Strength, power and self-confidence are three significant words that illustrate the poem “Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou. Angelou uses alliteration, rhythmic patterns, and her personal style to convey the meaning of a "phenomenal woman," which is what she considers all women to be. Angelou, for example, enlightens readers that not all trials and tribulations need to be known. It can be interpreted that every woman experiences a trial in her life that ultimately makes her a stronger individual. Furthermore, a “phenomenal woman” is different, but beautiful in her own way. At the end of each verse she states: “I am a woman / Phenomenal. / Phenomenal woman, / That's me” (lines 10-13). The word phenomenal has a great meaning, it means to be extraordinary. Angelou allows women to believe that being an individual makes them dissimilar to another woman. However, she states that one's inner beauty also contributes to how a person can differentiate themselves from one another. Each line of the poem has an underlined meaning related to being phenomenal. Maya Angelou begins the poem with: “Beautiful women wonder what my secret lies were. / I'm not pretty or made to fit a model's size / But when I start telling them, / They think I'm telling lies” (Lines 1-4). The use of alliteration makes the reader's interpretation of the poem have a deeper meaning. Angelou's words interpret the fact that a woman's size, shape and appearance do not contribute to the opinions people may have against them, but to the way they think about themselves. Angelou allows the reader to develop the understanding that a person's inner beauty says a lot about a person and the confidence they possess within themselves. He states: "It is within the reach of my arms, / ...... the center of the paper ......ck, / The sunshine of my smile, / The rush of my breast, / The grace of my style" (Line). Interestingly, towards the end of the poem, Angelou elaborates on how she feels about her confidence through the way she walks and carries herself. He states: “Now you understand / Why my head is not bowed. / I don't scream or jump / nor do I have to speak out loud. / When you see me pass by, / it should make you proud (Line). He makes it clear that you don't have to actively seek attention by acting out of character or trying to get noticed. The amount of self-esteem is determined by how a woman behaves. Angelou says, “It is in the click of my heels, / in the bend of my hair, / in the palm of my hand, / in the need of my care” (Line). Maya Angelou uses a woman's body to symbolize strength, power and inner confidence. Works Cited Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou