As a representation of today’s society, I have chosen Maya Angelou’s “Phenomenal Woman”. Although individuals may argue that this particular text is completely directed towards women, I believe that it exemplifies how women are slowly obverting from a stereotypical path that men have been in control of for years. Women have altered dramatically over the past few decades. As female alterations take a turn for the best, male perceptions seem to take a turn for the worst. Unfortunately, males today are still unaccepting of the fact that females are continuously climbing to the top, and it’s being portrayed in pay, media, etc. Maya Angelou’s beautiful poem only exemplifies these insubordinate actions to be simple reminders that we must continue forward. Women mustn’t rely on the societal perceptions to define who they are. Fortunately, this is also being exemplified every time a woman walks up to receive her diploma or is completely capable of providing for herself without the help of any man.
My ultimate reasoning in choosing this particular poem to share with a class of a later period is to show how women are striving to be equal. Women like Maya Angelou are constantly building themselves up to remind others that they are not mere props, but delicate human beings who’d like to be upraised. My hope in sharing this poem with a “futuristic” audience would be to inform them of a past issue and not a current issue. I hope that by then women will have found the equality that they’ve strived to obtain, and “Phenomenal Women” will be a reminder of how far we’ve come.
Phenomenal Woman
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.
Maya Angelou
–Malarie Williams
