There are a myriad of ways that Maya Angelou presents power through a feminist lens in her poetry. Maya Angelou is best known for her exploits as a poet and is well known for her iconic refusal to give up her seat in the fight against racism. The two poems this essay will explore are “Phenomenal Woman” and “Still I Rise.” These two particular poems focus on society's attitudes towards black people, especially black women, and how they faced a different kind of discrimination because they were not only women but also black. The focus of this essay will be to evaluate how Angelou presents power through a feminist lens. Overall, Angelou presents power by displaying a determination that was cultivated due to the prejudice she faces due to her sex and by owning her gender. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay One way Angelou presents power through a feminist lens is when she demonstrates determination in the face of society's challenges. There is a recurring theme in "Still I Rise" and that is that she "always rises" no matter what she is faced with. Throughout the progression of human civilization, it is only recently that women have been able to achieve equality within society and in the private sphere. Nonetheless, Angelou herself faced serious gender bias; this is illustrated when she boldly states, "You can shoot me with your words, you can cut me with your eyes, you can kill me with your hatred." These quotes illustrate extreme gender bias and may be related to the idea that men generally view women in a sexual way and view them primarily as sex objects rather than human beings. The use of the phrase "cut me with your eyes" is important because it reinforces this idea and shows how the way men look at women can be threatening and is often very derogatory. Angelou continues this barrage of derogatory phrases by saying, “But still, like air, I will rise.” During this passage of the poem, Angelou's word choices are strong and powerful; This semantic field of violence is significant because words such as “cut”, “kill” and “shoot” are particularly aggressive and sharp. Alternatively, such words may be associated with male violence rather than the way a man looks at women. Angelou's reaction to these words showcases her inner strength, and overall, it is a way in which she presents power through a feminist lens. Furthermore, the fact that she reinforces her own power in the poem by repeating that like the tune “I rise again”. Therefore, it is clear that Angelou effectively presents power through a feminist lens in one of her poems. Another way Angelou presents power through a feminist lens in her poetry is through the use of imagery in “Phenomenal Woman.” Angelou uses the titular word "phenomenal" to describe herself; although simple, the use of this word is impactful because it highlights the uniqueness of the speaker and the fact that she does not fit society's typical ideas of beauty. Regardless of the fact that she lacks traditional beauty, she expresses her power by proudly declaring that "this is me" and once again reiterates the fact that she is proud to be the woman that she is. Angelou goes against society's idealistic perception ofbeauty of a woman and creates her own type of beauty, which she believes makes her a "phenomenal woman". Additionally, this phrase “it’s me” can be interpreted in such a way that it exerts power within the poem here. The phrase “this is me” is bold and conveys the simple message that she feels powerful within herself and is happy to shout it out to others. This theme continues throughout the poem as Angelou repeatedly ends each stanza in the same way, increasing the effectiveness of that particular phrase and making herself even more powerful in the poem. It is also important to note that the fact that she so boldly claims her gender and asserts herself in the poem is something that would have shocked many women and gone against the norms of corrupt society. that she had to endure. This means that despite the inner belief that being a woman is a positive thing, society has made women seemingly inferior to men in many aspects and this attitude has spread across different strata of society, whether in the public or private sector. Another way Maya Angelou presents power through a feminist lens in her poetry is the reference to slavery and how she managed, like the title of the poem, to rise above it all. For example, Angelou moves away from familiar terms such as "impertinence", the poet begins to move to terms that have a more insightful meaning; she describes herself as “a black ocean, leaping and wide, which springs and swells which I carry in the tide”. This quote is significant because it refers to itself as an ocean, which illustrates it as this great magnitude of force that cannot be stopped. The use of words such as "welling" and "swelling" can be linked to the works of feminists in the past and how feminists had to experience many ups and downs, steps and leaps to achieve equality in the company. Additionally, this quote is a clear presentation of Angelou's power as a woman since she considers herself as powerful as an ocean. Although this quote is not literal, it nevertheless has important nuances and is a clear representation of power through a feminist lens in this poem. Finally, Angelou reinforces her power in the poem with the recurring theme of her rising above all the difficulties she faces. This trend continues until the end of the poem where she repeats “I Rise, I Rise, I Rise” 3 times. The importance of this ending cannot be understated as it highlights the key message behind the poem that no matter what happens, Angelou will rise. The word "rise up" is crucial because it accurately expresses power through a feminist lens in the poem, as women have had to "rise up" for centuries against male oppression and still struggle to do so. do today. Overall, Angelou presents power in the poem through a feminist lens in several ways. One final way that Maya Angelou presents power in her poetry through a feminist lens is at the beginning of “Phenomenal Woman,” where she addresses a specific type of inequality. that a black woman would inevitably have faced. When reading one of Angelou's poems, it is essential that as a reader, there is recognition of the harsh racist society that Angelou had to experience. For example, Angelou says that "pretty women wonder where my secret is." I'm not cute or built to fit a model's height, but when I start telling them, they think I'm lying.” This quote clearly criticizes Angelou's own beauty and suggests that despite her lack of what society perceives as beauty.