Phenomenal Woman

“Phenomenal Woman,” was one of Angelou’s favorite poems. As critic Harold Bloom notes, the poem is hymn-like; its “self-confident speaker reveals her attributes as a phenomenal woman. Unlike the fashion magazines' beauties, she exults in being different” (Bloom, Harold. Maya Angelou. Broomall, Chelsea House Publishers, 2002). This self-assurance gives the speaker a strength that surprises those around her.

As the poem begins, the speaker notes that her physical attributes do not align with the standard of 1970’s beauty. She makes it plain that she is “not cute” (Line 2) or “a fashion model’s size” (Line 2), suggesting she is neither doll-like and unthreatening, nor physically tiny: She is in no way diminutive. The speaker acknowledges that her appearance is notably different from that of the “pretty women” (Line 1) who surround her. Because these women believe in received ideals of beauty, they cannot understand “where my secret lies” (Line 1). In other words, because she doesn’t meet the presumed standard, they cannot believe her sexual attractiveness is viable. She must be “telling lies” (Line 4). The speaker, however, is defiant. The rest of the poem details where the speaker’s appeal actually rests: She is a woman who moves with confidence, is welcoming and inclusive, and radiates passion.

Instead of feeling as if she’s lacking, the speaker embraces other aspects of herself, both physical and emotional. The largeness of her “hips” (Line 7) as well as the “curl of my lips” (Line 9), suggest sexual appeal even though they may not correspond with typical standards of beauty. Further, the “reach of my arms” (Line 6) shows her willingness to embrace others and/or to strive for something more. This is then enhanced by the “stride of my step” (Line 8), which suggests determined and long-ranging walking. The first stanza ends with the first instance of the poem’s insistent refrain: 

I’m a woman

Phenomenally. 

Phenomenal woman.

That’s me (Lines 10-13). 

The appeal of the poem rests in this insistence on an alternative beauty that particularly emphasizes power and capability—the opposite of the “cute” (Line 2) stereotype. For example, the speaker is proud that she can saunter into a room and “to a man / The fellows stand or / Fall down on their knees” (Lines 16-18). The commanding presence implied by the genuflection of the men is further cemented in a metaphor that positions the speaker as a queen in a bee hive and the men around her as subservient drones: “Then they swarm around me, / A hive of honey bees” (Lines 19-20). Again, she backs this up with both outward and inward attributes. These men are drawn to the “flash of my teeth” (Line 23) and the “swing in my waist” (Line 24)—descriptors that update the lip and hip imagery of Stanza 1. Here, not only are these features invitingly curved, but they are also in motion and even slightly sexually predatory; her mouth features teeth that could bite, while her waist moves rhythmically as a dancer’s might. Connected to the earlier “stride in my step” (Line 8) is the “joy in my feet” (Line 25). Besides this sense of happiness and verve, the speaker’s passion also attracts others. They notice the “fire in my eyes” (Line 22). It is this, she insists, that makes her a “phenomenal woman” (Line 28), a wonder.

The pattern of repetition and connected imagery is used as persuasion. Rather than isolate the “pretty women” (Line 1) as the only ones who underestimate her, the speaker also notes, “Men themselves have wondered / what they see in me” (Lines 30-31). Both sets of people sometimes fail to understand “my inner mystery” (Line 34). To explain, in Stanza 4, the speaker circles back to the features she has already been describing, diving even deeper beneath the surface to explore her attractiveness. Her mouth now acquires a celestial cadence as the “sun of my smile” (Line 39) joins the “curl of my lips” (Line 9) and the “flash of my teeth” (Line 23); there is warmth, brilliance, and life-giving light coming from the inclusive openness of her face. Sensuality and desire are more directly referenced by “the arch of my back” (Line 38) and the “ride of my breasts” (Line 40), which connect to the “span of my hips” (Line 7) and the “swing in my waist” (Line 24). This voluptuousness of the speaker’s torso is made all the more pronounced by the overtly sexualized movements these body parts are engaging in. Overall, the expansiveness of her physicality makes the speaker a “phenomenal woman” (Line 44).

Recognizing that she is her own marvel, and rejecting the arbitrary standards of others, the speaker proclaims that this is the reason “why my head’s not bowed” (Line 47). Since she is confident that she’s a “phenomenal woman” (Line 59), she has no need to “shout or jump about / Or have to talk real loud” (Lines 48-49) to prove it. She can move with confidence, with a “click of my heels” (Line 53). By this point, she has shown those around her that a conventional, attractive appearance is nothing compared to the “palm of my hand / The need for my care” (Lines 55-56)—she has the capacity to not only sexually enthrall, but also nurture and soothe. 

The speaker hopes that the self-confidence that she has managed to develop despite external pressure to devalue herself is contagious—that her walk and carriage are so inspiring that “when you see me passing / It ought to make you proud” (Lines 50-51). Angelou’s additional stanza, spoken at readings, adds to this by noting that confidence can be passed on to “all you women here,” generation after generation.