Phenomenal Woman Analysis

The poem “Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou explains the different details about a woman that makes her phenomenal. Maya shows us that this woman feels great about herself regardless of what others think. Throughout the poem she tells us that nobody seems to understand what it is that makes her attractive because she is not physically beautiful by society’s standards. So what makes this woman so appealing?
The woman in this poem is appealing to others because of her inner beauty and how she feels about herself. It is not about how she looks on the outside nor is it about what makes her attractive to the opposite sex. Even other women notice there is a something about this woman but they don’t understand why because she does not portray what is considered beautiful just by looking at her. The poem opens up by saying “Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size” She lets us know from the beginning that it is not her physical features that make her attractive. “Men themselves have wondered what they see in me. They try so much but they can’t touch my inner mystery.” This shows that it is not an actual feature that makes her attractive to men it is something that cannot be seen or touched, it is something that comes from within. “I walk into a room just as cool as you please, and to a man the fellows stand or fall on their knees. Then they swarm around me, a hive of honey bees.“ This part of the poem shows that men do find her attractive and are drawn to her like bees to honey.
Maya Angelou is very specific in describing the woman and some of the details do include the physical attributes of the woman. “It’s the fire in my eyes, and the flash of my teeth, the swing of my waist, and the joy in my feet. “ These descriptions are more than what meet the eye. It’s not just her eyes, teeth and hips it’s the way she looks at you, the way she smiles, the way she walks.
It is made clear throughout the poem that even