The use of the verb ´swarm´ analogises men to insects, a derogatory comparison which may warrant a sense of hostility within the reader. The Guardian obituary states 'Angelou was an outspoken advocate of "womanism", a quality which she ascribed to black women, and included their strength, commitment, sexual understanding and their complete equality with men'. However, from the very title ´Phenonemal Woman´ and the continuous repetition of the adjective throughout the poem, the female voice appears to revel in her superior status, phenomenal being synonymous with something extraordinary, as opposed to ´complete equality´. In addition, the poem Caged Bird utilises the metaphysical conceit, a complex device which draws a comparison between the human and natural world almost to the point of exhaustion. The laboured parallel drawn between human and bird in the poem suggests Maya Angelou potentially exaggerates in order to evoke empathy within the
The use of the verb ´swarm´ analogises men to insects, a derogatory comparison which may warrant a sense of hostility within the reader. The Guardian obituary states 'Angelou was an outspoken advocate of "womanism", a quality which she ascribed to black women, and included their strength, commitment, sexual understanding and their complete equality with men'. However, from the very title ´Phenonemal Woman´ and the continuous repetition of the adjective throughout the poem, the female voice appears to revel in her superior status, phenomenal being synonymous with something extraordinary, as opposed to ´complete equality´. In addition, the poem Caged Bird utilises the metaphysical conceit, a complex device which draws a comparison between the human and natural world almost to the point of exhaustion. The laboured parallel drawn between human and bird in the poem suggests Maya Angelou potentially exaggerates in order to evoke empathy within the