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Phenomenal Woman has an interesting style in the way that it was written. Angelou only rhymed every other line, creating an odd rhythm that we would read it in. This poem was obviously written with with a fixed set of mind. It shows a theme of great confidence, "The sun of my smile, The ride of my breasts, The grace of my style. I’m a woman

Phenomenally. (Angelou 39-43). With such a powerful expression of confidence, the meaning of writing it was to spread that confidence to those that read it, passing the well-needed confidence to the people who needed it at the time. This poem was written in 1995. in an interview with the Academy of awards, Maya Angelou shared who she wrote it for by stating, "I wrote it for black women, and white women, and Chinese women, and Japanese women, and Jewish women. I wrote it for Native American women, Aleut, Eskimo ladies. I wrote it for all women. Very fat women, very thin, pretty, plain." She goes on to explain how she wanted to share her viewpoint with an audience, expressing to them that they should proudly hold that same confidence.

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Angelou, Maya. "Caged Bird." Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2017.

Angelou, Maya. "Phenomenal Woman." Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2017.

"Maya Angelou." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, 05 Aug. 2016. Web. 06 Apr. 2017.

"Jim Crow Laws and Racial Segregation." Social Welfare History Project. N.p., 28 Nov. 2016. Web. 06 Apr. 2017.

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The poem Caged Bird is a very powerful and symbolic poem containing many literary devices. The theme of Caged Bird  freedom vs. restriction.
Angelou consistently through her works lack a structure and follow a random, free verse style.
The meaning of this poem is about segregation and how it can restrict african americans though they long to have the same freedoms as other white people. But even though they were restricted they still found hope, "his wings are clipped and

his feet are tied

so he opens his throat to sing." (Angelou, 12-14 ).

During this time during the civil rights movement in the "Jim Crow" south african americans we extremely discriminated against. This segregation could create a cage like feeling and a longing for a freedom and equality. "The most important Jim Crow laws required that public schools, public facilities, e.g., water fountains, toilets, and public transportation, like trains and buses, have separate facilities for whites and blacks." Though the african american population was oppressed they still found ways to prosper in arts, literature, sciences, and history.

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Hyperbole - deliberate exaggeration or overstatement; "leaps on the back of the wind" - an exaduration of the bird starts flying (Angelou, 1-2)

Repetition - repeating of certain words or phrases "a free bird" and "a caged bird" are repeated many times for dramatic effective to contrast the free bird vs. the caged bird.

Imagery - descriptive language used to create and image in the readers head "stalks down his narrow cage
can seldom see through his bars of rage"  this gives a vivid image of the bird trapped in his cage.

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Assonance -repetition of vowel sounds in stressed syllables containing dissimilar consonant sounds"it's in the click of my heels" creates poetic effect (Angelou, 61)

Alliteration - reputation of initial consonant sounds of several words in a group "women wonder where" catches readers attention ((Angelou, 1-2)

Metaphor - comparison of two thing without like or as "Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees." - they are constantly surrounding  her (Angelou, 24-25)

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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.

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A free bird leaps

on the back of the wind

and floats downstream

till the current ends

and dips his wing

in the orange sun rays

and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks

down his narrow cage

can seldom see through

his bars of rage

his wings are clipped and

his feet are tied

so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings

with a fearful trill

of things unknown

but longed for still

and his tune is heard

on the distant hill

for the caged bird

sings of freedom.

The free bird thinks of another breeze

and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees

and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn

and he names the sky his own

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams

his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream

his wings are clipped and his feet are tied

so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings

with a fearful trill

of things unknown

but longed for still

and his tune is heard

on the distant hill

for the caged bird

sings of freedom.

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Born on April 4, 1928, Maya Angelou grew up in St. Louis, Arkansas. She was an author, poet, historian, songwriter, playwright, dancer, stage and screen producer, director, performer, singer, and civil rights activist.

She is best know for her 7 autobiographical books, one of which was nominated for The National Book Award.

In 1959, she became the Northern coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference at the request of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. From 1964 to 1966, she was the feature editor of the African Review in Accra, Ghana in Egypt. She returned to the US in 1974 and was appointed, by Jimmy Carter, to the commission for International Woman of the Year.

In 2000, she recieved the National Medal of Arts, and later in 2010, awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.

Angelou died on may 28, 2014, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where she had served as Reynolds Professor of American studies at Wake Forest University.