Monday, January 16, 2012

How can I analyze the poem "Phenomenal Woman" by Maya Angelou stanza by stanza?

Repetition is a key literary device that lends emphasis to significant themes in a poem. It also provides structure to the overall piece. In Maya Angelou's Phenomenal Woman, the words 'phenomenal woman' are repeated at the end of every stanza. Notice that the adjective 'phenomenal' is always juxtaposed against the adverb 'phenomenally.' Not only does the poet think of herself as an exceptional woman, she describes to what extent she considers herself a woman: she is wholly, unabashedly, and exceptionally (phenomenally) female in identity. At the end of every stanza, this repetitive phrase indicates completeness and stability: every unique experience in the poet's life reaffirms her person. She is never at a loss because she remains consistent in how she acknowledges the measure of her worth.


The repetitive phrase also focuses our attention on the main theme of this poem: if she would know true contentment, a woman must define her own worth. Other women are blindsided by the narrator's charm, but they exhibit disbelief when she tries to educate them about the source of her beauty. The words 'fashion model's size' and 'cute' represent contemporary definitions of beauty; these are so entrenched in the modern female psyche that there is no room for the truth. Interestingly, the double play on the word 'lies' introduces a compelling irony: the women think that the poet is lying to them, but the secret of true beauty actually 'lies' closer to their hearts than they realize.


The women have, in fact, deceived themselves by refusing to recognize authenticity as the key to confident beauty. True beauty is derived from self-respect and the authentic expression of one's gifts. Authenticity itself is derived from self-acceptance. A woman is most beautiful when she accepts everything about herself, from the 'span' of her hips to the 'sun' in her smile. If you look at all four stanzas, you will see that the poet describes parts of her body that highlight her feminine personality, but she remains silent about height, weight, and chest measurements.


In every stanza, four lines with predominantly five syllabic phrases each precede the refrain of 'I’m a woman/Phenomenally./Phenomenal woman,/That’s me.' The use of anaphora in the repetition of the word 'the' in these five syllabic phrases also adds interest, structure, and an interesting rhythm to the poem. It is as if the poet wants to highlight the fact that the narrator marches to the beat of her own music; she doesn't allow the expectations of society to dictate how she defines beauty, but decides her own path in this matter. Let's take a look at Stanza Three:



It’s in the arch of my back,/ The sun of my smile,/ The ride of my breasts,/ The grace of my style.



The men swarm around the narrator like a 'hive of honey bees.' In bee biology, swarming occurs when a mature queen bee leaves her nest to start a new colony. She is accompanied in her travels by half the worker bees from the old nest. The bees swarm around the queen in order to protect and to tend to her comfort as they travel to their new colony. During this time, the queen emits special pheromones which influence the worker bees physiologically and behaviorally. In the same way, the men can't help but respond to the narrator; they are held in thrall by her presence. They respond to her viscerally as well as physiologically (And to a man,/The fellows stand or Fall down on their knees).



They try so much/ But they can’t touch/ My inner mystery.



The use of enjambment above draws our attention to the narrator's personal power. Here is a woman who accepts the 'curl' of her lips as well as 'the ride of' her breasts without apology. Usually, when we talk about someone curling her lips, we mean that she is sneering; it's very much a negative expression. It's clear that the narrator is a woman who accepts both light and darkness as part of her feminine identity (If you are interested in the light and darkness in the feminine soul, read more at the Jung page). Above all else, the narrator is able to exist as a loving manifestation of womanhood: 'the palm of my hand,/The need for my care.'


Her hands are used to minister to those who need her. Instinctively, the men are drawn to her because they can sense that they will not be trivialized in her presence. This is an extremely powerful poem because it proposes that every woman can be uniquely beautiful ('when you see me passing, it ought to make you proud.' Why? Because the narrator has shown that it is possible to succeed in being beautiful). Hope this helps!

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