Phenomenal Women By Maya Angelou

The poem ‘Phenomenal Women’ by Maya Angelou’s is basically about the celebration of the life of a successful woman. The woman in this poem is the persona as well as the author of the poem. The term ‘phenomena’ shows that Maya is a big woman. She asserts that she confuses celebrities and the pretty fashion models even though she is not cute or thin. Maya confesses that her success emanates from the confident body language that she portrays as she walks, the manner in which she smiles, as well as the rhythm of her hips. Her body is an expression of womanhood. Maya claims to be supreme as a woman, something that makes men fall for her when she makes an entrance to a room. She is able to win the attention of men by means of the passion that is in her eyes, the shining of her teeth when she smiles, and the way in which she sways her waist. Portrayal of confidence by means of the body language is therefore imperative in instilling and expression of a positive influence of a person to others.

The author, Maya Angelou is trying to communicate the message of confidence in terms of body language to her readers. She implies that one does not need to look down upon him/herself just because he/she does not have a body that is regarded as ideal by other people. In addition, Maya seems to tell her readers that confidence is imperative for someone to be influential and be liked by other people. This confidence has to be communicated through one’s body, for instance, by the way one is walking, smiling, or talking while in front of people. This will make one create a good impression towards other people.

By reading this poem, it provoked a sense of self-confidence within me as I realized that a true self-expression exists at the core of a successful personality. In addition, I learnt that body language is the channel of such self-expression. It made me relate to a friend of mine by the name Emma, who is my neighbor at home. Similar to the author of this poem, Emma is a huge lady and does not have the body type or beauty of models. Nevertheless, she amazes me by the level of confidence she portrays even when she is ridiculed by other women regarding her body size. In addition, she has gone ahead to achieve so much in life, and as a result, she has become an inspirational to other young girls. I tend to feel that she appreciates her body size, something that seems to boost her self-confidence. A positive body language is as well significant in areas such as job interviews, as it speaks volumes about a person who is being interviewed.

In conclusion, ‘Phenomenal Women’ is a great dramatic poem that was written for the purpose of being performed to an audience. It assists the readers to gain self-confidence by imagining the body movements of the poet while she is acting out the poem on the stage. The main subject of the poem is having belief in oneself; portray confidence through the body language, and appreciating the way one is. This is imperative in making people to live a healthy life that is full of joy.