Adopt A Poet Project Essays Example

For this paper, the poet selected Maya Angelou. Maya was an accomplished, poet, author, actor, and singer. The poem selected for analysis is phenomenal woman, which explores the theme of self-confidence and appreciating oneself. The narrative used in the poem is very simple and it makes it easy to read. In the poem, Maya is revealing to the world what makes her a phenomenal woman. The poem starts with Maya explaining that pretty women question her secret to beauty because she does not think she is cute or has the figure of a model (Angelou, 1). This sets the tone for the whole poem. The title and the first line contrast because she dismisses what many people would take for a phenomenal woman. She is able to separate physical looks from being phenomenal woman. The next statement in the poem “but when I start to tell them, they think I am telling lies (Angelou, 3).” This statement is further proof to the normal person’s thinking of what constitutes a phenomenal woman. Many people have continued to associate the worth of a woman with her physical looks. This view is wrong since women have more to offer than their looks. Maya tells them that what makes her a phenomenal woman is not how she looks but how she carries herself (Angelou, 2 - 5).
Reading the poem, one is able to understand the reasons why Maya considers herself as a phenomenal woman. She takes the narrative away from the usual stereotypes through which women are judged. There have been many instances where women have not been given the respect they deserve because of their looks. It is common even for multinationals to objectify women. Maya is trying to take this backward view and show us that there is more to a woman than her looks. The poem is written in simple language that enables anyone to grasp what she is talking about. Women have been objectified for a long time based on their looks. This has led people to view women as inferior beings. This has come out strongly in the recent past. An example is Hollywood. The role of women has been supporting their male counterparts for a long time.
The poem by Maya was written three decades ago but its significance in the present is still as important. For a long time, women have been objectified. Women who were tired of just being asked what clothes they were wearing on the red carpet initiated this drive. The ask her more campaign wanted reporters to ask women questions like what their dreams were and who their role models were. This can be taken as an example of women getting tired of stereotypes and wanting to offer more than their looks. The women behind the drive can identify with this poem and with the life of the author.
This poem by Maya aims to remove the thinking that women are just about their looks. Although she claims she is not pretty woman with a model figure, she is still a phenomenal woman. This is because it is not all about her looks. She has more to offer than just her looks. This poem allows women to open up their thinking about beauty. It should not be about how other people look at them but how they feel about themselves. This type of view allows women to feel confident about all the aspects of their lives, as these are what are important in making them phenomenal. Maya encourages women to feel confident about themselves regardless of how they look like. This is a revelation for women across the globe. It is this view that is going to help women to free themselves from the views of society that objectify them and help to make their lives better.

Works Cited

Angelou, Maya. Phenomenal Woman. Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation. Web. 10 Mar. 2015. <http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/178942>.