Poetry Anthology:

Womanhood and Voice

By Koyuki Sakurada

Mia Sakurada
Untitled, 2016
Acrylic and Ink on Paper
12 in. x 9 in.

Table of Contents

Poem Selection
1. Never Seek to Tell thy Love by William Blake (Age of Reason)
2. Song to a Fair Young Lady Going out of Town in the Spring by John
Dryden(Neoclassical)
3. To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time" by Robert Herrick (Neoclassical)
4. A Prayer for My Daughter by William Butler Yeats (Modernism)
5. Woman! when I behold thee flippant, vain by John Keats (Romanticism)
6. Warm by Robert Grenier (Contemporary)
7. A Woman Waits for Me by Walt Whitman (Transcendentalism)
8. The Apparition by John Donne (Renaissance)
9. Spring and Fall by Gerard Manley Hopkins (Victorian)
10. Loves Philosophy by Percy Bysshe Shelley (Romanticism)
11. Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare (Renaissance)
12. I loved you first: but afterwards your love- by Christina Rossetti (Age of Realism)
13. A Mans Requirements by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (Victorian)
14. Translations by Adrienne Rich (Contemporary)
15. I am the only being whose doom by Emily Bronte (Victorian)
16. They shut me up in Prose - by Emily Dickinson (American Colonial)
17. The Ballad of Mulan by Anonymous (Sui Dynasty)
18. Men by Maya Angelou (Contemporary)
19. Rape Joke by Patricia Lockwood (Contemporary)
20. The Mother by Gwendolyn Brooks (Postmodernism)
21. Youre by Sylvia Plath (Modernism)
22. What Do Women Want? by Kim Addonizio (Postmodernism)
23. Tweet This, You Small Minded Motherfucker! by Stacyanne Chin (Contemporary)
24. Cant Hold Us Down by Christina Aguilera ft. Lil Kim (Contemporary Song)
25. Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou (Contemporary)

Short Analysis
1. Woman! when I behold thee flippant, vain by John Keats
2. Warm by Robert Grenier
3. They shut me up in Prose - by Emily Dickinson
4. I am the only being whose doom by Emily Bronte
5. Translations by Adrienne Rich
6. Men by Maya Angelou
7. The Mother by Gwendolyn Brooks
8. What Do Women Want? by Kim Addonizio
9. Tweet This, You Small Minded Motherfucker! by Stacyanne Chin
10. Cant Hold Us Down by Christina Aguilera ft. Lil Kim

Extended Analysis
1. A Prayer for My Daughter by William Butler Yeats
2. The Apparition by John Donne
3. Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare
4. The Ballad of Mulan by Anonymous
5. Rape Joke by Patricia Lockwood
Reflection
Artwork Explanation

Short analysis
1.Woman! when I behold thee flippant, vain by John Keats
John Keats describes women and the qualities he finds lovely, such as meekness,
kindness, and tenderness. Keats, as a man, speaking on what he sees as beautiful
enforces the idea that womens intelligence, beliefs, and thoughts, which were left out of
the poem, are not as important as attractiveness and docile characteristics. .Woman!
when I behold thee flippant, vain also reinforces gender roles; the weak characteristics
that Keats finds beautiful inspires him to take on a heroic, protector role. Keats is the
voice of patriarchal society, determining gender roles and certain standards that women
are expected to live up to, without consideration of those being defined by the
standards.
2. Warm by Robert Grenier
Grenier is known for his innovative line structure, rhythm, and imagery. Greniers
Warm, though it is simple-looking, harbors complex beats and meanings. This poem is
one of familial unity and love, but also perpetuates the idea of women as mothers and
sedentary home-dwellers who are vessels for children, and idea that resonates with The
Handmaids Tale.
3.They shut me up in Prose - by Emily Dickinson
In They shut me up in Prose, Emily Dickinson writes disapprovingly on the cultural
norms, where women are encouraged to be still and passive. The poem itself is a
rebellion because Dickinson is acting out against mens disapproval of women in
literature. Dickinson uses her poem to voice her frustrations with voicelessness,
disrespect, and lack of opportunity and recognition in society.
4.I am the only being whose doom by Emily Bronte
In the poem I am the only being whose doom, Emily Bronte reflects on her life by
talking about her obligation to please others and the value of youth. In aging, however,
she feels that she has gained wisdom and an awareness of the corruption, or
compliance to societal norms, within her own mind. These themes reflect the Victorian
Eras ideal of femininity while also going against them, as Bronte uses poetry to speak
out express her emotions.
5.Translations by Adrienne Rich
Why is it that most poems written about women by men are about love? Translations
provides an interesting response to this question and reveals what the modern womans
relationship with love is. As Rich sees it, women are conditioned to rely on love, making
it an obligation and political necessity. She also explores the idea of mens power in
heterosexual relationships. The poem is a statement on the restraints of traditional
womanhood and a rebuke on the constant theme of womens association with love.
6. Men by Maya Angelou
Womens bodies and sexuality not only makes up a large part of a womans identity but
is also something that is often abused. In Men, Maya Angelou explores her emotions
during and afterwards her rape, namely hopelessness and passivity, as well the power
dynamics between men and women in the modern world. Angelous striking language
and ideas about freedom, objectification, and rape are highlighted through her creative
use of metaphors, slant rhymes, and an inconsistent meter, which are indicative of the

Contemporary style. Both the domestic imagery of a young girl watching from behind
the curtains of a window and the arrogant imagery of the men walking outside
emphasizes the deep imbalance of power in todays society. Rather than allowing sexual
abuse to take power away from her, however, Angelou channels her experience and
emotions into poetry and choses to control her own story, uplifting the unheart
experiences of others as well.
7. The Mother by Gwendolyn Brooks
Motherhood can be a large aspect of a womans life, just as choosing not to not have
children can be a huge and equally important decision. Regardless, reproduction unifies
most cisgender, fertile women in that it is often outside of their control and because of
the judgement and shame they face regarding it. The Mother is a portrait of a woman
and her response to abortion, which is guilt and confusion. Brooks takes abortion,
which is a taboo subject that is often hidden away from the public eye and is not
discussed, and calls for empathy and understanding. The Mother shares one story of
the millions, amplifying the silent struggle that is abortion.
8.What Do Women Want? by Kim Addonizio
Addonizios poem explores the stereotypes that women must endure based on their
appearances- all encapsulated in a womans longing for a red dress. Addonizios
harshness and honesty transforms the seemingly simply red dress into a duality- an
object of desire and disgust, of sexual freedom and limiting stereotypes, and of
empowerment and oppression. This poem is an accurate representation of the
complexities of being a modern woman wrestling with social judgement and ideas of
female liberation.
9.Tweet This, You Small Minded Motherfucker! by Stacyanne Chin
Tweet This, You Small Minded Motherfucker! is a fiery, intense spoken word poem
written and performed by Stacyanne Chin in response to a haters tweet. Chin turns this
misogynistic tweet into a beautifully profane and empowering work of art that would
immediately capture the attention of any audience due to its raw emotion and explosive,
defiant anger. Chin effectively uses alliteration, rhythm, and creative profanities to
draw the audience into her poem about respect, motherhood, and sexual freedom. This
poem is witty, captivating, and powerful, putting into words what almost every modern
woman has felt and wanted to say in the face of blatant sexism and disrespect.
10.Cant Hold Us Down by Christina Aguilera ft. Lil Kim
Cant Hold Us Down is a contemporary, feminist anthem that challenges double
standards in todays patriarchal society and calls for female unity in defiance. Christina
Aguilera and Lil Kim specifically address the sexual differences between men and
women, questioning why men are praised for promiscuity while women get shamed.
The song encourages women to shout out loud in defiance, relating to the theme of
voice in order to right for equality and womens sexual freedom. This popular,
empowering song indicates the influence of the intersection of pop culture and social
justice in the modern world.

Extended Analysis
A Prayer for my Daughter by William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats poem encapsulates all the wishes he has for her daughter. In his A
Prayer for my Daughter, Yeats prays for limited beauty and thought that would lead to security
and happiness. His wishes are juxtaposed to the frenzied, fearful, and chaotic world
characteristic of modernism. Yeats prayer enforces traditional gender roles and beauty ideals
onto his infant daughter, robbing her of her voice and ideas when she is still in her crib.
Yeats wishes for his daughter to be mild in appearance and personality- relatively
attractive and vacuous- in order to attain a secure life with a worthy husband amidst the
disarray and discord of the modern world. In his prayer, Yeats stresses his wish for his daughter
to be granted beauty, and yet not/Beauty to make a strangers eye distraught,/Or hers before a
looking-glass (17-19). He is adamant on his daughter being pretty, but not excessively. To Yeats,
a woman who is the paragon of beauty can be ruinous. He is passionate about the subject of
beauty, which is evident through the s consonance, which creates an angry, sibilant sound. Too
much beauty can cause strangers to become distraught, because her intense beauty will make
them long for her but fail in winning her. She will thus attract hatefulness and vengefulness
rather than loving suitors. Yeats is mainly focused on how her appearance will upset others,
especially potential husbands, reinforcing the societal notion that women live to please others
and live to achieve marriage. Yeats spurns a beauty that is hers before the looking-glass
because it will cause her to be self absorbed and vain. By using the term hers, Yeats wants to
prevent his daughter from completely owning and appreciating her beauty. The imagery of the
looking-glass insinuates that she would be constantly looking at herself in a mirror, adding to
the stereotype that beautiful women are conceited, empty-minded, and obsessed with their
image. Yeats continues to espouse that her opinionated mind/Barter that horn and every
good/...For an old bellows full of angry wind? (61-64). He is fearful of his daughter becoming
too strong-willed and passionate because she may choose to marry someone he believes is the
wrong man, which he refers to in a metaphor of an old bellows full of angry wind. The
imagery of the angry wind resonantes with Yeats vision of a world in turmoil, which he wishes
for his daughter to avoid. He takes away a womans independence by implying that he knows
what his daughters will want and need better than she knows herself. The horn that he speaks
of is a continuation of the Horn of Plenty he mentions earlier on in the poem, which refers to
a womans power, beauty, and thus, ability to chose any man she wants to (32). Yeats continual
obsession with marriage has led him to denounce strong opinions and personalities, as well as
excessive beauty.
Yeats prayers for her daughter's future have little to do with her personal success, health,
and satisfaction, and is instead focuses on her happiness surrounding men. The ultimate goal
for his daughter is to marry an admirable man and living a peaceful, domestic life sheltered
from the complexities and turmoil of the outside world. His exacting standards of beauty and
thought parallels societys expectations of women. While the ideal women would be attractive

physically and mentally in order to lure a worthy husband, she must also not displease others
with her excessive beauty and strong personality and thoughts. The lack of voice from Yeats
daughters ideas takes away from a womans power and is reminiscent of The Handmaidens
Tale, in which Offred loses part of her identity and independence because she is censored,
watched, and threatened into silence. Yeats prayers enforce certain ideals, life choices, and
lifestyles on his daughter even though she is an infant who has not yet found her own identity
and is incapable of voicing her own ideas, speaking to the idea of female voicelessness in
literature.

The Apparition by John Donne

When women do not fit into the category of the pure, gentle maiden, they are forced
into the role of cold, promiscuous seductresses. Literature, being a historically male-dominated
area, has often reinforced this extremely binary Madonna-Whore complex. The Apparition is
no different. John Donnes poem is not only reflective of how the Renaissance saw women, but
is also representative of the overly dramatic, excessive response many men throughout the ages
have when faced with rejection from a woman they desire. The Apparition is the revenge
fantasy of a self-important man who has trouble handling loss and rejection, painting women
as sexual, immoral heart-breakers for the sake of his own ego.
Donnes poem is an attack on womanhood and a womans sexuality, with his language
dehumanizing women and enforcing the notion that women belong in the bedroom. The
setting of The Apparition physically takes place in the bedroom, which introduces the
intimate tone and begins reinforcing the idea that women are only valuable in bed. Rather than
referring to the subject of his poem by name, Donne dehumanizes her and calls her a
murd'ress, feign'd vestal, and aspen wretch (1, 5, 11). Donne calls her a murdress because
she treats him with contempt. He, however, cannot bear the fact that a woman does not like
him, over exaggerating her sin of disliking him to murder. By calling her a feign'd vestal,
Donne accuses her of lying about her innocence and purity, which enforces societal values and
attacks the power and integrity of her word. He calls her an aspen wretch to emphasize her
fear and despicability; Donne, however, compares her to an aspen tree, further dehumanizing
her. When Donne says that she is a verier ghost than I, he not only refers to her complexion,
but also her basic humanness (13). While Donne is not calling her a literal ghost, he does imply
that she is ghost-like in that her soul, morals, and innocence is dead. The Apparition reflects
Renaissance societal beliefs, with a womans virginity being her most prized possession. The
sexual undertone continues when Donne says that when she turns to wake her other lover in
terror of Donnes apparition, her lover will think/Thou call'st for more (8-9). Donne reduces
her worth by saying that her new lover will automatically assume that the only reason why she
would stir to wake him is because she simply wants more sex. The association with women and
sex is only amplified by the fact that Donne choses to haunt her when she is in bed with her
lover. Because his feelings are hurt, Donne over exaggerates the situation, even calling for her
to repent as if her rejection was a sin, introducing a religious undertone to the poem (16).
The Apparition degrades and harrasses an unnamed, voiceless woman because she rejected
Donne, inspiring him to write an exaggerated, dehumanizing, and cruel poem.
The Apparition by John Donne assaults womens sexuality and independence because
of one mans damaged pride. Donnes poem speaks to the differing societal expectations of
women and men. While women are expected to be pure, kind, and loving, it is socially
acceptable for men to act out excessively, writing revenge poems about haunting a woman who
simply dislikes him while she is in bed with her other lover. The Apparition is an attempt to

diminish a womans will, ideas, and emotions while excluding the womans viewpoint
completely. With the prevailing association of women with sex and worth with value, Donnes
The Apparition reveals Renaissance ideals and is unfortunately still very applicable to the lives
of modern day women.

Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare

Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare mocks the the conventions of love written by his
contemporaries, challenging the broader idea of femininity and idealized beauty. By seemingly
insulting his lover, Shakespeare calls out the impossible standards for women to achieve in
order to be considered comely. Through the sonnet, he conveys the message of loving another
despite their imperfections and flaws.
Through his use of language and rhythm, Shakespeare underscores his mistress
unsightly features in comparison to the ideal and emphasizes his unconditional love. Rather
than using metaphors, drawing comparisons, and alluding to goddesses like Venus when
talking about his mistress, Shakespeare uses the typical language found in love poems against
itself by claiming that his mistress eyes are not as bright as the sun, her lips not as red as coral,
her breasts not as white as snow, her cheeks not as pink as roses, her breath not as delightful as
perfume, and her voice not as sweet as music (1,2,3, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10). The sonnets meter, especially
by rhyming sun with dun, draws a contrast between the over exaggerated allure of having
eyes bright like the sun and the reality of pallor and dull skin. Shakespeare mocks poets
misrepresentation of womens beauty by admitting that while he has never seen a goddess go; /
my mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground. By saying that his lover walks on the
ground like common people, she is made to be more relatable and realistic. In admitting that he
has never seen a goddess, he is making a jibe at the other poets who claim that their lovers look
like goddesses without ever having seen one. By saying that his mistress is not a goddess and
does not resemble the sun, snow, roses, and such, though it may sound insulting, Shakespeare
is respectful to women. Rather than dehumanizing his lover by comparing her to various
inanimate objects, he sees the beauty in her as a normal human being with flaws regardless. He
thinks she is rare as any she belied with false compare. To Shakespeare, she is just as special as
any other woman in poetry who is falsely described to be overwhelmingly beautiful; she does
not need to achieve such unattainable standards and be a literal goddess to be considered
attractive.
Shakespeares sonnet is a parody of poems about love. Rather than wrongfully
describing his lover to be as fair as a goddess and perpetuating women's impossible beauty
ideals, Shakespeare writes about the reality of genuine love. His decision to convey this
message in a sonnet is especially powerful because, in his era, poets used sonnets to praise and
exaggerate their lovers qualities and appearance. His critique denounces the beauty standards
of his time, and even though a womans ideas and voice is not present in the sonnet, he reflects
what many women believe. Sonnet 130 denounces beauty standards, giving women power
regardless of their appearance. Shakespeare accurately captures his feelings of true love for his
mistress even though she may not live up to the absurd standards created by other poets.

The Ballad of Mulan

The Ballad of Mulan is an ancient folktale featuring a strong-willed and courageous
young woman, who sacrifices herself out of love for her family despite the law and social
standards. The Ballad is composed by an anonymous author during a time of chaos and
conflict- in the the fifth or sixth century CE when China was divided into the north and south.
Given the tradition of oral storytelling, it is likely that the Ballad has undergone many
transformations and adaptations, which only adds to its history and relevance. The original
ballad is a flowing, beautiful, and impressive work of art while the translation loses the artistic,
rhyming qualities of the poem in order to convey the meaning of the story.
The original Ballad of Mulan contains a strong rhythm, syntax, and diction, which
conveys the sense of deep sadness and worry that ultimately shifts into a tone of determination
and hope. The rhythm of the ballad is clear in its structural limitations of characters per phrase,
and two phrases per line. The ending character in each of the phrases often rhyme or have
similar tones, with the first two level tones and the last two slant tones rhyming. In the ballad,
each character of each phrase rhymes with its pair. For instance, the tonal and assonant rhyme
in and , pronounced bing, first tone, and ming, second tone, not only continues the
flow of the ballad, which is especially important because it was most likely passed on orally, but
also emphasizes two key points in the plot (5,6). By highlighting and , Mulan is
juxtaposing army and name because her fathers name is on the draft posters. Within the
poem, the structure of each phrase is crucial to the understanding and rhythm. For example, in
the first two begin with
and the last two phrases begin with (3-4). The paralleled structure of
the phrases creates a new rhythm that creates a natural, human flow of the dialogue. The word
choice of and , which means think and remember, creates a sense of worry and
nostalgia. However, the tone begins to change with the tonal rhythm shifts. In the last line,
and are used at the end of each phrase. The third tone of does not rhyme with the first
tone of . This sudden change jolts the reader from the lull of the tonal pattern, alerting them
to a change in tone and plot. The tonal rhythm, rhyme, parallel sentence structure, and
powerful word choice convey the somber tone and plot and effectively signals a shift in mood
when the rhyme scheme abruptly changes in the last line. The Ballad of Mulan speaks to a
womans independence, strong will, and sense of loyalty in a time of war and despite rigid
gender expectations in ancient China.
The translation of the Ballad of Mulan, by Han H. Frankel, who is an accomplished
translator fluent in five languages, takes the original Chinese ballad and translates it into
stylistically different, yet still fundamentally similar English poem. Frankels translation
forgoes the tonal rhythm possible in Chinese only, as well as line structure and rhyme of the last
characters of each phrase; there are also several inconsistencies within his translation.Tones
are half of the Chinese language. Without it, words would have no meaning. Given its
importance in the language and in poetry, the sudden disappearance of it in the English

translation decreases the artistic genius of the Chinese ballad. The additional lack of rhyme also
detracts from the creativity of the poem. Frankels translation does not follow the line structure,
with two phrases per line. Instead, the phrases are put into new line breaks. This creates a
physical difference between the two poems, further separating them and changing the
experience of reading the ballad. The translation also refers to and as heart and
mind. In reality, and are verbs: to think and to remember. While the heart is
commonly used in Chinese in replacement of the head colloquially, to think is radically
different from heart. To think implies active participation, giving the dialogue more life and
drawing the reader into the situation, as if they were apart of the conversation. Using an active
verb rather than a static noun also speaks to Mulans will and thoughts being translated to
actions. To remember is also very different from mind. To remember implies nostalgia,
which mind does not. Frankel also does not accurately translate the opening . is
read as ji ji, first tone, but he writes it in English as tsiek tsiek. His erroneous translation
makes me consider the possibility of dialects. Although Frankels biography says that he studied
Chinese in Beijing, it is possible that he also learned a dialect, which came through in his
translation of tsiek tsiek. While the onomatopoeia does not affect the understanding of the
poem, tsiek tsiek and ji ji create very different auditory images. Frankel also
inconsistently switches between third and first person. The poem is written in third person, but
can also be interpreted as first person when Mulan is speaking. It is important to chose one,
however, because switching perspectives within one dialogue creates confusion and detracts
from the story. Frankels poem does, however, accurately convey the story very well, though at
the expense of tonal rhythm, rhyme scheme, line structure, and pronunciation.
While Frankels translation of the poem effectively delivers the ideas and plot of The
Ballad of Mulan, much of the artistry in the original Chinese version is lost. The originals use of
tonal rhythm, rhyme scheme, and character restrictions adds to the experience of the poem that
is lost in the English version. Frankels translation also mis-translates key characters, changing
the tone of the poem, and inaccurately translates the onomatopoeia, creating different auditory
imagery that is untrue to the original. Despite these flaws, Han H. Frankel still manages to
convey the story in a way that English speakers could easily grasp.

Rape Joke by Patricia Lockwood

Rape Joke by Patricia Lockwood highlights the problem with rape jokes, which
trivializes sexual assaults, by detailing her own experience with rape. Her poem is both tragic
and comedic and exhibits the confusion, hopelessness, and shame she feels in contrast with the
flippancy of society.
Through her powerful use of language, syntax, and tone, Lockwood shares her story of
rape, juxtaposing her emotions with the reactions of others. Lockwoods poem takes care to
emphasizes the trust she had in her attacker and then points out, sarcastically, that come on,
you should have seen it coming. By blaming herself for not see[ing] it coming, Lockwood is
assuming the voice of society, brushing responsibility off of the attacker and instead blaming
the the victim (52). Rape Joke is a literal interpretation of the problematic message that rape
jokes send and reveals the harmful ways society react to rape and its survivors. Lockwood
wonders, Can rape jokes be funny at all, is the question (86). By ending the stanza with a
period and not a question mark, however, indicates that no, rape jokes are not funny, especially
not to her. By reducing her whole, traumatic experience to a joke only goes to show societys
ignorance and disregard for victims safety and well-being. Rape jokes also reveal a deep
unwillingness to talk about rape, the effect it has on survivors, and how to prevent it in the
future by educating men. These jokes parallel the betrayal Lockwood feels when, as an apology,
her rapist gave you Pet Sounds. No really. Pet Sounds. He said he was sorry / and then he gave
you Pet Sounds (91). When talking about Pet Sounds, the constant repetition implies that the
stanza is meant to be humorous, but also tinged with bitterness. To be able to laugh about this
moment does not mean that she does not understand the distastefulness of it, but instead
reveals that she has gone through much pain in order to get to a place to be able to joke about
the aftermaths of her rape. Perhaps that is why the Pet Sounds joke is at the end of the poem,
after Lockwood has gone through the tragic details of her rape. Lockwoods intensely
emotional, humorous, yet serious poem highlights the societal problems and the treatment of
women who have experience rape.
Rape Joke is the story of one womans harrowing sexual assault, but also brings the
millions of attacks occurring across the world to light. It raises the voices of those whose stories
go unheard similar to testimonios, The Time of the Butterflies. Testimonio and The Time of the
Butterflies tells the story of Las Mariposas, four sisters symbolic of the Dominican revolution,
and their personal, emotional, and unheard story of overthrowing Trujillos regime. Rape is a
constant threat and an unfortunate reality for all too many women today and throughout
history. This poem, at once, is an effort to change the way we talk about rape as well as
destigmatize meaningful and productive conversations about it.

Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou

In an age where a womans beauty is quantified and commercialized, Maya Angelous
Phenomenal Woman is a celebration of the raw, unmodified womanhood that is inherent in
every woman. Angelou is confident and unwavering in her analysis of being a woman, despite
the societal beauty standards, accusations, and ignorance that question her womanhood.
Angelou in Phenomenal Woman is proud, confident, and unapologetically a woman
even though society may say differently. She opens the poem by conceding that she is not cute
or slim like a fashion model, but goes on to disprove why those characteristics that are
advertised and enforced by society and the media do not define a womans worth or beauty.
Angelou remarks that Pretty women wonder where my secret lies./...But when I start to tell
them,/They think Im telling lies (1, 3-4). Angelou is faced with accusations of lying and
ignorance in regards to her womanhood. Her use of pretty woman in contrast with
phenomenal woman suggests a level of superficiality and lack of self-awareness. Secret aptly
describes her womanhood because she describes it as the fire in my eyes,/ And the flash of my
teeth,/The swing in my waist,/And the joy in my feet, which are all inherent sparks of life that
color her eyes, teeth, waist, feet, and other body parts (22-25). Womanhood becomes more than
body parts, it becomes the fire, flash, swing, and joy. Her use of fire, which is natural
and essential to human life, speaks to her view of femininity- as something inherent and
organic. Angelous assured diction, which can be seen through boldness of flash and swing,
continues throughout the poem. Her constant repetition of the phrase, Phenomenal woman,/
Thats me is short and firm, emphasizing her confidence when it comes to her womanhood
(12-13). Her use of thats me, affirms her identity. The adjective phenomenal before woman
enforces the idea that she is more than just a woman, she is amazing, unique, and remarkable
in a way that a superficial pretty does not encapsulate. Maya Angelous inspirational analysis
on women expands the modern definition of beauty from cute and skinny, as perpetuated by
society through fashion and media, to cover all body shapes and sizes. Angelou enforces the
idea that womanhood is inherent to all women, regardless of societal standards and other
peoples beliefs.
Angelous Phenomenal Woman effectively discredits societys beauty standards and a
womans worth that is associated with it. Instead, Angelou reiterates being confident and proud
in ones womanhood because it is natural and inseparable; she defines womanhood not as body
parts but the movements and emotions within them that brings a woman to life.

Reflection
The junior year texts, T
he Time of the Butterflies, The Scarlet Letter, Sula, The
Handmaids Tale, Othello, Heart of Darkness, and Things Fall Apart, all touch upon
womanhood and voice whether it be through their abundance or lack of female representation.
The individual themes of the seven texts are all inherently related to womanhood and voice and
specific topics within the texts are also reflected in my anthologys poetry selection.
The Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez is a testimonio that amplifies the stories of
the Las Mariposas, sisters who symbolize the revolution against Trujillos dictatorship. The
themes of female voice and resistance in the face of oppression are key to the narratives, which
are emotional and complex. Womanhood and voice are heavily present in The Time of the
Butterflies, as it gives the famous sister political icons rich cultural backgrounds, multifaceted
personalities, compelling familial relationships, and powerful, relatable emotions. The novel
delves deep into the thoughts and feelings of the sisters, going beyond their public appearance,
just as my anthologys poems go from outer, surface-level to deep and personal understanding
of womanhood.
Hester Prynne from The Scarlet Letter faces the struggles of raising a child conceived
through an affair as a single mother in a highly religious and intolerant Puritan society. Some
themes that are explored in the novel include love, repentance, sin, guilt, societal norms,
isolation, and judgement. Femininity adds an additional element on how she experiences
motherhood and society after being publically condemned for her affair, which ties into my
theme of womanhood. Following the story of one womans struggles, The Scarlet Letter uplifts
the voices of Hester while commenting on expectations of women in Puritan society.
Sula is the story of Nel and Sulas relationship through childhood and adulthood. The
novel and my anthology both share themes of loyalty, betrayal, societal restraints based on
gender, and female sexuality.
Offred from The Handmaids Tale resists governmental oppression and its enforced
gender roles through quiet, subtle ways. The Handmaids Tale additionally explores the themes
of the loss of identity, marriage, sexuality, and children, as does multiple poems in the my
anthology does. Her internal defiance as well as her complacency and fear emphasizes both the
complexity of human nature and female resistance. The novel analyzes these themes through
Offreds viewpoint, a female voice, magnifying her story and drawing attention to all the other
stories in Gilead that remain unheard.
Othello follows the complicated story about duplicity and duality, featuring a
manipulative Iago who acts out of revenge and jealousy of Othello, a gullible Othello who is
swayed into killing his innocent wife, and a pure Desdemona, who remains faithful to Othello
to her death. Desdemona is at once a strong-willed, independent, and powerful woman and a
dependent, faithful, and unquestioning wife. O
thello and my anthology share topics of
marriage, innocence, and beauty surrounding Desdemona, who has limited appearances
despite her pivotal role in the plot.

A deeply complex and controversial novel, The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
follows the journey of Marlow as he travels through the Congo. The lack of female characters
and voice in The Heart of Darkness makes it all the more important to examine them and their
intersection with the other themes of the book. Although women are relegated to neutral
background figures with little direct power in The Heart of Darkness, interpreting the text
through a postcolonial, feminist viewpoint reveals the symbolism, significance, and power that
the female characters hold. Their lack of voice does not detract from their womanhood, which
can be seen through ideas of lightness, darkness, and colonization.
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a novel that follows the journey of Okonkwo and
Umuofian society as they are forced to adapt to European colonialism. Women play a large role
in the novel; though they do not hold any form of power in Umuofia, they have important roles
within the household. Womens storytelling is an ingrained tradition in Umuofia, as it passes
on stories about morals and identities, which relates to my theme about womanhood through
voicing folktales.
All seven texts have significant female presences either through the prominent female
characters or through the absence of them. The Time of the Butterflies, The Scarlet Letter, Sula,
The Handmaids Tale, Othello, Heart of Darkness, and Things Fall Apart all relate to my theme
of womanhood and voice, and many smaller topics within each text can be seen in the poetry
selection and its ordering.

When creating my anthology, I decided that I wanted to explore a theme that has a deep
connection to my own identity. The idea behind womanhood and voice arose from the texts we
read in class. Our class would invariably end up discussing female characters and
representation, or lack thereof. The intersection of these closely intertwined topics with the
other themes in our texts fascinates me, leading me to chose to continue analyzing womanhood
and voice in poetry that discusses gender expectations, motherhood, sex, and female rebellion.
Considering that men have dominated the literary field for most of history,
representation of women in poetry is often limited and one-sided. Thus, I made a conscious
effort when selecting poems to include male and female authors. I noticed that poems written
about the women by women was extremely rare and difficult to find the earlier the era. I,
however, chose to embrace the lack of womens voice in the earlier eras, which created an
intriguing pattern that I worked to accentuated in the ordering of poems.
I began with poems that reflected societal regards towards women throughout the ages
and revealed the male poets surface level understanding of women. I chose to start out with
Never Seek to Tell thy Love by William Blake and Song to a Fair Young Lady Going out of
Town in the Spring by John Dryden because they shared the imagery of a woman leaving. The
women in both poems were depicted as silent, beautiful, and cruel heartbreakers, leaving their
men behind. Little else is learned about the women, such as their name or the circumstances of

their leave, except that they are exceptionally gorgeous, using their beauty to seduce and
abandon men. The focus of both poems is on the men and the agony they experience, using
women to convey their sorrow. Following the theme of beauty, I next chose to include "To the

Virgins, to Make Much of Time" by Robert Herrick. Herrick encourages women to marry while they
are still youthful, suggesting that a womans worth is dependent on their physical appearance and
age. Continuing off the idea of a womans worth dependent on her appearance, I chose to include A

Prayer for My Daughter by William Butler Yeats and Woman! when I behold thee flippant,
vain by John Keats. Both Yeats and Keats enforce the importance of women's outwards
appearance and societys standards of beauty. Yeats is extremely exacting in his preference in
women, wishing for his daughter to become vacuous and beautiful, yet not too much as to
distraught those who cannot attain her hand. Keats reinforces beauty ideals, praising softness,
meekness and kindness, and gender roles, with men being strong, powerful protectors of
women. Yeats and Keats emphasize beauty as a determinant of worth, rather than internal
characteristics such as beliefs, opinions, and thoughts. They enforce shallow notions of
womanhood, which transitions well into women and sex. Warm by Robert Grenier introduces
the image of a domestic woman and motherhood, which is a more complex subject than
surface-level beauty and youth. Warm leads well to A Woman Waits for Me by Walt
Whitman, in which Whitman describes sex with a woman. Whitmans poem is selfish in his
discussion of possessing a woman, claiming that he cannot let you go, I would do you good
(32). He thus suggests that he knows what the womans needs are despite the fact that the
woman never directly expresses them in his poem. A Woman Waits for Me objectifies women,
creating the notion that they are worthy only because they are vessels for sex and
children-bearing. The Apparition by John Donne continues the association of a womans value
based on sex. Donne, who is personally offended by a womans rejection of him, exaggerates the
womans crime in his poem, claiming that she murdered him, and continues on a revenge
fantasy of haunting the despicable woman. His language attacks the womans word and
independence while enforcing the womans place in the bedroom. Following Donnes dismissal
of womens volition and decisions is Gerard Manley Hopkins dismissal of womens intellect in
Spring and Fall, in which Hopkins projects his own views and beliefs onto a foolish, crying,
young girl. The first ten poems of the anthology reflect male poets surface-level understanding
of women, starting from their superficial beauty and moving to denunciate womens sexuality
and intellect.
In the transition phase of my list of poems in my anthology, I chose to include poems
written from both male and female perspectives that indicate the beginnings of a deeper
understanding of women. Loves Philosophy by Percy Bysshe Shelley speaks of pairings in
nature, giving women power by describing them as equals in love. However, the poem still
enforces the necessity of love, implying that a woman must love a man, for that follows the
natural order. William Shakespeares sonnet 130 continues off the theme of love. Shakespeares
sonnet, however, is a parody and critique of the Renaissance eras beauty ideals that women are

expected to live up to. Continuing Shakespeare's rejection of beauty ideals comes Rossetti,
Browning, Rich, and Brontes rejection of other expectations of women to value love and
marriage above all else. I loved you first: but afterwards your love- by Christina Rossetti, A
Mans Requirements by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Translations by Adrienne Rich, and I
am the only being whose doom by Emily Bronte introduce the idea that love is unnecessary to
womanhood, as well as the female voice into my anthology.
In the last phase of my anthology, the poems included explore the depth and complexity
of the female experience told in the perspective of those who understand it the best- women.
Emily Dickinsons They shut me up in Prose - speaks to her unappreciated intellect and
literary talent. The Ballad of Mulan continues in a similar vein, speaking of Mulans
independence and strong will. Dickinson and Mulans spirit of rebellion continues to womens
use of poetry to share their previously unheard experiences. Men by Maya Angelou and Rape
Joke by Patricia Lockwood shares heartbreaking and intense stories about rape, while The
Mother by Gwendolyn Brooks and Youre by Sylvia Plath examines abortions and
motherhood. Angelou, Lockwood, Brooks, and Plaths poems are testimonies that not only get
their own voices heard, but also amplifies to the voices of millions of women who share similar
experiences. The female rebellion from cultural norms and standards continues in Kim
Addonizios poem What Do Women Want? and Stacyanne Chins spoken word, Tweet This,
You Small Minded Motherfucker! The harshness and bluntness of both poems destroy the soft,
timid, and meek feminine ideals, introduce intense emotion, conviction, and passion instead.
The song Cant Hold Us Down by Christina Aguilera ft. Lil Kim follows, a rallying cry for
women to unite and rebel against societal expectations. Finally, I chose to end with
Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou as a reminder that womanhood is beautiful and
extraordinary. Womanhood cannot be taken away because it is inherent in any woman, and is
worth celebrating and fighting for.
The work I have done in this poetry anthology has helped my reached the goals of
identifying connections between different eras, contextualizing, close-reading skills and
analysis, and learning to appreciate poetry. Before creating this anthology, Ive always seen
poetry as a distant, untouchable art form that was often beyond my understanding and
definitely beyond my capabilities. As I began my research, however, I began to truly see how
significant and relevant poetry can be to my identity and to modern society. Choosing which
poems to include in my anthology was an exercise in contextualizing and close-reading and
analysis, because it allowed me to identify the different standards of women during the
different eras and important themes that I believed should be addressed. My analyses of the
poems that led to identifying themes became especially crucial to organizing the poems, which
made me look for the overarching ideas to create the best flow. Overall, the poetry anthology
has helped my solidify all the skills I have learned in English class so far, creating a cumulative
work that is deeply personal and significant to me.

In compiling and organizing my list of poems, Ive grown firmer in my identity as a

woman. The poems that I chose to include are all now very close to my heart because they touch
my core beliefs and identities. Both my vehement disagreement and passionate agreement with
the wide range of poems in my anthology speak to my pride in womens voices, intellect,
personalities, bodies, sexualities, and rebellions. The representation of women in poetry has
evolved and expand so much in the past centuries, and seeing that evident in my anthology has
led me to become even prouder of women. I have come to appreciate all that women have
overcome and achieved, and have grown more aware of the progress we as a civilization still
must make in raising the voices of those who come from all different kinds of gender, racial,
cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds.

Artwork Explanation
The artwork that is on the cover page is a painting I did that I believe best summarizes
the ideas in my anthology. I aimed to create basic female figures because womanhood, as Maya
Angelou notes in Phenomenal Woman, is simple, organic, and inherent in all women. The
figures are in black and white, representing the intersection of womanhood and voice, and are
intertwining, just like to nature of many of the themes that I address. Their lack of heads speaks
to the sexualization and objectification of women in literature. The vibrant strokes of color are
both meant to create a vagina imagery, alluding to female sexual freedom and reclaiming of the
female body, and represent modern, feminist readers discovering their own voices to share
their stories and uplift the experiences of others.