Phenomenal Woman – Summary & Analysis
In Short
- The speaker opens by rejecting societal beauty standards, saying other women wonder where her secret lies
- She doesn't fit fashion model sizes but commands presence and attraction through inner confidence
- She describes physical attributes that make her powerful: her reach, hips, stride, and lips
- She walks into a room with cool confidence and men are mesmerized, standing or falling to their knees
- Men swarm around her like honeybees around a queen, attracted by her fire, smile, waist movement, and joy
- Men wonder what they see in her but cannot understand her inner mystery
- Even when she tries to explain, they cannot comprehend; her appeal is internal and unfathomable
- She reveals her secret lies in her back's arch, her radiant smile, her breasts' rise, and her grace
- She ends by addressing the reader directly, explaining why she carries herself with pride
- She needs neither aggression nor loudness; her mere presence commands respect and pride in others
Phenomenal Woman – Line by Line Analysis
Stanza I (Lines 1-13): The Opening Challenge and Physical Confidence
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.
The poem opens with striking confidence: "Pretty women wonder where my secret lies." Immediately, the speaker establishes that other women—"pretty women," presumably those who conform to beauty standards—are puzzled by her allure. She openly admits she doesn't fit societal norms: "I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size." Rather than apologizing or explaining, she asserts this as simple fact. She rejects the idea that she needs conformist beauty to command presence and attraction.
Notably, when she tries to explain her appeal, people disbelieve her: "when I start to tell them, / They think I'm telling lies." This establishes that her attractiveness is so unexpected, so contrary to societal norms, that it seems unbelievable. Yet she persists in articulating her secret, introducing the refrain with "I say." She describes physical attributes, but significantly, she reframes how we understand them: "the reach of my arms, / The span of my hips, / The stride of my step, / The curl of my lips." These are not measurements for judgment but gestures of power and confidence.
The refrain is introduced: "I'm a woman / Phenomenally. / Phenomenal woman, / That's me." The repetition is crucial, and the word "Phenomenally" is separated, making it its own powerful declaration. She is not merely "a woman"—she is phenomenally, extraordinarily a woman. She is a "Phenomenal woman," and this identity is hers with complete certainty ("That's me").
Stanza II (Lines 14-29): The Queen Bee and Masculine Response
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.
She moves from abstract confidence to concrete action: "I walk into a room / Just as cool as you please." The phrase "cool as you please" suggests effortless, unperturbable confidence—she walks with ease and composure. The response is immediate and overwhelming: "And to a man, / The fellows stand or / Fall down on their knees." The enjambment stretches out this moment—men either stand (in respect) or fall to their knees (in subjugation or reverence). Both positions place them lower than her.
The metaphor intensifies: "Then they swarm around me, / A hive of honey bees." She is transformed into a queen bee—the center of attraction, the source of attention and desire. The honeybee metaphor is multilayered: bees swarm around the queen; the speaker is golden, valuable, the object of the hive's devotion; she is productive and powerful; and her presence organizes and directs the men around her.
Again she articulates her secret with "I say." She describes active, energetic attributes: "the fire in my eyes" (passion, danger, power), "the flash of my teeth" (the brilliance of her smile, also slightly predatory imagery—teeth like weapons), "the swing in my waist" (sensuality and movement), and "the joy in my feet" (happiness, energy, vitality). These are not passive attributes but active forces radiating from her. The refrain returns, emphasizing her phenomenal identity.
Stanza III (Lines 30-45): The Inner Mystery and Feminine Enigma
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.
This stanza shifts focus from her external presentation to her internal essence. "Men themselves have wondered / What they see in me." Even men are confused by their own attraction to her. They try to understand, to access the source of her power: "They try so much / But they can't touch / My inner mystery." The word "touch" has multiple meanings—physically reaching her, emotionally connecting with her, intellectually understanding her. All fail. Her appeal is fundamentally inexplicable and beyond reach.
She attempts to explain her secret, but her explanations meet resistance: "When I try to show them, / They say they still can't see." Even when she articulates her allure, they cannot comprehend it. This suggests her power is beyond words, beyond rational explanation. It is intuitive, internal, mysterious. Again with "I say," she tries once more to articulate her secret, now describing more intimate, embodied attributes: "the arch of my back" (sensuality and vulnerability curved in strength), "the sun of my smile" (radiance, warmth, light), "the ride of my breasts" (the movement and presence of her body), and "the grace of my style" (the elegance and poise with which she carries herself).
These attributes combine physical presence with an undeniable inner radiance. She is not merely physically attractive but radiates a kind of luminescence—a "sun" in her smile. The refrain returns with even greater power, asserting her phenomenal identity despite the mystery.
Stanza IV (Lines 46-60): Direct Address and the Final Declaration
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.
The final stanza shifts to direct address: "Now you understand." The speaker addresses the reader directly, creating intimacy and shared understanding. She explains: "Just why my head's not bowed." Her dignity, her refusal to bow, is now comprehensible. She does not achieve this confidence through aggression or loudness: "I don't shout or jump about / Or have to talk real loud." She doesn't need these tactics because her presence itself is powerful. Her confidence is quiet, assured, and undeniable.
"When you see me passing, / It ought to make you proud." She tells the reader what to feel: pride. Not envy, not desire, but pride in witnessing her strength and confidence. This is transformative—she makes the reader proud to see her. For women reading, this is particularly powerful: she teaches them to be proud of their own phenomenal nature.
One final time, she articulates her secret's specifics: "the click of my heels" (the sound of her confident walk), "the bend of my hair" (the style and care of her appearance), "the palm of my hand" (her work, her labor, her touch), and "the need for my care" (the fact that people need her, want her presence, require her care and attention). These final details circle back to the everyday: heels, hair, hands—simple things made powerful through confidence.
The poem concludes with the refrain, now with "'Cause" instead of just "I'm." She has proven, throughout the poem, why she is phenomenal. The final "That's me" is absolute certainty and undeniable identity.
Phenomenal Woman – Word Notes
Secret: The hidden source of her attractiveness; what makes her phenomenal; revealed throughout the poem to be internal confidence rather than external beauty standards.
Pretty women: Women who conform to societal beauty standards; they wonder at the speaker's allure because it doesn't fit conventional definitions of beauty.
Wonder: To be puzzled or amazed; to think about with curiosity; men and women are equally baffled by her appeal.
Cute: Conventionally attractive in a small, delicate way; the speaker explicitly rejects this limiting descriptor.
Fashion model's size: The idealized thin body type promoted by fashion industry; the speaker refuses this standard.
Telling lies: Making false claims; others think her self-assessment is exaggerated or dishonest because it contradicts beauty standards.
Reach of my arms: Both literal physical span and metaphorical embrace and power; represents capability and capacity to affect the world.
Span of my hips: The width and presence of her hips; traditionally viewed negatively by Western beauty standards, the speaker celebrates them as sources of power.
Stride of my step: The way she walks; her gait conveys confidence and purposefulness rather than hesitancy or timidity.
Curl of my lips: Her smile; the natural shape and curve of her mouth; represents joy, sensuality, and warmth.
Phenomenally: In a way that is extraordinary, remarkable, extraordinary, and worthy of wonder; the adverbial form emphasizing the degree of her phenomenal nature.
Phenomenal woman: A woman who is extraordinary, remarkable, and impressive; the speaker's claimed identity and assertion of self-worth.
Cool as you please: Calm, unruffled, composed; walking with casual confidence and ease; the colloquial phrase suggests effortlessness.
To a man: Every single one; without exception; the masculine response is universal and unanimous.
Stand or fall down on their knees: Response to her presence is physical and total; they either stand at attention (respect) or kneel (subjugation/reverence).
Swarm around me: To gather in large numbers around her; suggests bees to a queen, flowers to a bee, or disciples to a leader.
Hive of honey bees: Metaphor comparing men to honeybees and her to the queen bee; bees produce honey (valuable) and swarm around the queen (center of the hive).
Fire in my eyes: Metaphor for passion, intensity, danger, and power; eyes are described as burning with energy and emotion.
Flash of my teeth: The brightness of her smile; also carries connotations of animal power and slight danger; flash suggests quickness and brilliance.
Swing in my waist: The movement and sway of her hips as she walks; sensual and rhythmic movement; represents bodily confidence.
Joy in my feet: Happiness and delight expressed through movement; suggests energy, vitality, and life force emanating from her.
Inner mystery: The inexplicable quality about her that cannot be fully understood or articulated; suggests something spiritual or transcendent beyond physical beauty.
Can't touch: Cannot access, cannot grasp, cannot possess; her essence remains beyond reach despite attempts to understand it.
Still can't see: Even when she tries to explain, her secret remains incomprehensible to others; understanding requires intuition beyond words.
Arch of my back: The curve of her back; traditionally sensual/sexual imagery but presented as source of grace and power; represents posture and vulnerability-in-strength.
Sun of my smile: Metaphor comparing her smile to the sun; suggests warmth, light, radiance, and life-giving energy emanating from her.
Ride of my breasts: The movement and presence of her chest/breasts as she moves; celebrates her body's natural form without shame or apology.
Grace of my style: The elegance and poise with which she carries herself; style encompasses both appearance and manner; grace suggests refined movement.
Head's not bowed: She doesn't submit, doesn't lower herself in shame or subservience; she maintains dignity and pride.
Shout or jump about: Making noise or drawing attention through aggression or desperation; she doesn't need these tactics.
Talk real loud: Speaking loudly to be heard or to assert dominance; she doesn't need volume because her presence commands attention.
When you see me passing: Direct address to the reader; when they encounter her or contemplate her; moment of observation and recognition.
Ought to make you proud: What the reader should feel in her presence; she prescribes the emotional response—pride rather than envy, desire, or admiration.
Click of my heels: The sound of her confident footsteps; auditory evidence of her presence and power; heels associated with feminine power and confidence.
Bend of my hair: The style and curve of her hair; the care and attention to her appearance; bend suggests natural beauty and elegant styling.
Palm of my hand: Her hands, her work, her labor, her touch; represents her capacity to affect the world and others.
Need for my care: People need her; she is necessary and valuable; her presence, attention, and care are desired and required by others.
Publication
"Phenomenal Woman" by Maya Angelou was first published in 1978 in her third poetry collection titled "And Still I Rise." The collection contains 32 poems addressing themes of overcoming adversity, resilience, and the strength of marginalized communities, particularly Black Americans and women. "Phenomenal Woman" became one of Angelou's most celebrated and frequently anthologized poems. The poem was later republished in 1995 in a standalone collection titled "Phenomenal Woman: Four Poems Celebrating Women," which also included Angelou's other famous poems "Still I Rise," "Our Grandmothers," and "Weekend Glory."
The poem is written in free verse without a regular meter or end-rhyme scheme, though Angelou uses internal rhymes, alliteration, and repetition to create musicality. The structure consists of four main stanzas of varying lengths, each ending with the refrain "I'm a woman / Phenomenally. / Phenomenal woman, / That's me." This structure and repetition make the poem particularly memorable and suited for oral performance. Angelou herself was a renowned performer of her own work, and the poem's rhythmic quality and emotional power make it one of the most performed and quoted poems in contemporary American literature.
Context
Maya Angelou (1928-2014) was an American poet, memoirist, dancer, singer, and civil rights activist. Born as Marguerite Ann Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri, Angelou experienced a traumatic childhood marked by poverty, racism, and sexual abuse. After being raped at age eight, she spent years in selective mutism, speaking to no one except her brother Bailey. Despite these challenges, she became one of the most influential writers of the 20th century, known for her powerful autobiographies and poetry.
"Phenomenal Woman" was written during the context of second-wave feminism and the Black Power movement of the 1970s. The poem addresses the specific experiences of Black women navigating beauty standards in a racist and sexist society. The poem is particularly significant because it centers the perspective of a Black woman rejecting Eurocentric beauty standards (thinness, paleness, etc.) while asserting her own phenomenal power and attractiveness. Angelou's assertion that beauty comes from internal confidence rather than conformity to societal standards was revolutionary in 1978 and remains powerful today. The poem empowers all women, but especially Black women and women of color, to recognize their worth beyond beauty standards imposed by white, patriarchal society.
Setting
The poem is not set in a specific geographic location or time period beyond the present moment of the speaker's assertion. The setting is deliberately abstract and universal, allowing readers to project their own contexts onto the poem. The first stanza appears to be a conversation between the speaker and "pretty women" who wonder at her secret. The second stanza takes place in a room she enters, presumably a social or public space. The remaining stanzas are more introspective or directly address the reader.
The setting is primarily internal and psychological rather than external and geographical. The poem exists in the space of self-declaration and self-definition. The speaker is defining herself against societal expectations and beauty standards, asserting her identity in opposition to external pressure and judgment. The "room" she walks into is metaphorically any space dominated by patriarchal beauty standards and masculine gaze. The setting is thus universalized—it could be any room, any context, any moment when a woman must assert her worth against societal diminishment.
Title
"Phenomenal Woman" is a bold, direct title that states the speaker's identity and claim. "Phenomenal" means extraordinary, remarkable, worthy of wonder, and impressive. "Woman" insists on gender as central to the poem's meaning. The title combines these words into a single assertion: the speaker is a phenomenal woman. She is extraordinary not despite being a woman but because she is a woman. The title thus reframes womanhood itself as phenomenal—extraordinary and worthy of celebration.
The title is simultaneously a declaration, an assertion, and an invitation. It declares who the speaker is. It asserts this identity with certainty and without apology. It invites readers to reconsider what it means to be phenomenal and what it means to be a woman. The title prepares readers for a poem that will celebrate femininity, female sexuality, and female power in ways that defy patriarchal and racist beauty standards. The repeated refrain "Phenomenal woman, / That's me" echoes the title throughout the poem, making the title's assertion the poem's central message.
Form and Language
"Phenomenal Woman" is written in free verse, a poetic form without regular meter, rhyme scheme, or stanzaic structure. This formal choice is significant: free verse allows Angelou to follow natural speech patterns and emotional rhythms rather than conforming to predetermined patterns. The language is direct, conversational, and accessible, making the poem powerful for oral performance. Angelou was an accomplished performer, and the poem is clearly written for spoken delivery, with natural pauses, emphases, and rhythmic variations.
Angelou's language is concrete and sensory, using vivid imagery and metaphor rather than abstract philosophy. She employs repetition extensively—particularly the refrain that ends each stanza—to create emphasis and memorability. The word "I say" introduces each new list of attributes, giving the speaker agency in defining herself. The repeated pronoun "I" asserts individual subjectivity and authority. The use of contractions ("That's me," "I'm a woman") and colloquial phrases ("cool as you please") creates intimacy and accessibility. Throughout, the language celebrates the body, sexuality, and feminine power in ways that reject shame and embrace joy.
Meter and Rhyme
As a free verse poem, "Phenomenal Woman" has no regular meter—no consistent pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. This freedom from metrical constraints allows Angelou to prioritize natural speech rhythms and emotional intensity. Some lines are short and punchy ("That's me"), while others are longer and more flowing ("The span of my hips, / The stride of my step, / The curl of my lips"). This variation creates emphasis: short lines carry weight through brevity, while longer lines create momentum and flow.
The poem also lacks a strict end-rhyme scheme, though internal rhymes and assonance create musicality: "wonder/under," "eyes/size," "heat/beat," "hive/five." The repeated refrain creates the strongest structural element and the most memorable rhyming pattern. The repetition of the refrain at the end of each stanza provides sonic satisfaction and rhythmic closure. Angelou also uses anaphora—the repetition of words at the beginning of successive lines—particularly in the listings: "The reach of my arms, / The span of my hips, / The stride of my step, / The curl of my lips." This creates a rhythmic listing that mimics speech and builds emphasis through accumulation.
Phenomenal Woman – Themes
Theme 1: Self-Love and Self-Acceptance Beyond Societal Beauty Standards
The central theme is that a woman's worth and beauty do not depend on conformity to societal beauty standards. The speaker explicitly rejects the notion that she must be "cute" or built like a "fashion model" to be attractive and worthy of admiration. She asserts her phenomenal nature precisely because she does not fit these standards. The poem celebrates self-love and self-acceptance as acts of resistance against patriarchal and racist beauty standards that diminish women's worth. By refusing to apologize for her body or her appearance, the speaker models radical self-acceptance and invites other women to embrace their own phenomenal nature regardless of how they conform to external standards.
Theme 2: The Difference Between Prettiness and True Beauty
The poem distinguishes between "prettiness" (conformity to superficial beauty standards) and true beauty (the radiance of confidence, joy, and self-assurance). "Pretty women" wonder at the speaker's secret, unable to understand how she can be attractive without fitting their narrow definition of prettiness. The poem suggests that prettiness is shallow and temporary, while true beauty—the kind the speaker possesses—is profound, internal, and lasting. True beauty comes from the "sun of my smile," the "fire in my eyes," and the "need for my care"—from confidence, passion, and one's capacity to affect others positively. This theme is particularly important for Black women, whose beauty has been systematically devalued by Eurocentric standards.
Theme 3: Female Sexuality and Bodily Autonomy as Sources of Power
The poem celebrates female sexuality and the body as sources of power and confidence, not as objects of shame or male possession. The speaker unapologetically describes her body: "the swing in my waist," "the ride of my breasts," "the arch of my back." She owns her sexuality and her bodily appeal without apology. This celebration of female sexuality is radical because it asserts that women's bodies belong to themselves, that female sexuality is an authentic expression of female power, and that women have the right to claim sensuality and sexuality as their own rather than as gifts for male consumption. The poem rejects both patriarchal shame about women's bodies and patriarchal objectification of women's bodies, instead centering women's own experience and ownership of their sexuality.
Theme 4: The Mystery and Inexplicability of Female Power
Throughout the poem, the speaker's power is described as mysterious, inexplicable, beyond masculine understanding. "Men themselves have wondered / What they see in me." Men "can't touch" her "inner mystery." Even when she tries to explain, "they say they still can't see." This theme suggests that female power is fundamentally different from and beyond patriarchal comprehension. The speaker's attractiveness and power cannot be reduced to a formula, cannot be commodified, cannot be fully grasped or possessed. This inaccessibility is itself a source of power—because her essence cannot be grasped, it cannot be controlled. The poem thus suggests that women's liberation partly lies in remaining incomprehensible to patriarchal systems.
Theme 5: Confidence and Pride as Political Acts
The poem presents female confidence and pride as revolutionary and political acts. The speaker's refusal to bow, her assertion of her phenomenal nature, her claim of dignity and worth—these are presented as political statements against systems of oppression. In the context of a Black woman in 1970s America, her confidence is explicitly political: she is asserting value in a society that devalues her race and gender. Her pride is resistance against racism and sexism. The poem invites all women, particularly women of color and marginalized women, to understand their self-assertion and pride as political acts of resistance and liberation. To refuse to diminish oneself, to claim phenomenal status, is to resist the systems that would diminish you.
Phenomenal Woman – Symbols
Symbol 1: The Hive of Honey Bees
The metaphor of men swarming around the speaker "like a hive of honey bees" symbolizes the speaker as a queen bee—the center of organization and devotion. Queen bees are powerful, productive, and the center around which the entire hive organizes itself. The metaphor also suggests that the speaker is valuable like honey (sweet, golden, precious) and that her presence organizes those around her. The queen bee symbolizes female power, leadership, and the ability to command devotion and respect without aggression. Notably, this metaphor inverts traditional gender dynamics: instead of the woman being consumed or possessed, men are organized around her in service. She is the queen, and they are workers in her hive.
Symbol 2: The Secret/Inner Mystery
The "secret" and "inner mystery" that others cannot understand symbolize the ineffable, non-rational nature of female power and attraction. Throughout the poem, the speaker tries to articulate her secret, but language fails—others "still can't see." The secret represents what cannot be commodified, cannot be fully possessed, cannot be reduced to a formula. It is spiritual, intuitive, and transcendent. The mystery symbolizes the fact that women's power and worth exceed patriarchal categories and cannot be contained by patriarchal language or logic. The mystery is source of both vulnerability (because it means she cannot fully control others' understanding) and power (because it means others cannot fully control or diminish her).
Symbol 3: Light and Heat Imagery (Fire, Sun, Flash)
Throughout the poem, light and heat imagery symbolizes the speaker's power, vitality, and radiance: "the fire in my eyes," "the flash of my teeth," "the sun of my smile." These images suggest that the speaker radiates energy, warmth, and light. Light traditionally symbolizes goodness, truth, and divine presence. By describing herself through light imagery, the speaker claims spiritual as well as physical power. The fire suggests danger and passion as well as warmth. The sun suggests life-giving, generative power. These images collectively suggest that the speaker is not passive but actively radiates power and presence into the world.
Symbol 4: The Room
The room into which the speaker "walk[s]...just as cool as you please" symbolizes any space of social interaction, public performance, or male gaze. The room is a space of power dynamics where the speaker asserts her presence and transforms the space. Her entrance into the room causes visible reaction—men stand or fall to their knees. The room symbolizes the public sphere where women must often prove their worth and claim their space. Her confident entrance and the transformation that results symbolize female power to transform spaces and social dynamics through presence and confidence.
Symbol 5: The Head Not Bowed
The phrase "Just why my head's not bowed" symbolizes dignity, pride, and refusal of submission. To bow is to submit, to acknowledge inferiority, to be humble before authority. The speaker's head remains unbowed—she submits to no one. This directly echoes Maya Angelou's famous poem "Still I Rise," where the refrain "Still I rise" is also connected to the refusal to allow oppression and racism to diminish one's dignity. The unbowed head symbolizes Black dignity, female dignity, and human dignity asserted against systems of oppression that would demand submission.
Phenomenal Woman – Literary Devices
Literary Device 1: Metaphor
Definition: A metaphor directly compares two things by saying one IS another without using "like" or "as."
Example 1: "A hive of honey bees" directly compares men to bees and the speaker to a queen bee, suggesting her power to organize and command devotion.
Example 2: "The sun of my smile" compares her smile to the sun, suggesting warmth, radiance, and life-giving energy.
Example 3: "The fire in my eyes" compares her eyes to fire, suggesting passion, danger, and intensity.
Explanation: Metaphor allows Angelou to describe the speaker's power and appeal through comparison to natural forces and royalty. Metaphors elevate the speaker's identity beyond the merely physical to the spiritual and cosmic. They also suggest that her power is natural, fundamental, and beyond human control.
Literary Device 2: Simile
Definition: A simile compares two things using "like" or "as."
Example 1: "Just as cool as you please" compares the speaker's confidence to coolness; she is unruffled and calm.
Example 2: "A hive of honey bees" could be considered a simile if "like" is implied: "swarm around me like a hive of honey bees."
Explanation: Similes create vivid imagery and help readers imagine the speaker's presence and effect. The comparison to coolness suggests she is unperturbed, in control, and confident. The comparison to bees suggests organization, devotion, and natural hierarchy.
Literary Device 3: Personification
Definition: Personification gives human characteristics to non-human things.
Example: "The sun of my smile" gives the sun human characteristics (smiling) and suggests the speaker's smile has the qualities of a star/sun (warmth, light, life-giving).
Explanation: Personification makes the imagery vivid and emotionally resonant. By personifying natural phenomena, Angelou elevates the speaker's personal qualities to cosmic significance.
Literary Device 4: Imagery
Definition: Imagery uses vivid sensory language to create mental pictures.
Example 1: "It's the reach of my arms, / The span of my hips, / The stride of my step, / The curl of my lips" creates visual and kinesthetic (movement-related) imagery.
Example 2: "The click of my heels" creates auditory imagery—the sound of her confident footsteps.
Example 3: "The fire in my eyes" and "the flash of my teeth" create visual imagery of brightness and intensity.
Explanation: Rich imagery makes the poem sensory and emotionally immediate. Readers can visualize the speaker's movement, hear the click of her heels, and imagine the intensity in her eyes. This sensory richness makes the poem memorable and engaging.
Literary Device 5: Anaphora
Definition: Anaphora is the repetition of words at the beginning of successive lines.
Example 1: "It's in the reach of my arms, / The span of my hips, / The stride of my step, / The curl of my lips" repeats "The" at the beginning of most lines, creating a rhythmic listing.
Example 2: "I say, / It's..." repeats "I say" to introduce new assertions of selfhood.
Example 3: "I'm a woman / Phenomenally. / Phenomenal woman" repeats the key words and phrases.
Explanation: Anaphora creates rhythm, emphasis, and memorability. The repeated "The" at the beginning of lines creates a list-like structure that accumulates attributes and power. The repetition of "I say" asserts the speaker's agency in self-definition. Anaphora mimics natural speech patterns, making the poem feel conversational and direct.
Literary Device 6: Refrain
Definition: A refrain is a repeated line, phrase, or stanza that appears multiple times in a poem, usually at the end of stanzas.
Example: "I'm a woman / Phenomenally. / Phenomenal woman, / That's me" appears at the end of each stanza with slight variations or slight differences in context.
Explanation: The refrain is the poem's emotional and thematic anchor. Its repetition creates the strongest structural element and makes the assertion of phenomenal womanhood the poem's dominant message. The refrain is particularly powerful in oral performance, as audiences come to anticipate and perhaps even chant along with it. The refrain transforms the poem from a speech about the self into a declaration of shared identity.
Literary Device 7: Alliteration
Definition: Alliteration is the repetition of the same beginning consonant sound in nearby words.
Example 1: "Pretty women wonder where" repeats the "w" sound, creating a flowing, lyrical quality.
Example 2: "flash of my feet" could create "f" sounds (though the exact line is "joy in my feet").
Example 3: "fire," "flash," and "feet" in the second stanza create similar phonetic qualities.
Explanation: Alliteration creates musicality and makes the poem pleasant to hear, particularly in oral performance. Alliteration also creates emphasis, drawing attention to key words and phrases. The opening "Pretty women wonder where" immediately establishes a lyrical, song-like quality.
Literary Device 8: Repetition
Definition: Repetition involves repeating words or phrases for emphasis and effect.
Example 1: "Phenomenal woman" is repeated throughout the poem, emphasizing this central identity.
Example 2: "I'm a woman" is repeated, asserting gender identity as fundamental.
Example 3: "I say" is repeated before each new articulation of the speaker's secret.
Explanation: Repetition creates emphasis, memorability, and rhythm. The repetition of "Phenomenal woman" drives home the poem's central message. The repetition of "I say" asserts the speaker's authority to define herself. Repetition also mimics the rhythms of speech and song, making the poem powerful in oral performance.
Literary Device 9: Direct Address
Definition: Direct address occurs when the speaker speaks directly to someone, using second-person pronouns like "you."
Example 1: "Now you understand / Just why my head's not bowed" directly addresses the reader.
Example 2: "When you see me passing, / It ought to make you proud" prescribes the reader's emotional response.
Explanation: Direct address creates intimacy between the speaker and reader. By addressing the reader directly, the speaker draws them into her world, makes them complicit in her self-assertion, and transforms them from passive audience to active participants. The direct address in the final stanza is particularly powerful: the speaker has spent the poem trying to explain her secret to "pretty women" and men who cannot understand. By finally addressing the reader directly, she suggests that readers have the capacity to understand what others cannot.
Literary Device 10: Free Verse
Definition: Free verse is poetry without regular meter, rhyme, or stanzaic structure.
Example: The poem has no regular rhyme scheme or consistent meter. Lines vary in length from very short ("That's me") to longer lines with multiple clauses.
Explanation: Free verse allows Angelou to prioritize natural speech rhythms and emotional intensity over technical constraints. The freedom of form mirrors the poem's message about freedom and self-definition. The varying line lengths create emphasis: short lines stand out; longer lines create momentum. Free verse makes the poem accessible and conversational, suited for oral performance rather than silent reading alone.