women in poetry

 

poetry, for me, is where i think feminism soars the best. nothing can i best spiritually connect with other than a monologue of expression that speaks female empowerment, oppression, and thoughts.

there are a lot quintessential female poets throughout time but for this, i'm going to go with the greatest living women icon of our time; Maya Angelou.

“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.”

― Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou is an American author and poet. She has published seven autobiographies, five books of essays, and several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning more than fifty years.

Born: April 4, 1928 (age 85), St. Louis, Missouri, United States

Spouse: Paul du Feu (m. 1973–1981), Vusumzi Make (m. 1960–1963), Enistasious Tosh Angelos (m. 1951–1954)

Education: George Washington High School, California Labor School

Children: Guy Johnson

Awards: Presidential Medal of Freedom, Spingarn Medal, More

 

Phenomenal Woman

by 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.

Maya Angelou, “Phenomenal Woman” from And Still I Rise. Copyright © 1978 by Maya Angelou.

 

“All Things Not Considered”

by Naomi Shihab Nye.

You cannot stitch the breath
back into this boy.

A brother and sister were playing with toys
when their room exploded.

In what language
is this holy?

The Jewish boys killed in the cave
were skipping school, having an adventure.

Asel Asleh, Palestinian, age 17, believed in the field
beyond right and wrong where people came together

to talk. He kneeled to help someone else
stand up before he was shot.

If this is holy,
could we have some new religions please?

Mohammed al-Durra huddled against his father
in the street, terrified. The whole world saw him die.

An Arab father on crutches burying his 4 month girl weeps,
“I spit in the face of this ugly world.”

*

Most of us would take our children over land.
We would walk in the fields forever homeless
with our children,
huddle under cliffs, eat crumbs and berries,
to keep our children.
This is what we say from a distance
because we can say whatever we want.

*

No one was right.
Everyone was wrong.
What if they’d get together
and say that?
At a certain point
the flawed narrator wins.

People made mistakes for decades.
Everyone hurt in similar ways
at different times.
Some picked up guns because guns were given.
If they were holy it was okay to use guns.
Some picked up stones because they had them.
They had millions of them.
They might have picked up turnip roots
or olive pits.
Picking up things to throw and shoot:
at the same time people were studying history,
going to school.

*

The curl of a baby’s graceful ear.

The calm of a bucket
waiting for water.

Orchards of the old Arab men
who knew each tree.

Jewish and Arab women
standing silently together.

Generations of black.

Are people the only holy land?


notes

• thesis; through diction, imagery and tone the narrator clearly did not veil her sentiments of anti-violence and war between the Palestinians and the Israelis
• focused literary aspects; diction, imagery, tone
• name drop; "Asel Asleh", "Mohammed al-Durra" - for an impactful empathy?
• diction; straight-forward, uses of italic for emphasis purposes
• imagery; vivid, evident
• tone; firm, exasperated?
• repetition of the word "holy" - hint of criticism against religions
• destruction of humanity due to misguided beliefs and pointless disputes
• detach tone at the end - suggesting resignation? 

exploratory draft

the poem “All Things Not Considered” by Naomi Shihab Nye did not crept on you in its messages and intention. this is evident in the straightforward introduction of the first line; "You cannot stitch the breath back into this boy"  on what this poem intended to bring you through. it's gripping, it's vivid. from there it gives you a hunch of what the poem's going to be about and there's no way you wouldn't go on.

the poet plays with the reader's empathy in the most unmerciful way with the imagery of innocent children being destructed by violence as seen in the line "A brother and sister were playing with toys when their room exploded."  all the while perfectly timing in hints of criticism against religion emphasized in italics; "In what language is this holy?" , "

If this is holy, 

could we have some new religions please?" ; cohesive and inquisitive.

another notable aspects of the poem are the citations of real life names such as "Asel Asleh" and "Mohammed al-Durra" of which both respectively had been one of the millions victims of the disputes of injustice and violence. it is believed that the usage of these name are intentional on the poet's side in eliciting deep empathy in readers.  

to speak on the poet's tone for the poem, one couldn't help but feel the almost exasperated emotion laced through the language in its diction, imagery and questions. but at the same time the firm tone against the sentiment of violence and war are prominent enough that it leaves an akin to aching feeling in readers at the end when the poet resolute in a detach tone, leaving a haunting statement and a question to ponder about.  

"Generations of black."

 

"Are people the only holy land?"

Just moments after this picture was taken, Muhammad al-Durrah was shot dead.