We return to Maya Angelou for International Women’s Day with “Phenomenal Woman.”
Men themselves have wondered
Maya Angelou (1928—2014)
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
Poem 311. Phenomenal Woman
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.
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.
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.
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.
What is it about a woman that makes her phenomenal? Maya Angelou answers the question with this poem which emphasizes that there is no single thing that makes one person unique to another, since it depends on the people involved.
The first stanza tells us that the secret is indescribable even to another woman, since stereotypical ideas of beauty exclude those “not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size” so that people who are steeped in conventional ideas don’t believe that intangible things can make someone special.
The second stanza shows the power of a woman who understands that however she may look or behave, her charm lies in more than meets the eye and more than the shallow assumptions of those who simply measure someone’s physical attributes to gauge their worth.
In the third stanza, she considers men and concludes that they are particularly incapable of apprehending the “secret” that makes her so attractive to them: despite their greatest efforts, they are blind to it and always will be because they have never been subjected to the repression and control that have held women back, historically and in many places in the present so that their power, where it has been manifested, has generally been more implicit and diffuse but nonetheless effective.
The last stanza explains that charisma arises from more than clamouring for attention and that every woman should develop and feel the same pride in their person and personality regardless of their outward appearance.
I like this poem because it expresses deep unconcern for trivial and shallow measurements of a woman’s worth by their outward appearance, physical attributes, or the clothing and jewellery they wear and emphasises that there are more profound assessments that give a more meaningful understanding.
I found several performances of the poem on YouTube and its popularity reflects its appeal. There’s a video of Maya Angelou performing the poem but I chose another performance which I have always liked because it involves several phenomenal women who speak with real feeling.
I am fortunate to know many phenomenal women, and many deserve to be celebrated and feted more widely than they are. I wish all of them health and success today.
Links
- Watch phenomenal women perform the poem on YouTube.