This poem talks about how women should show dignity and pride of being an African American women. In this, Maya shows that women should believe in themselves and know that they are worth something. Women also should not change or try to make themselves noticeable to be confident. The tone of the poem is confronting because she is telling women that they should not change themselves and be proud of who they are. The rhythm is given to all women who are proud and confident in themselves. The situation in this poem is that women are not proud and happy with whom they are. Finally, the subject of this poem is for women to have self-confidence and pride because they are happy to be the person they are today. Looking back on the title, it does connect to the poem and it really shows exactly what was said in the poem. Maya’s attitude in this poem is serious but also humorous. This is a great example of poetry because she shows how her as a writer connects to all of the basic components of …show more content…
A stanza is a group of lines forming the basic recurring metrical unit in a poem; a verse. In the poem, “Phenomenal Woman,” each stanza has its own meanings but also shows that she is a “phenomenal woman” in each of them. For example, stanza one speaks directly about stereotypes and how they affect women’s views of themselves. She shows that she does not have an hourglass figure, nor a cute face, but her success comes from her confidence. Her confidence is what she describes her secret to success as. Her success without essential feminine traits surprises many beautiful women around the world. In stanza two, Maya describes how even though she did not have these feminine traits, men still “swarmed around her as bees.” Her reason for this is the way she walked, her eyes, her smile, and the “lightness of her feet.” She shows that even though she is not the best, she is still happy with what she had. Next, in the third stanza, Maya Angelou states why men want to know why she acts the way she does. She describes her actions as a mystery. She shows that her mysterious ways are what kept men close to her. Finally, in the fourth stanza, the author describes why she walks with her head held high. She states that she does not need anything loud to attract attention to her, but “the sound of her heels, the curl in her hair, and the palm of her hands” are what makes her a “Phenomenal