CHAPTER IV AN ANALYSIS OF FEMINISM IN MAYA ANGELOU’S SELECTED
POEMS
4.1 The Struggle of Women
As stated in the theoretical framework, feminism deals with the struggle of women to survive in a male-dominated society. However, women do not show
their struggle by committing harassment just like men always do to show their strength. Women can struggle by showing men that they have intriguing elements
inside themselves that can make them superior. In line 1 of poem A, it can be seen that women spend most of their time
comparing themselves to other women because they feel that they are more superior, beautiful, and fashionable if compared with those other women
. But the second line of this poem shows how the first person speaker, who is according to
this thesis’ analysis is a woman, uses imagery ‘I’m not cute or built to fit a fashion model’s size’ to give the readers a sense of what she looks like. The speaker
herself wants to convey that she is not beautiful and fashionable. But using the word ‘secret’, she wants to show that she has an intrigung thing inside herself.
And the word ‘secret’ itself is closely related to lines 5-13 of this poem. Pretty woman wonder where my secret lies.
Im not cute or built to fit a fashion models size But when I start to tell them,
They think Im telling lies. lines 1-4 in poem A
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The speaker then asserts that the word ‘secret’ refers to a strong self- confidence that she possesses. What makes her confident is the inner and physical
beauty that she has inside herself. ‘It’s in the reach of my arms’ which displays
her ability to grasp things at her will, ‘The span of my hips’ which shows her physical attraction, ‘The stride of my step’ which becomes the way she carries
herself around, and ‘The curl of my lips’ which means her eloquence are powerful enough to show others that she is a woman who has strong self-confidence. These
things really exude pride in being a woman. At one point, the speaker also puts ‘
I’m a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s me.’. This statement means that she says she is a woman who is phenomenal because she is
herself and does not try to be anyone else but herself. However, this statement is actually very broad. It is broad in the sense that she speaks to many women, not
just herself. She wants to say that they can also be phenomenal like her. I say,
Its in the reach of my arms, The span of my hips,
The stride of my step, The curl of my lips.
Im a woman Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman, Thats me.
lines 5-13 in poem A The speaker moves into a room like she has complete control on herself.
Using a metaphor ‘Then they swarm around me, A hive of honey bees.’, it is obvious that the speaker wants to convey that her good attitude drives men to their
knees, and even makes them collect around her like bees. She wants to show that
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wherever she walks, men always follow her to see how unique and exclusive she is. These lines 14-20 also show how others men and women act around her:
I walk into a room Just as cool as you please,
And to a man, The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees. They swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees. lines 14-20 in poem A
In lines 21-29, the speaker proudly asserts that what makes men always follow her is the uniqueness and the quality inside herself. It appears in ‘
It’s the
fire in my eyes’ which displays her intense look which is full of spirit, ‘The flash of my teeth’ which shows her candour, ‘The swing in my waist’ which becomes
her assertion of sexuality that makes her look attractive, and also ‘
The joy in my feet’ which means her infectious elation. Wherever she goes, she truly shows and
brings her happiness as a phenomenal woman. I say,
Its the fire in my eyes, And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist, And the joy in my feet.
Im a woman Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman, Thats me.
lines 21-29 in poem A As a woman, the speaker remains an enigma to the men. This is reflected
in lines 30-36 poem A. Men try as they can, but they are still unable to touch the intriguing element that becomes an ‘inner mystery’ inside herself. Although she
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tries to show her ‘inner mystery’ to them, they say that it still belies them. They also say that it is a ‘phenomenon’ that they cannot perceive through the senses of
perception. This is indeed what renders the speaker phenomenal. Using her ‘inner mystery’, she teases the men out of thought. ‘Inner mystery’ itself is closely
related to lines 37-45 of this poem. Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me. They try so much
But they cant touch My inner mystery.
When I try to show them, They say they still cant see.
lines 30-36 in poem A The speaker then states some aspects of her ‘inner mystery’ that make her
phenomenal. It appears in ‘It’s the arch of my back’ which displays the curve and shape of her body, ‘The sun in my smile’ which shows her friendly expression,
‘The ride of my breasts’ which displays her sensual movement, and also ‘The grace of my style’ which becomes her attractive style.
I say, Its the arch of my back,
The sun in my smile, The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style. Im a woman
Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman,
Thats me. lines 37-45 in poem A
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The speaker wants to show others why her head is not bowed wherever she goes. It is because she is proud of herself as a phenomenal woman. She does not
have to make loud statements just like men always do to show their superiority. Hill 2010 in her online article The Inner Beauty of a Woman argues, “a woman’s
inner beauty needs to always be evident on the outside. Integrity, honesty, morals and values are traits that make up her character. No matter what the situation or
circumstances, a woman that possesses inner beauty will conduct herself in matter that makes others take notice”. Thus, it is obvious that the speaker does not have
to commit melodramatic antics to show who she is. It is because when she is passing, her inner beauty and good personality incite a feeling of pride in the
spectators. And this is pictured in lines 46-51 of this poem: Now you understand
Just why my heads not bowed. I dont shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud. When you see me passing,
I ought to make you proud. lines 46-51 in poem A
In the last lines of poem A, the speaker, who regards herself as a phenomenal woman, finally shows how her inner and physical beauty make
others, especially men, feel proud of her. It is revealed in ‘Its the click of my heels’ which displays her attractive and polite way of passing, ‘The bend of my
hair’ which shows her beautiful hair, ‘The palm of my hand’ which displays the warmth she exudes, as well as ‘The need for my care’
which becomes the
inevitable care that she can give to others.
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I say, Its the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair, The palm of my hand,
The need for my care. Cause Im a woman
Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman,
Thats me. lines 52-60 in poem A
As the conclusion, all of the intriguing elements above display the speaker’s struggle as a phenomenal woman to show that she also has superiority.
She wants other women to keep thinking that they can be better than men. They have strength, inner beauty, good personality, confidence, and other abilities that
can make them more superior and phenomenal than men. The struggle of a woman is also shown in poem B. It is a poem of
inspiration for women. It appeared in 1978 with a collection of Maya Angelou’s other poems. It is a fairly short poem consisting of 9 stanzas. It is also an
inspirational narrative written from the standpoint of a victorious woman speaking directly to those, in this case men, who wish to oppress and defame her character.
This poem B reflects the first person speaker’s own feelings. As a woman, the speaker does not despair because she is a strong woman. She keeps struggling
in running her life. Freedman 2001:12 argues, “feminists identify women as a specific social goup with a collective identity that forms a basis for struggle”.
Therefore, as a woman, the speaker struggles by showing the men how she will still arise like dust although they have already oppressed and belittled her . She
strives to touch everything with her personality, just as dust touches everything on
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its way. In other words, it can be said that the speaker has promised not to surrender. She is sure that she can still survive in a male-dominated society. And
this is reflected in line 4 of this poem: But still, like dust, Ill rise.
line 4 of in poem B Using ‘Does my sassiness upset you?’, it is clear that the speaker wants to
make the men upset and feel annoyed by her sassiness because she still rises and has a confidence although she has ever experienced bad treatments committed by
them. The men also seem to be beset with gloom because of the speaker’s over confidence. The speaker is free to do anything she wants and express her own
feeling just like she has got oil wells and pumped in her living room. And this is pictured in lines 5-8 of this poem:
Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom?
Cause I walk like Ive got oil wells Pumping in my living room.
lines 5-8 in poem B In lines 9-12, a series of natural images, such as moon, sun, and tide are
put in to show that the speaker still has the capacity to rise again and again. The moon is just like a love that she still possesses inside herself as a woman. The sun
becomes rays of hope for her to run this life. And the tide is the time and chance for her to change her life for the better. Therefore, love, hope, and time inspire the
speaker to rise and keep struggling from the atrocities of men and inflexible circumstances of life.
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Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high, Still Ill rise.
lines 9-12 in poem B With a teasing tone, the speaker wants to make the men feel offended by
her haughtiness. She then laughs at them just like she has goldmines in her backyard. So, it is obvious that she still shows her over confidence to them. And
this is displayed in lines 17-20 of this poem: Does my haughtiness offend you?
Dont you take it awful hard Cause I laugh like Ive got gold mines
Diggin in my own back yard. lines 17-20 in poem B
In line 24, the speaker is depicted as the air. Air itself has freedom to fulfil all places on earth. Therefore, as a woman, the speaker absolutely has freedom to
disengage herself from the men’s domination because as Sucharitha 2011 argues in her online article Women Empowerment and Freedom, “women need to free
themsevels from their limitations and helplessness”. Finally, the speaker no more wants to be underestimated by men. She realizes that she can be free from the
men’s domination. And she firstly starts showing her sense of freedom by expressing a strong self-confidence that she still has inside herself.
But still, like air, Ill rise. lines 24 in poem B
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Confidence is what makes the speaker still strong. With her ‘sexiness’ which also symbolizes her confidence, she wants to upset and annoy those men’s
feelings. Besides that, her confidence, which makes her unyielding and even brave to mock them, becomes a surprise and an unpredictable thing for the men. The
speaker then shows her confidence by dancing just like she has got diamonds at the meeting of her thighs. And this is reflected in lines 25-28 of this poem:
Does my sexiness upset you? Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like Ive got diamonds At the meeting of my thighs?
lines 25-28 in poem B The speaker, who is depicted as ‘a black ocean’ with her black and dark
past, wants to change her life for the better. She shows how she rises from her shameful history because of having ever got bad treatments from the men. She
also rises from the shadow of her past that used to become an unforgettable pain for her. And this is pictured in lines 29-34 of this poem:
Out of the huts of historys shame I rise
Up from a past thats rooted in pain I rise
Im a black ocean, leaping and wide, Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
lines 29-34 in poem B In lines 35-38, it can be seen that the speaker’s past, which was full of
nights of terror and fear because of the men’s bad treatments, does not make her surrender and feel oppressed at all. She even keeps rising and struggling to reach a
wondrous daybreak for her better life and future.
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Leaving behind nights of terror and fear I rise
Into a daybreak thats wondrously clear I rise
lines 35-38 in poem B The last lines of poem B display how the speaker intends to run her new
life, but still with bringing the ‘gifts’ that her ‘ancestors’ gave as an unforgettable experience that becomes the best teacher for her. The word ‘gifts’ here shows
negative meaning that is used to describe men’s oppression and bad treatments that her ‘ancestors’ other women before her also ever experienced. Finally, the
speaker starts making a change. She wants to become a dream and hope for ‘the slave’ women in her era especially and the other women in the world generally.
She strongly asks them to rise and struggle to disengage themselves from men’s domination.
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise I rise
I rise. lines 39-43 in poem B
In poem C, the struggle of a woman is seen in how the first person speaker, who is according to this thesis’ analysis is a woman, wants to gain
equality. This poem describes the speaker from her own point of view. She wants her and other women to have the same position with men. She also wants to get
freedom.
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In lines 3-4 of poem C, it is clear that the speaker does not surrender at all. She really keeps struggling. Using ‘though I stand before you boldly’, she is even
brave to make her position the same with men. The speaker also uses ‘trim in rank and making time’ to show how she strives to keep making achievements to ensure
the men that she is not different from them. though I stand before you boldly,
trim in rank and making time. lines 3-4 in poem C
The speaker still insists on speaking her message loudly and clearly. Besides that, her ‘rhythms’, which symbolizes her passionate intention for
freedom and equality, will never change. And this is displayed in lines 7-8 of this poem:
while my drums beat out the message and the rhythms never change.
lines 7-8 in poem C In lines 17-18, it is obvious that the speaker does not want to live in pain
anymore. She then keeps on ‘marching forward’ to rise from the shadow of her past. On the other hand, ‘you’ which symbolizes the other women who are now
living together in a patriarchal society with her, are afraid of improving themselves. Using ‘but you keep on coming last’, the speaker wants to show how
those women still feel oppressed by the superiority of men. but I keep on marching forward,
but you keep on coming last. lines 17-18 in poem C
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As usual, the speaker does not give up. This is reflected in lines 25-28 of this poem. Using ‘Hear the tempo so compelling, hear the blood throb through
my veins.’, it is clear that she still insists on struggling. She wants the men to see how her spirit makes her even stronger than the previous time. ‘Yes, my drums are
beating nightly’ also displays how she has an unstoppable enthusiasm to gain equality, and her ‘rhythms’, which symbolizes her passionate intention for
freedom, will never change. Hear the tempo so compelling,
hear the blood throb through my veins. Yes, my drums are beating nightly,
and the rhythms never change. lines 25-28 in poem C
Using the repetitions in lines 9-10, 19-20, and 29-30, it is obvious that the speaker wants to gain equality. She thinks that she deserves the same position
with men. She is sure that she and they are not different. She feels that she can do what they can do. She is able to make many achievements. Besides that, these two
lines also become the main idea of the poem because they show the first person speaker’s strong intention to have the same position with men. Therefore, she
really keeps struggling. And when she is able to gain that equality, she will absolutely be free from the superioriy and domination of men.
Equality, and I will be free. Equality, and I will be free.
lines 9-10, 19-20, and 29-30 in poem C
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The last poem that is related to the struggle of a woman is also revealed in poem D. Through this poem, Maya Angelou wants to show how a woman
struggles and plays her role in her family and should do all of her responsibilities as a mother and housewife.
In lines 1-14 of this poem, Maya Angelou superbly highlights the burden of duties that the woman has to face. Like an ox, working from dawn till dusk, she
has to follow a fixed schedule and has no time to enjoy. In an online article Mothers’ Role in Children’s Lives, it is said, “being a mother is to always be there
even if it hurts. Because the unfathomable fact is, you can never stop being a mother”. Therefore, as a mother and housewife, the woman being talked about in
this poem works very hard like a machine in and outside the house all day long. She has to take care of the children, go to shop, cook, clean the house, iron the
clothes, work outside the house to make money, and so on. Ive got the children to tend
The clothes to mend The floor to mop
The food to shop Then the chicken to fry
The baby to dry I got company to feed
The garden to weed Ive got shirts to press
The tots to dress The can to be cut
I gotta clean up this hut Then see about the sick
And the cotton to pick. lines 1-14 in poem D
In lines 15-18 of poem D, it is obvious that the woman becomes very weak because she has had to do many things as a housewife. Her brow looks furrowed
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because of being over tired. But although she has been exposed to such depressing duties, she sometimes thinks of forgetting all about her dull routine works and
enjoys the beauties of nature. She then looks at the sun and wishes it would shine on her to give her enthusiasm to work again. She also wishes it would rain to cool
her off. Shine on me, sunshine
Rain on me, rain Fall softly, dew drops
And cool my brow again. lines 15-18 in poem D
The woman looks at the strom and wishes it would bring her from her home which is full of a lot of works to finish. She also wishes the wind would
take her to the sky. From these lines 19-22, it is clear that she wants to take a rest for a while before she has to struggle to finish her works again:
Storm, blow me from here With your fiercest wind
Let me float across the sky Til I can rest again.
lines 19-22 in poem D In the night, the woman has finished doing her works. She looks at the
snowflakes falling gently outside the house before she sleeps. She wishes white cold ice would refesh her again. She then rests and sleeps because tomorrow and
the next days will always be full of works. Therefore, she has to be strong enough to face all the challenges and responsibilities in her life. She may not give up at
all. And this is reflected in lines 23-26 of this poem:
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Fall gently, snowflakes Cover me with white
Cold icy kisses and Let me rest tonight.
lines 23-26 in poem D In the last lines of this poem, a series of natural images, such as sun, rain,
sky, mountain, ocean, leaf, stone, star, and moon are put in the poem to give the spirit to the woman to run her life in doing and facing her routine works as a
housewife. Maya Angelou certainly uses these natural images to regain the woman’s strength to enable her to handle the difficult and unpleasant conditions
in her life. Sun, rain, curving sky
Mountain, oceans, leaf and stone Star shine, moon glow
Youre all that I can call my own. lines 27-30 in poem D
4.2 Bad Treatments over Women
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