Research one poem by one of the following poets: Adrienne Rich, Gwendolyn Brooks, Maya Angelou, or Elizabeth Bishop. First, post the poem (one we have not discussed in class) to your response. Then, record your reaction to the poem. Finally, indicate how the poem embodies the feminist literary perspective.
Your response must be at least three well-developed paragraphs to receive full credit.
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ReplyDelete"Woman Work"
ReplyDeleteI've 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
I've 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.
Shine on me, sunshine
Rain on me, rain
Fall softly, dewdrops
And cool my brow again.
Storm, blow me from here
With your fiercest wind
Let me float across the sky
'Til I can rest again.
Fall gently, snowflakes
Cover me with white
Cold icy kisses and
Let me rest tonight.
Sun, rain, curving sky
Mountain, oceans, leaf and stone
Star shine, moon glow
You're all that I can call my own.
The poem "Woman Work" by Maya Angelou is a poem full of feminist characteristics. After reading this poem, I understood the pain that women went through during that time period. She makes it simple and easy to see the meaning of her work. She has a redundant tone, listing off chore after chore of what needs to be done. These actions are completed every day, which is why she starts
to speak of them in a redundant way.
As the poem progresses, there is a shift in the speaker's tone. She starts to seem almost wishful, asking nature to help her. She addresses each aspect of nature, such as the sun, rain, and wind, to cover her with sunshine and raindrops. Both tones makes the reader sympathize with her. You start off feeling bad for her having to do so much work and you end up still feeling bad that she only has nature as an aide.
"Woman Work" embodies the feminist literary perspective in many ways. As previously stated, in stanza one, she lists multiple chores that must be done by the end of the day. She mentions children to take care of, which would then lead one to assume that she has a husband. Also, by her saying, "I've got shirts to press," one can assume that the shirts being pressed are for her husband (9). Even with a whole family, she is the only one that is forced to do the cooking, cleaning, and housework. She cares for everyone in the family.
The next three stanzas show her yearning for help from nature: "Storm, blow me from here / With your fiercest wind" (19-20). These lines portray the idea that women want to break free from the traditional standards and expectations they face. Also, the last line, "You're all that I can call my own," shows how women during that time period had no possessions (30). The men owned everything, since they were considered superior. Overall, this poem depicts the feminist literary perspective since it addresses the numerous problems women had to overcome.
"Phenomenal Woman" by Maya Angelou
ReplyDeletePretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
I chose this poem because I personally had a powerful reaction to this poem. Every female can relate to this poem in one way or another. This poem embodies the power each woman holds no matter size, color, or looks. It sends the reader a positive message to stay true to yourself and to love who you are. Moreover it engulfs the message that each woman contains the ability to do anything they want and to be confident in their ways.
"Phenomenal Woman" embodies numerous feminist characteristics. First, the title of this poem portrays a feminist approach by showing the importance of women. At this time, women were saw as not as important as men and their only jobs were to cook, clean, and care for the children and their husband. Yet, throughout this poem it illustrates the independence of women and how they can obtain confidence through that: "It's the fire in my eyes,/ And the flash of my teeth,/The swing in my waist,/And the joy in my feet./I'm a woman/Phenomenally" (22-27). This shows how a woman should not be judged by her looks but rather how she feels about herself. It also shows how they should have the ability to chose what they want to do, because they are powerful, confident, and independent.
In addition this poem portrays how men are drawn to women for they contain mystery: "Men themselves have wondered/
What they see in me"(30-31). Due to the fact men are attracted to women, they too, should also contain as much importance in life and have the same amount of rights, for without a woman a man would be lost. Yet again, the following lines indicate that a woman can be independent for they are confident in themselves. Throughout this piece the element of a woman's power, confidence, independence portrays a feminist perspective.
Elizabeth Bishop
ReplyDeleteInsomnia
The moon in the bureau mirror
looks out a million miles
(and perhaps with pride, at herself,
but she never, never smiles)
far and away beyond sleep, or
perhaps she's a daytime sleeper.
By the Universe deserted,
she'd tell it to go to hell,
and she'd find a body of water,
or a mirror, on which to dwell.
So wrap up care in a cobweb
and drop it down the well
into that world inverted
where left is always right,
where the shadows are really the body,
where we stay awake all night,
where the heavens are shallow as the sea
is now deep, and you love me.
The poem “Insomnia” by Elizabeth Bishop contains many links to the ideas of feminism. After reading this poem, I was able to interpret the troubles women faced before they were given equal rights.
Within her work, Elizabeth Bishop uses multiple objects to reference reflections and mirror-images. The first reflection to be mentioned in this poem is the moon in the bureau mirror. The moon is portrayed to be unhappy yet proud, and is referred to as a female. This leads me to believe the speaker is in fact the moon trapped within the mirror. Caught in its own reflection, the moon can only “[look] out a million miles / far and away beyond sleep…” (2-5). From a feminist point of view, the moon’s feelings can be interpreted to characterize the conflicting feelings of a woman fighting for equality. While she has a sense of pride from her accomplishments, she is still seen as an outcast and is unable to feel happy.
Another personification of the moon is used when the speaker hints “perhaps she’s a daytime sleeper” (6). This suggestion continues the theme of reflection, as sleeping in the daytime is the opposite of sleeping at night. The idea of mirror image is continued into the final stanza, where “left is always right” and “we stay awake all night” (14-16). These final lines lead me to understand that the speaker, like the moon, is living within her own reflection. She sees everything backwards, the way they should not be in real life. The final line presents the last image in the poem: a world in which “you love me” (18). This line embodies the feminist literary perspective because it portrays someone’s love as if it is unattainable. The speaker wishes the “you” character, most likely a man, would love her. She knows he does not, but is unable to accept this reality. As a result of this, she has trouble sleeping and continues to live in the backwards world where “you love me” and nighttime is the time to be awake, not asleep.
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ReplyDelete"Phenomenal Woman"
ReplyDeleteBY MAYA ANGELOU
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms,
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It’s the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them,
They say they still can’t see.
I say,
It’s in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing,
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need for my care.
’Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
When I read this poem I felt that it gave off a powerful tone. Angelou says, "I’m a woman/Phenomenally/Phenomenal woman/That’s me" (10-13). Angelou repeats the word "phenomenal" and by doing so makes that work stand out. She is also saying how she feels about women in a straight forward way. This makes the poem very clear and assertive. It makes the reader feel the power that women are capable of anything and can do what pleases them. Then Angelou goes on to say “that’s me.” This shows that she’s proud of who she is and embraces that fact that she’s a woman.
“Phenomenal Woman” embodies the feminist literary perspective in many ways. The title immediately gives off a feminist view. It is saying that women are extraordinary and highly prodigious, which shows women in a good light. Angelou is saying that it’s not how a woman looks, but how she carries herself and feels confident enough to do anything, regardless of other people’s opinions. If women had this confidence men would see how well off they are by themselves, confident and independent. Angelou says, “It’s the fire in my eyes/And the flash of my teeth/The swing in my waist/And the joy in my feet” (22-25). Angelou is describing the image of a confident woman. She is showing herself off, and how woman can portray themselves as true individuals.
Maya Angelou also discusses the inner strength of femininity. Angelou says, “Men themselves have wondered/What they see in me/They try so much/But they can’t touch/My inner mystery” (30-34). This is saying that when men try to understand why some women are so confident to take such drastic action, they never really understand why. Men believed that since majority of women didn’t take action to try and change their inequality that it was crazy to believe only one woman would take such actions. Men could never understand women who had the confidence to do that, and the shows how women can be strong and self-reliant.
“Phenomenal Woman”
ReplyDeletePretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say, It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
Now you understand Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
In the poem “Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou the feminist movement is made evident. In my own personal opinion, I found this poem to be incredibly moving. Even though it was written nearly 60 years ago, it is still very modern with today’s issues regarding women’s self esteem. I find the speaker to be very brave and courageous for speaking out about the topic of true beauty, and for creating a voice for women as a whole. And because Maya Angelou writes this poem in such a simple, yet realistic way, the reader can easily connect and better understand the struggles and hardships faced by women in this time period.
This poem embodies the feminist literary perspective in many ways. Maya Angelou throughout this poem, as stated previously, creates an empowering and inspirational voice for women. In the first stanza Angelou addresses one of the most controversial topics to date, beauty. Angelou writes, “Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size” (lines1-2). Here Maya Angelou explains the expectations that come with being a female during the feminist movement, and how being thin and physically perfect is a standard yet. Maya, however, challenges that in “Phenomenal Woman” by allowing the speaker to voice and show true beauty in the form of self confidence and self esteem. This breaks the stereotypical image set for women, which, ultimately, in this poem creates confusion, but, more importantly, inspiration by redefining beauty.
The feminist literary perspective is also expressed in Maya Angelou’s poem “Phenomenal Woman” through women’s power. During the feminist movement, men held much power and say over women. Maya Angelou, however, through this poem, shows and demonstrates otherwise. By going against the general population in regards of men’s expectations of women, the speaker is distancing herself from the male control. Angelou states, “Men themselves have wondered, What they see in me. They try so much, But they can't touch, My inner mystery.” (30-34). It is here that Angelou explains the power women have instead on men, even if it is in a seductive way. In conclusion however, Angelou again states that self confidence is key to achieving respect, acknowledgement, and ultimately equality.
"Men"
ReplyDelete- Maya Angelou
When I was young, I used to
Watch behind the curtains
As men walked up and down the street. Wino men, old men.
Young men sharp as mustard.
See them. Men are always
Going somewhere.
They knew I was there. Fifteen
Years old and starving for them.
Under my window, they would pauses,
Their shoulders high like the
Breasts of a young girl,
Jacket tails slapping over
Those behinds,
Men.
One day they hold you in the
Palms of their hands, gentle, as if you
Were the last raw egg in the world. Then
They tighten up. Just a little. The
First squeeze is nice. A quick hug.
Soft into your defenselessness. A little
More. The hurt begins. Wrench out a
Smile that slides around the fear. When the
Air disappears,
Your mind pops, exploding fiercely, briefly,
Like the head of a kitchen match. Shattered.
It is your juice
That runs down their legs. Staining their shoes.
When the earth rights itself again,
And taste tries to return to the tongue,
Your body has slammed shut. Forever.
No keys exist.
Then the window draws full upon
Your mind. There, just beyond
The sway of curtains, men walk.
Knowing something.
Going someplace.
But this time, I will simply
Stand and watch.
Maybe.
I chose "Men" by Maya Angelou because its portrayal of the relationship between the sexes is very powerful. The men in the poem have an overwhelming dominance over the speaker as a young girl who is "Fifteen / Years old and starving for them" (lines 7-8). When reading the poem, it is easy to understand how the girl was affected by the men in her life: they took advantage of her, and she felt completely powerless, losing herself because of them. A strong image to me was the contrast of the man holding onto the girl as if she "were the last raw egg in the world" (line 17). Then, when she lets her guard down he squeezes the life out of her. This negative portrayal of men seemed a little harsh but also very deep and honest.
Feminist literature appears to either express the strength of women or show the terror of men as a whole. The poem "Men" takes the latter approach. The speaker loved men as a teenager, but this changes after the men in her life start to take control of her. She uses an extended metaphor of a constricting grasp to convey this. At first the men are gentle with her, as in a hug, but soon "they tighten up" (line 18). She explains that the men start to squeeze too hard until she explodes and her "body has slammed shut. Forever" (line 30). Going along with the feminist perspective, she is saying that the men overpower her until she has nothing left. Because of the men's interaction with her, the speaker is left powerless and alone. Yet, she still sits at her window, watching the men, because she is still so drawn to them. They control her.
Near the very end of the poem, the speaker says, "...men walk. Knowing something. Going someplace" (lines 34-36). This also serves to express that the speaker feels like she is going nowhere, can go nowhere, in her life while men are allowed to do as they want. Women often do not have the opportunities that men have. This is a major part of the feminist battle. The girl in the poem states at the end that she is not going to do anything but "Stand and watch," but then she adds the word "Maybe" in a stanza all its own as a sort of last thought (lines 38-39). This shows that she is starting to consider taking action instead of allowing men to rule her life.
Aunt Jennifer's Tigers
ReplyDeleteAunt Jennifer's tigers prance across a screen,
Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.
They do not fear the men beneath the tree;
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.
Aunt Jennifer's finger fluttering through her wool
Find even the ivory needle hard to pull.
The massive weight of Uncle's wedding band
Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer's hand.
When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie
Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by.
The tigers in the panel that she made
Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid.
-Adrienne Rich
“Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers” by Adrienne Rich is a very powerful poem that truly embodies the feminist writing style. When I read it, it was not like most poems that I have to read many times because they are confusing, instead it was almost story-like and was very clear in its meaning. It is a very strong poem that uses tigers to represent women’s power and strength against oppressive men.
The poem is about a woman named Aunt Jennifer, who embroiders tigers on the materials that she knits or sews. It mentions that “the massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band/ sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand” (7-8). This suggests that her marriage is, most likely, not a loving or positive one, but instead is holding her back. The poem is in the third person, and therefore seems emotionally unattached, but it still gets a very strong point across. The one scene of her life that it mentions is her sewing, which is a stereotypical job of a woman, and then it goes straight to her death. Throughout the entire thing, there is a reoccurrence of her heavy wedding ring and the tigers that she embroiders.
The feminist perspective is extremely apparent in this poem. Foe example, the tigers that she knits represent the freedom and power of women against men. She herself never stands up to her husband, who makes her unhappy, but she expresses her desire to do so, but knitting tigers in her work. She says that even after she is dead, the tigers “will go prancing, proud and unafraid” (12). The feelings of women wanting to break from the oppression of men will live on long after she is gone. Also she mentions that they “do not fear the men beneath the tree” (3). Unlike the women of the time period, the tigers are not afraid of men and do not let men stop them from doing what they please. The tigers are strong and therefore, do not have to worry. Lastly, the line that describes her after death as being “ringed with ordeals she was mastered by” (10), suggests that she was once controlled by someone else, most likely her husband. Even after death she is still conscious of his overpowering nature toward her. This poem truly explicates the feminist opinion. It describes the oppression they undertake and the yearning and longing they have for freedom.
"Men" by Maya Angelou
ReplyDeleteWhen I was young, I used to
Watch behind the curtains
As men walked up and down the street. Wino men, old men.
Young men sharp as mustard.
See them. Men are always
Going somewhere.
They knew I was there. Fifteen
Years old and starving for them.
Under my window, they would pauses,
Their shoulders high like the
Breasts of a young girl,
Jacket tails slapping over
Those behinds,
Men.
One day they hold you in the
Palms of their hands, gentle, as if you
Were the last raw egg in the world. Then
They tighten up. Just a little. The
First squeeze is nice. A quick hug.
Soft into your defenselessness. A little
More. The hurt begins. Wrench out a
Smile that slides around the fear. When the
Air disappears,
Your mind pops, exploding fiercely, briefly,
Like the head of a kitchen match. Shattered.
It is your juice
That runs down their legs. Staining their shoes.
When the earth rights itself again,
And taste tries to return to the tongue,
Your body has slammed shut. Forever.
No keys exist.
Then the window draws full upon
Your mind. There, just beyond
The sway of curtains, men walk.
Knowing something.
Going someplace.
But this time, I will simply
Stand and watch.
Maybe.
Maya Angelou is famous for her feminist poems, and this particular poem is one of those poems. This poem shows the pain that men bring to girls and young women. The tone is bitter, and it is evident that the speaker has some negative feelings towards men and their power.
This poem is very powerful. Line 14 has only one word, "Men." The one-word conclusion to the first stanza gives an image of a woman muttering about men. In addition, the second stanza contains a shift after line 23. After this shift, the rest of the stanza moves quickly and angrily, ending with "Your body has slammed shut. Forever./ No keys exist" (30-31). This is very startling to the reader, and shows the speaker's anger. However, the lines of the last stanza are shorter than the rest of the lines of the poem, and consist of shorter sentences. This brings the energy of the poem down and settles the anger.
"Men" shows characteristics of feminist beliefs. The speaker says that "Men are always/ Going somewhere" (5-6). This means that men always have a purpose, even when courting women like the speaker. At first, men are gentle and act as if a woman is "the last raw egg in the world" (17). Then, however, the men become more rough, and "the hurt begins" (21). This shows how men take advantage of women, and, although the men will act sweet at first, do not actually care. Overall, this poem shows the power men have over women, which is an idea expressed in feminism.