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Post by Ms. Knarr on Mar 29, 2012 10:13:40 GMT -5
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 for my care.
’Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
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Post by rosemariefreschi on Mar 30, 2012 23:08:26 GMT -5
1. The meaning of this piece is that attractiveness comes from a person's confidence and not in the way they appear at a first glance. Maya Angelou expresses her thoughts about how men fall all over her because she's confident. She's not skinny or the first picked but the way she walks, talks, and acts brings the men in. She is the best type of woman, a phenomenal woman, a women in love with herself. If you're in love with yourself for the way you are others will be too.
2. This is actually my favorite piece of all time...I just love it! I feel as if Maya truly makes a statement that many women/girl/teenagers need to hear right now. It inspires me everytime i read it how much confidence she has in herself. The best part of this poem is that it is a universal idea meaning its for men to know and women. We should all love ourselves as much as we do. When we do others will love us just as much. However with this poem i also feel as if Maya is trying to show that you shouldn't be confident or in love with yourself for others. You should do it for yourself because everybody is phenomenal.
3. Q1: Do you think this poem can help a person increase their own self-confidence level?
Q2: Why does she call herself phenomenal but yet in the second line she says she's not cute or the right size?
Q3: What is her innner mystery?
Q4: What does she mean that she doesn't have to talk loud or jump or shout?
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Post by jimmymahoney on Apr 9, 2012 13:20:10 GMT -5
1. My opinion is the same as roe's, Maya Angelou finds attractiveness not only in physical features but in the air and swagger of a person. An unattractive person can have an attractive personality, and plenty of people value that over physical beauty.
2. I think this poem could easily be a song, an anthem even for people who feel they aren't attractive enough. I could see it being used as an inspirational song in a chick flick, even. It's just inspiring.
3. To answer Roe's first question, yes, just reading this poem could help someone. Sometimes a person just needs a little push to go down the slide. Being inspired by this poem could change a person completely down the road. My question is, does Maya Angelou believe that all people agree with this point of view?
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Post by anniepirone on Apr 10, 2012 12:15:33 GMT -5
1. I would agree completely with Roe's analysis of this poem. Maya Angelou is clearly expressing her feelings towards the irrelevance of physical features, and importance of self-confidence. This idea is made clear from the moment a reader begins reading the first stanza. "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", these are words that capture and show the confidence of a woman who takes great pride in who she is and all that God has given her. One can relate this to religion because God has created each of us in His own image, and we should accept ourselves as one of His beautiful creations which is what Maya Angelou is conveying to her readers.
2. This piece has to be one of my favorite pieces that I have read. I love how Angelou makes it known that anyone's appearance shouldn't matter as long as they are happy with themselves. It shouldn't matter what your appearance is for people to accept you as a person. In reality, it's all about your personality and confidence within yourself. The best part about this poem is that girls of all ages can relate to it, and it reminds all women that ones image is of little importance compared to self confidence and personality.
3. To answer Roe's fourth question, when Angelou says that she doesn't have to talk loud or jump or shout, she is implying that she's so happy with her self that she doesn't have to make it known to everyone. Angelou was trying to tell her readers that no one's opinion should matter besides her own. As long as Angelou is happy with herself, she shouldn't have to make it known to the world; all that should matter is that Angelou knows that she's happy with her self and others opinion are irrelevant to her own happiness. To answer Jimmy's question, Maya Angelou does not believe that all people agree with this point of view. This can be proven when Angelou says,"When I try to show them. They say they still can't see". As much as Angelou may try and show others her self confidence, others have difficulty realizing that you don't need to have the perfect figure to feel good about yourself.
Q:Why do you think Angelou had written this poem?
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Post by gabbymcgovern on Apr 13, 2012 13:28:01 GMT -5
1. I believe that the overall meaning behind this poem is to advocate that beauty is not everything. Maya Angelou has expressed to her readers that she had such a joyful life because she was satisfied with who she was. She doesn't rely on her body to bring her happiness. Rather, she uses what she has to attract men. I agree with Roe's interpretation of the poem. Angelou's confidence in the way she acts and walks is something that most people don't have. This why the men don't understand why they are attracted to her, for Angelou just has something special about her. She doesn't have to be boastful, haughty, or loud because her self-confidence is all natural. Maya Angelou repeats the lines of her being phenomenal. These three lines allow the reader to feel her confidence. They are stated at the end of each stanza, which serve to show the meaning of this poem. Angelou is a woman who walks with pride. It is hard for people to see her mystery, which is the mystery of how she became so confident.
2. After reading this poem, my initial reaction was that Maya Angelou must be a strong woman. It is truly awesome how she has such pride in herself that she can call herself phenomenal. I feel as if she had an encounter in her life that made her realize that skinny isnt everything. I couldn't agree more with Angelou that confidence does not come from being built to fit a fashion model's size. You have to work with what you have, and you should be satisfied with how you look. If more women realized they can be confident without having to look perfect, then they too can be phenomenal like Angelou. It's amazing how Angelou finds confidence and peace with herself just by her smile and stride.
3. Jimmy's question- No, I don't think that all people agree with Maya Angelou's point of view. Some people cannot agree with her because they don't understand how she has gained her confidence. Just as Angelou said, pretty women try to understand
her secret. Pretty women get their confidence from their beauty, making it more difficult to see that Angelou finds her confidence within. Many women, and men too, think that they are phenomenal if they are absolutely perfect.
My question- What is your meaning of being "phenomenal"?
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Post by colleenpoling on Apr 14, 2012 14:53:12 GMT -5
1. I agree with the statements above that the overall meaning is that looks aren't everything, and you shouldn't judge a book by its cover almost. If one comes off with such confidence and isn't worrying about if thy look perfect or have the best clothing on, they will stand out more. In the poem the men are falling all over this women who walks with such confidence. Self confidence is very important to an individual, because most likely if you're happy with yourself others will be. One shouldn't be trying to please anyone else but stand up for what they believe in and be proud of what you have.
2. This piece really stood out to me and to my peers as well. It spoke of truth and in an easy read really touched me and my feelings towards things. We should be proud and confident throughout life no matter what comes in the way. Sometimes were so worried about having the latest clothing or materials, that really in the end it's having self confidence that matters. Walking and living confidently will get one very far in life and is truly respected in today's society. I really connected to this poem and i think others did too.
3.(Annie's question) I think Angelou wrote this poem because she had faced this in her life. I think she might have worried about outer beauty and not self confidence. This s be written with such person passion that it was almost as if i was in her "shoes" and living a story. On the other side, maybe she was confident her whole life and had friends and family who worried about appearance and she watched them.
My Question:
1. Do you think that this poem could be directed to both male and female in a way?
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Post by allisoncorchado on Apr 15, 2012 12:44:17 GMT -5
1. I believe that the overall meaning of this poem is to show the power that women have if they just are confident enough to embrace it. It shows how beauty comes from the inside and the way you present yourself. I believe that Maya used the repetition of the words Phenomenal Woman to show that she wasn't just phenomenal, but women in general were phenomenal if they just let themselves be. I believed that she wanted to bring confidence to all other women in the world who felt that they were worthless, that they weren't pretty enough, or that they weren't smart enough. Maya wanted all women to feel phenomenal, just as she thought herself to be.
2. I really enjoyed this poem because again I feel that it bring empowerment to all the women in the world. Many women today are blinded by the Hollywood perfection seen on tv, or in magazines and billboards and self confidence is becoming a very large issue. I think that this poem responds to the low self-esteem that many girls deal with today and is highly inspiring. I liked the fact that it was a highly positive poem because I prefer positive reading over negative reading. Overall, this poem was highly enjoyable to read.
3. Response to Colleen's question- No, I think that this poem was directed strictly toward females. It is all about the confidence of the "Phenomenal Woman" , which I don't think could be interpreted to go with the confidence of a man. I think sensuality is also a big part of this poem, and Maya also speaks about her interactions with men, and therefore i really don't think that this poem could be directed towards a male. My question- Do you think confidence is just important as Maya makes it seem in her poem?
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