

Already the speaker has a secret and although she can't reveal all, she can tell the pretty ones about
her own physical attributes. It's to do with the reach, span, stride and curl - what is within her grasp,
the full extent of her womanhood, the decisive way she gets about, the allure of her smile.

The pretty ones can't quite believe what they hear but make no mistake, this is the speaker's one and
only truth.

Stanza 2

Next up are the men who are instinctively drawn to the phenomenal woman, some even start to
worship her, or else cannot sustain a standing position so overcome are they. There's a sort of spell
cast over these males who act as honey bees around the hive.

There is chemistry at work here and the reason why the men are all a buzz? It's the fire, flash, swing
and joy - the passionate heat as she looks at them, the gleaming white set behind the smile, the
sensuality and sexuality, the enthusiasm of the dance.
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Despite not being what society thinks she should be - ideally beautiful - the phenomenal woman can
attract the opposite sex to her simply by entering a room.

Stanza 3

Concentrating on the male of the species again, the speaker perceives that even they can't put their
finger on just why they're so attracted by this phenomenal woman.

They can ogle all they want, but this female's secret is hidden inside, it ain't visible on the exterior. Or
is it? It's in the arch, sun, ride and grace - the way the spine is strong yet beautifully shaped, the power
of a smile, life-affirming, the way her bosom is carried, comfortably, the smooth ease with which she
manages life.

Could it be the men are looking for something that cannot be identified with the senses? Could this be
the phenomenal woman's spirit, her essence, her inner being?

Stanza 4

In a direct appeal to the reader, the speaker lays it on the line and attempts to clarify all that has gone
on in the previous three stanzas. She can hold her head high because of what she is: proud of being an
individual without the need to kowtow to society and its false stereotypes, its idea of what a beautiful
female should like and aspire to be.

It's the click, bend, palm and need - the way she is full of energy and verve, the way she lets her hair
fall naturally, her open and honest approach to life, the way her compassionate nature is a necessary
thing.

The phenomenal woman's humility and respect for other's space, her dignity and inner strength mean
she doesn't have to advertise her qualities or be brash and popular. No. Her essence, her well being,
goes far deeper.

Maya AngelouPhenomenal Woman By Maya Angelou

Here is an analysis of Maya Angelou’s Phenomenal Woman, which defies the stereotypes women are
often faced with today. The poem appeared in Angelou’s third volume of poetry, And Still I Rise,
which was first published in 1978. In Phenomenal Woman, Angelou celebrates her body and the
uniqueness that separates her from other women. Angelou, who died at the age of 86 in 2014, is one
of the most celebrated poets and memoirists in American literature. Her first memoir, I Know Why
the Caged Bird Sings, was the first U.S. bestseller ever written by an African American woman, and it
catapulted Angelou into instant fame in the literary world. The majority of her work deals with both
the racism and sexism she experienced as an African American woman.

Phenomenal Woman Summary

The first-person speaker of the poem (click here to read the poem), presumably Angelou, is describing
the allure she has as a woman. Throughout each stanza, Angelou exposes the attributes she possesses
that deem her irresistible to others, particularly to those of the opposite sex, despite the fact that she
does not fit into society’s definition of what makes a woman beautiful. The first stanza includes the
physical traits that make her stand out, from her hips to her smile. As the poem continues, Angelou
extols the inner mystery that makes her so attractive to the men around her. At the end of the work,
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she describes the confidence and pride she has in herself, which radiates from her. In essence, this is
Angelou’s anthem about her pride in being a woman.

Phenomenal Woman Analysis

Angelou breaks her poem into five stanzas. While there is some evidence of rhyme, she mostly uses
an unconventional rhyme scheme. She begins her poem with a couplet in the first two lines: “Pretty
woman wonder where my secret lies/I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size.” While her
use of rhyme is sporadic, Angelou does, however, repeatedly end her lines with words that end in “s.”
This adds to the sultry, sensual tone of the poem, particularly when it is read aloud.

While Angelou does not utilize much figurative language in the poem, she effectively uses a metaphor
when comparing the men swooning around her to bees around a hive of honey.

Just as bees are naturally drawn to that sweet substance, men are just as enchanted with Angelou, even
though she defies all conventional beauty standards. “I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s
size,” she writes. This comparison also highlights the primitive side to human sexuality. The bees
have an innate, uncontrollable desire to be near the honey; likewise, the men cannot help but flock
towards Angelou.

Angelou relies heavily on repetition throughout her poem, ending the majority of her stanzas with
“That’s me.” In addition, the phrase “phenomenal woman” is repeated throughout the course of the
poem, once again emphasizing Angelou’s unconventional beauty and appeal to the opposite sex.

Structurally, Angelou breaks her poem into four major stanzas, with two smaller, yet still significant
stanzas in between.

In the first stanza, Angelou bluntly tells her reader that other women wonder what she has that they
are missing, even though she lacks the traits that society most often judges to be beautiful; she intuits
that the other women are jealous of Angelou. She writes, “They think I’m telling lies.” She
continues on, telling the reader her appeal lies in her arms, hips, and lips.

Her constant use of the word ‘phenomenal’ is twofold. One most often defines the word as meaning
extraordinary and impressive, and Angelou is certainly reveling in being an extraordinary and
impressive woman; however, the word phenomenal is also synonymous with unbelievable. By
consciously choosing to call herself phenomenal, Angelou seems almost incredulous that she is lucky
enough to be a woman.

In her second stanza, Angelou moves away from discussing women and begins to discuss the spell she
seems to have over the men she encounters.

Her attractiveness goes beyond the physical: it is something innate inside her that makes her so
irresistible to men. While women can change the way they look, Angelou insinuates that they will
never be able to replicate what she naturally possesses inside herself.

This idea continues into the third stanza, where Angelou discusses the fact that even men cannot
pinpoint what it is about her that is so irresistible.

Her answer to them is that she’s a woman. She is saying, “Unbelievably, I’m a woman. I’m an
extraordinary, amazing woman. That’s who I am.”
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In the last lines of the poem, Angelou speaks directly to her reader, after explaining her appeal to her
audience.

Angelou explains that she does not need to draw attention to herself; the attention is naturally given to
her because she is a woman. Her last line, set apart in its own stanza, simply says, “That’s me.”
Because she is a woman—a phenomenal woman—she has the confidence and pride to walk with her
head held high.