Phenomenal Woman

Pretty woman wonder where my secret lies.

I'm not cute or built to fit 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.

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 the arch of my back

The sun in 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,

I ought to make you proud

I say,

It's the click of my heals,

The bend of my hair,

The need for my care.

'Cause I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

To me, this is the poem for every woman. Maya Angelou confronts the double standards of society, allowing herself to look different from the normal perceived "beautiful" and still be the object of a man's desire. Angelou emphasizes her inner beauty and addresses it as the reason for her "phenomenal" overall beauty. She illustrates that although one may not be society's idea of beautiful, believing that you're beautiful is all you need to be beautiful. 

Literary Devices:

1. Alliteration: "Pretty woman wonder where"

2. Rhyme: "The bend of my hair, the need for my care"

3. Assonance: "Just why my head's not bowed"