Maya Angelou's poem 'Phenomenal Woman' celebrates the inner strength and unique beauty of women, challenging traditional notions of beauty that focus solely on appearance. The speaker describes her alluring qualities that attract men, emphasizing confidence and self-esteem over societal standards. Angelou's work advocates for women's empowerment and highlights the multifaceted nature of beauty beyond physical attributes.

1. PHENOMENAL
WOMAN
Phenomenal woman by Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou (April 4, 1928- May 28,
2014
Interpreted by:
Hem Bishwakarma
&
Drishti Dahal
A tremendous thanks goes to Mr. Tirtha Karki for providing floor

3. Who has better claim?
Love
yourself!

4. What does Phenomenal woman
mean?
Extraordinary, amazing, self confident woman
with lots of inner beauty
Synonyms: EXCEPTIONAL, MIRACULOUS,
BREATHTAKING, STUNNING,
MARVELLOUS

5. Who is Maya Angelou?
 American writer/ poet/ civil rights activist/
dancer/ singer/ memoirist
 Published seven autobiographies
 Three books of essays/ several books of
poetry
 Read name: Marguerite Annie Johnson
 She is well known for movies/ drama
 First poem is I know why the caged bird
sings (1969)

6. Poem plot:
 Pretty women wonder about her secret of
beauty
 She is not as a model
 Her beauty is expanded over her arms, hips ,
the way she walks and her lips
 She is phenomenal woman or she is
extraordinary and amazing woman
 She is also desired by man as they do to other
woman

7. Poem plot:
 Men are really attracted with her
beauty
 They fell down to her knees
 Her beauty is magnified by the eyes,
flash of teeth and swing of her waist
 She does not know yet why she is liked
 They cannot touch her inner beauty/ mystery
 Arch of her back, smile, breasts and the style
themselves are the magnifier of her beauty

8. Poem plot:
 She does not advertise her beauty so she
should not bow her head.
 The click sound while walking, the bend of
hair, palm of her hand
 That’s all, according to her, the need why men
care so much
 She claims herself that she is an amazing and
extraordinary woman.

9. DIMENSIONS
SOCIAL DIMENSIOIN:
 GENDER: she feels proud being woman
 WOMEN EMPOWERMENT: Being civil right
activist
 REVOLT: she opposes the beauty notion
people
gaze through
PSYCHOLOGICAL DIMENSION
 CONFIDENCE: she is self- confident
 SELF- ESTEEM: She respects her own beauty

10. KEY THOUGHTS
 Challenging the traditional concept of
beauty
has lots of evidence which magnify why she is
phenomenal and desired woman
 Attack on ‘whites’ who consider
themselves superior
 Phenomenally (by nature) she is woman
phenomenal (extraordinary) things made her wonderful
woman

11. Analysis
 Beauty is not the matter only of the size or
color--
her arms, hips, footstep, lips have made
her look beautiful.
 Women are by nature beauty destined but
people judge only on the basis of face and
complexion
 She can do what physically other woman can
“I walk into a room, Just as cool as you please”

12. Analysis
contd…
 A revolt on why people discriminate women in
their color though every woman is equally born
 Men are equally fond of her as they do to others
 People do not see the beauty on other parts of
body like teeth, waist, feet or others
 She has something extraordinary beauty that
made her phenomenal

13. Analysis
contd…
 The inner mystery of her is not understand by
the men , however, they are swarmed around
her
 Her angle to saw the beauty is totally different
than others
 She is such a confident woman that she does
not need to shout or jump to show her beauty.

14. Analysis
contd…
 She makes other feel proud when she passes
through other woman since she is rich in other
beauty except face or skin

15. “A POEM is what you feel not what you write”
For bearing me with great patience