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Maya Angelou
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 ...
Million Man March Poem
The night has been long,
The wound has been deep,
The pit has been dark,
And the walls have been steep.
Under a dead blue sky on a distant beach,
I was dragged by my braids just beyond your reach.
Your hands were tied, your mouth was bound,
You couldn't even call out my name.
God has sent an Angel to us
to give her affection and love
with her delightful poem
Her name is
The High Respected Maya Angelou
May God bless her a long
and joyful life.
You are a fine poet, but damn it, I cannot believe the praise you get for I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings when you know that you stole that line from the great black poet, Laurence Dunbar. How could you do that? That is absolute theft. His poem begins, I know how the caged bird feels, alas and another stanza begins, I know why the caged bird sings.
You are celebrated for this poem, and yet you stole it. From a poet who deserve to be better known, as he endured far worse racial prejudice than you did.
Maybe somebody can explain to me how such outright theft is all right.
your phenomenal women is not as good as the road not taken
no one likes you because youre black
“Phenomenal Woman” is one of the powerful poems that represents the rise of hope and pride of a woman (especially African-American woman) despite the abuse, torture and neglect she has experienced. Instead of being ashamed or guilty or blaming herself, she has gained the hope and strength, which makes her the “Phenomenal Woman”. This is one self-confident woman with exceptionally strong compelling persona and very high self-esteem, who loves herself in spite of the discrimination and the exploitation from society and people. The poem uses a special and repetitious pattern in each stanza, e.g. the stanza begins with a description of society’s reaction to the woman as they notice her. These reactions are all categorized by wonderment about the vivacious woman, why she is so happy and what others see in her. Ms. Angelou expresses her feeling of a hidden frustration and anger at the society who questions the subject’s self-confidence and strength.
I haven't read any of her poems and now I'm scared to. Have a look at mine and tell me if you think I ought to, and why.
I don't like her, talking about men,
SHE NEEDS TO GET MARRIED! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Thank you for your poetry. Such a gift to the world.
Dear Maya Angelou, your verses give me the wings and depth of life.
I'm just glad to see that this assinine ranking has not gone unchallenged.