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Angelou, Maya. "Phenomenal Woman." Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2017.

Angelou, Maya. "Phenomenal Woman - Maya Angelou." Phenomenal Woman - Maya Angelou. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2017.

"Maya Angelou." Best Poems. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2017.

"Maya Angelou." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, 05 Aug. 2016. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.

"Remembering and Celebrating the Life of Dr. Maya Angelou." National Archives and Records Administration. National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2017.

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1. Metaphor -  a comparison between two unlike things without using like or as. "The fellows stand or Fall down on their knees.Then they swarm around me, A hive of honey bees. " (Angelou, lines 17 - 20).   Angelou compares a group of men to a swarm of bees. She explains that the men come to her like bees go to a hive, because she presents herself with confidence that draws men to her.

2. Parallelism - the repetition of a grammatical pattern to express ideas that are related or equal in importance. "The span of my hips,

The stride of my step,

The curl of my lips." (Angelou, lines 7-9). The author repeats the word "the" at the beginning of the sentence and then the words "of my" in the middle of the sentence. This repetition of grammatical patterns shows that all of the actions and physical looks that make her a unique women are of equal importance.

3. Refrain - a regularly repeated line or group of lines in a poem. "Equality, and I will be free.
Equality, and I will be free." (Angelou, lines 9-10). Angelou is repeats this group of lines three times throughout the poem. These words explain that she will feel free once there is equality. Without equality, there will always be burdens holding her back from freedom.
4. Imagery - descriptive language used in literature to recreate sensory experiences relating to the five sense. "It’s in the click of my heels"(Angelou, line 53). The author explains that the click of her heels presents authority. This is an example of imagery, because it explains the "click of her heels" which relates to a persons hearing. The image of a well presented women of authority is created as she stands tall in her high heels.
5. Idiom - an expression having a special meaning not clear from the usual meaning of the words in the expression. "It’s the fire in my eyes" (Angelou, line 22). The expression does not mean that her eyes are literally on fire. Instead, it is explaining the passion which consumes here can be seen when she looks at a person.
6. Rhyme - the sounds of the accented vowels and all succeeding sounds are identical. "I don’t shout or jump about" (Angelou, line 48). The author rhymes the words "shout" and "about". This creates a connection between the two events, in which she does not need to shout or jump around in order to receive attention.

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The poem's theme is that a women's beauty comes from her initiative. This is seen when she explains that she is not the most physically attractive, but her confidence and driven mentality makes people comeThe poem is structured to tell a story. Each stanza starts off with an outside person's viewpoint, then it explains her viewpoint on the siution, and ends the stanza by explaining that she like over women is phenomenal. "Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That’s me." (Angelou, lines 10 - 12). The poem's meaning is to explain the opinions of others and Angelou's opinions on her life as a powerful, yet not physically flawless women. It begins by stating female stereotypes of beauty. "I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size." (Angelou, line 2). She states that she is not physically attractive. Then it continues to explain, that men come rushing to her, but they don't understand why they do. She states, that the men actually don't understand her either, but she doesn't fins this as a downfall. She feels that she is phenomenal because her beauty is her confidence and uniqueness.  Angelou wrote this poem, because she was a civil rights activist. This poem like Dr. Martin Luther King's speeches, with whom she worked closely with, was written to inspire people to take initiative in times of hardship.

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The poem, "Equality" tells of the hardships of not only being a woman, but of race. This can be seen in her use of the work 'we' in line 14. "We have lived a painful history." This is referring to the hard fight for freedom and rights for African Americans throughout the past. Angelou's place and time of birth, in St. Louis, 1928, would have exposed her to racism as its worst. She tells of how she keeps "marching forward" and "you keep on coming last."(Angelou, line 17). 'You' refers to the white population, that had turned a blind eye to the struggles of the African American people. The stanzas 4 and 6 are used to show the difficulties of equality. The poem is used to tell of the blind eyes and deaf ears of the white people while the African Americans continued the relentless fight for rights. The problems were seen and heard, but not acknowledged. If the attention was paid, one could see the determination and fight in those defending what they believe in. Maya Angelou writes that the march won't cease or change. Her repetition of "Equality, and I will be free," (Angelou, line 9) brings across her view poin that everyone should be treated as their neighbor. The theme is that one will only truly be free once everyone is equal.

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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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You declare you see me dimly
through a glass which will not shine,
though I stand before you boldly,
trim in rank and marking time.
You do own to hear me faintly
as a whisper out of range,
while my drums beat out the message
and the rhythms never change.

Equality, and I will be free.
Equality, and I will be free.

You announce my ways are wanton,
that I fly from man to man,
but if I'm just a shadow to you,
could you ever understand ?

We have lived a painful history,
we know the shameful past,
but I keep on marching forward,
and you keep on coming last.

Equality, and I will be free.
Equality, and I will be free.

Take the blinders from your vision,
take the padding from your ears,
and confess you've heard me crying,
and admit you've seen my tears.

Hear the tempo so compelling,
hear the blood throb in my veins.
Yes, my drums are beating nightly,
and the rhythms never change.

Equality, and I will be free.
Equality, and I will be free.

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Born on April 4, in 1928, Maya Angelou accomplished much during her longevity. "Maya Angelou was an achieved and respected author, poet, historian, songwriter, playwright, dancer, stage and screen producer, director, performer, singer, and civil rights activist." (Poets.org) Being born in a time of segregation and "lesser" views of women, Angelou was influenced to take action through writing, and later civil rights movements. After her parents divorce, she was sent to live in Stamps, Arkansas. Living in the South, Maya was exposed to discrimination, thus causing her civil rights involvements. At the age of 16, she gave birth to a son, causing her to work many jobs to support her family. After playing a role in a production of "Porgy and Bess", Angelou started gaining momentum and began to land more roles, released an album, and published the writing "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings" in 1969. Breaking yet more barriers, she became the first African American women to have a script made into a movie with "Georgia, Georgia." As well as a Tony and Emmy Award. She had many famous written works as well, such as the inspirational "Still I Rise." She even wrote cookbooks. Maya Angelou remained a close friend to Martin Luther King Jr. who was sadly killed on her birthday, which she discontinued to celebrate after the tragedy. Following her death on May 28, 2014, President Obama said that Maya Angelou "had the ability to remind us that we are all God's children; that we all have something to offer." (obamawhitehouse.archives.gov).Her legacy lives on with her accomplishments.

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Kallie Stevens and Alexxis Schwalier
Period 3
Mrs. Rush
3/30/17