Phenomenal Woman (Maya Angelou poem) Literary Elements

We can take the speaker to be Maya Angelou, speaking in the first person and describing her experiences as an empowered woman. She also addresses an unspecified listener (presumably the reader), telling this person/these people that they should be proud of the phenomenal woman she is.

The poem is free verse. It does not follow a consistent meter or rhyme scheme, but there are numerous uses of rhyme throughout the poem that establish a musical, rhythmic tone. The refrain follows an A-B-A-B rhyme scheme.

"The sun of my smile" (metaphor) - The speaker's smile is depicted as glowing and warm, like the sun. She radiates beauty and light, just as the sun does.

"Then they swarm around me, / A hive of honey bees" (metaphor) - The men who are attracted to the speaker surround her the way honey bees are drawn to honey. She is sweet like honey, and she is also powerful like a queen bee commanding the attention of the other bees.

"The fire in my eyes" (metaphor) - The speaker's eyes have a hypnotizing effect on men. There is an energy that radiates from her eyes that may be deemed sensual.

"The joy in my feet" (metaphor) - The speaker walks through life joyfully and in a carefree manner.

“Pretty women wonder where” (alliteration) - The "w" consonant is repeated heavily, creating a musical and somewhat breathy sound that mimics a woman's allure.

“The stride of my step” (alliteration) - The "s" consonant creates a happy tone, reflecting the speaker's joy.

“A hive of honey bees” (alliteration) - The "h" consonant has a breathy sound that mimics the appeal of the speaker.

“The sun of my smile” (alliteration) - The "s" consonant once again creates a pleasant tone, as the words roll off the tongue.

“It’s the fire in my eyes” (assonance) - The words "fire," "my," and "eyes" all contain long "i" vowel sounds that give weight to the words. The line is very powerful as a result.

“smile” and “style” (assonance) - The long "i" vowel sound is very weighty here, giving power to the speaker.

“hips” and “lips” (assonance, alliteration, and rhyme) - These rhyming words suggest sassiness and allure with the the short "i" vowel sound and the "ps" consonant sound at the end that sound like a snake's hiss. The speaker is like a snake charmer, charming the men.

“lies” and “size” (assonance, alliteration, and rhyme) - The long "i" vowel sound in these two words as well as the "z" sound create a sassy tone.

“please,” “knees,” and “bees” (assonance, alliteration, and rhyme) - The long "e" vowel sound and the "z" consonant sound roll off the tongue and reflect the speaker's carefree nature.

The entire poem makes references to the fact that the speaker is a phenomenal woman despite lacking stereotypically beautiful qualities. Pretty women look at her and still cannot understand why they lack what she has, and the irony is that they are supposed to be prettier than her. Men also find themselves falling for her quickly, despite the fact that they cannot identify what it is that makes her so alluring. Both sexes are in awe of the speaker's unique beauty, despite the fact that she contradicts everything they have ever learned in society about beauty.

Autobiographical poetry, African-American poetry, feminist poetry.

There is no clearly specified setting. The speaker recalls her experiences with both men and women throughout her life.

Confident, in that the speaker is certain of her worth and beauty as a phenomenal woman. Sensual, in that the speaker also recognizes her appeal to men and knows the way they desire her. Jubilant, in that the speaker celebrates female empowerment and rejoices in the fact that she is a happy and dignified woman worthy of respect.

The protagonist is the speaker, describing her place in life as a phenomenal woman who is uninhibited by the jealousy of women or blindness of men. The antagonists are men and other women, as they judge her and leer at her as much as they revel in her beauty.

The speaker cannot make other women and men understand why she is special. They fail to comprehend what makes her beautiful, as they have been schooled in traditional definitions of beauty and charm and listen to societal and cultural stereotypes. One might also argue that these people are also in awe of seeing a black woman who is so beautiful, suggesting underlying notes of racism.

The climax occurs in the final stanza when the speaker addresses the listener for the first time. The speaker reveals that all of her recollections have led up to the present moment when she declares that she can be a phenomenal woman without trying to draw attention to herself or fitting stereotypes.

Up until the final stanza, the speaker tells the story of her life without addressing anyone in particular. In the final stanza, she addresses the listener for the first time and suggests that she will always continue to be a phenomenal woman, as she is such a person "now" and therefore always will be.

No examples of understatement.

The speaker alludes to society's definition of beauty by explaining how she does not fit the build of a "fashion model." This may also be a covert reference to racism, as the speaker (Angelou) is a black woman and people may be judging her through this lens.

"My inner mystery" (metonymy) - The inner mystery stands for the inner qualities that are invisible to the eye and make up the speaker's personality. These traits may include her intelligence and wit as well as her hopes, dreams, and passions.

"Flash of my teeth" (metonymy) - This phrase refers to the speaker's bright smile.

"where my secret lies" (metonymy) - The secret refers to the source of the speaker's power as a phenomenal woman. Women want to know what she does to make herself so beautiful.

No examples of personification.

"Fall down on their knees" - When men see the speaker, they are so entranced by her that they practically fall to the ground. They become weak in the knees and want to be at her service.

"Fire in my eyes" - There is no literal fire in the speaker's eyes, but she has a passionate soul and a sensual spirit that manifests in her eyes.

"Joy in my feet" - There is no emotion in the feet; rather, the speaker is so light and joyous that she has a spring in her step.

"I'm a woman / Phenomenally" - The speaker believes that she is phenomenal in her ability to be all that a woman encompasses. She is extraordinary in every way, from her gestures to her features and her personality.

"The click of my heels" - The speaker's walk is light and happy, and her heels (or shoes) make a happy clicking sound.