Maya Angelou, born fourth of April 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri, was an Afro-American author, poet, dancer, singer, actress, and most importantly a civil rights activist and a feminist. Angelou was very much aware of the discrimination she faced in the society because of her race and sex. Nevertheless, she was a proud woman and that confidence showed through not only her work but in everything, she did. Angelou reached international recognition in 1969 when she posted her memoir “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”, the first non-fiction best seller by an African-American woman. Moreover, in 1971 she published the collection “Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ‘Fore I Die” which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. In 1995, Angelou published “Phenomenal Woman” to inspire women and celebrate all the obstacles she overcame in her life.
Phenomenal Woman tells the story of a confident woman who rises above societies standards of beauty, but still has everyone spell bounded by her. The poem is draws our attention to the inner power and confidence of a woman. This confidence radiates through her hips, waist, and breasts even though they are the exact opposite of the “Barbie doll” figure that everyone thirsts after. This poem tell all women who they should be in a male-dominated society.
The poem, which is somewhat musical, is written like a ballad. The words “Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That 's me.” is repeated at the end of every stanza, almost like a chorus. The poem is to a