English 322.001
December 4, 2014
“Phenomenal Woman” Poem Analysis “Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou celebrates the feminine qualities of womanhood, and highlights the different traits for a woman to become ‘phenomenal.’ Maya shows the reader despite what society tells her she still feels great about herself. She believes that it is your inner beauty that makes the woman “phenomenal” instead of your outer beauty. Throughout the poem Maya illustrates how no one seems to understand what it is that makes her attractive because she is not considered to be physically beautiful by society’s standards. So what exactly makes this woman phenomenal?
The woman in the poem is appealing to others because of her internal beauty and how she feels about herself. What makes her so phenomenal is that she does not care how others view her society, as well as the opposite sex. Even other woman try to understand what it is about this woman that makes her so attractive, because she does not portray what is considered beautiful by society standards when you look at her. The poem opens up by saying “Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size” She tells the reader in the beginning that it is not her physical attributes that make her attractive. “Men themselves have wondered what they see in me. They try so much but they can’t touch my inner mystery.” This line illustrates that it is not an actual feature that makes her attractive to men it is something that cannot be seen or touched it is something that comes from within. “I walk into a room just as cool as you please, and to a man the fellows stand or fall on their knees. Then they swarm around me, a hive of honey bees.” This line of the poem demonstrates how men are drawn to her inner beauty like bees to honey, and find her attractive. Maya Angelou is very detailed in