African American Poetry

Phenomenal Woman

Author: Maya Angelou
Date: 18/04/19
Event: Women
Characters: The woman, the pretty women, and the men
Memorable Quote: "When I try to show them, they say they still can´t see."

In the poem, the author explains what makes herself phenomenal while she highlights her physical and psychological qualities. Even though she is not the stereotype of the beautiful woman, and she does not call herself "pretty" as it can be seen in the line "Pretty women wonder where my secret lies," she feels proud of being who and how she is. 

Despite the poem seems to be about how Maya Angelou felt about herself, I believe it is a poem of how all women should feel about themselves. In a world where there are so many stereotypes and pressure about women and how they should be, we sometimes forget that self-love and the inner qualities, that not everybody is able to see, are more important than pursuing the perfect body, and I remembered that while reading the poem. Indeed, I believe that it is important and beautiful to have female writers that speak to women about what true beauty is and remind them of their worth. When I finished the poem, I started o think in the aspects of myself I love and the ones I might want to improve and learn to love more. In fact, I am sure that if other women read it, they would think the same because this poem transmits confidence, self-acceptance, and a kind of beauty that goes beyond the looks.