Beyond the Gaze: Celebrating the Power and Value of Women’s Bodies in Akromah Zonic’s Poetry

Breaking: New Poem Sparks Debate Over Gaze, Objectification and Woman’s Dignity

January 10, 2026 • 22:36 WIB

A freshly released poem titled “Women and Their Bodies” confronts readers with the lingering realities of objectification and relentless surveillance that many women face. debuted Friday night, the piece centers on the friction between public gaze, personal autonomy, and the inherent value of a woman’s body.

Breaking Down the Gaze: Social Pressure and Dehumanization

The verses depict a culture where a sudden, sharp gaze seems to illuminate a woman’s body, and where onlookers trail her every steps. The poem emphasizes how such scrutiny can shadow daily life, with sounds of laughter or mockery underscoring the social pressure that accompanies constant observation.

Objectification, Exploitation, and the risk of Harm

Central to the work is a critique of attitudes that reduce women to objects. It portrays the troubling belief that a woman’s body can be treated as inert, while social forces push women to navigate life under the threat of objectification. The piece also warns of predatory interest that may escalate into coercion, shoudl resistance arise.

Value, Beauty, and the Resilience of the Female Form

The poem invites readers to recognize the intrinsic worth of women’s bodies. It urges standing in one’s own skin, highlighting beauty as something personal and singular rather than a metric defined by others. Yet it also acknowledges that objectification endures beyond appearance or privacy, striking regardless of attire or circumstance.

Beyond its themes, the work emphasizes that a woman’s body holds enduring value, resisting commodification and external judgment.It affirms that even in the face of violence or desecration, beauty and dignity can persist.

an illustration accompanies the piece—a silhouette of a dancing woman drawn from a stock image set. The artwork, credited to a renowned stock photographer, is presented as part of the author’s community contribution and has undergone editorial review to maintain quality and trustworthiness.

Key Context and Visual Aids

Theme	Description (paraphrased)	Image reference
Gaze and Surveillance	Public scrutiny shapes daily life and self-image, often felt more than seen.	Silhouette of a dancing woman from a stock photo collection.
Objectification and Exploitation	Societal notions press women to be consumed or controlled, with dangers of predatory behavior.	Stock-art illustration accompanying the poem.
Intrinsic Value and Resilience	Worth resides in the person, not in terms or price tags; dignity endures amid adversity.	artwork used to reinforce the message of beauty and strength.

Why This matters Now—and Always

Experts note that discussions about consent, depiction, and respectful behavior remain timely as public discourse expands across schools, workplaces, and online spaces. The poem adds a provocative lens to ongoing debates about how societies treat women’s bodies and autonomy. It invites readers to reflect on everyday habits—from social media interactions to street-level behavior—that either reinforce dignity or perpetuate harm.

For readers seeking broader context on gender equality and protection against harassment, international organizations continue to publish guidelines and resources that reinforce dignity, safety, and equal rights for women worldwide. UN Women and other advocacy groups offer accessible guidance and reporting channels for those who experience or witness objectification and violence.

What This Means for Readers

Beyond the poem’s immediate release, its message serves as a call to action: acknowledge the inherent worth of every woman’s body, challenge dehumanizing viewpoints, and support efforts that reduce harm and amplify respect.

Engagement: Your Voice, Your View

1) How have you seen public gaze shape conversations about women’s bodies in your community or online spaces? 2) What practical steps can individuals and communities take to reduce objectification and promote dignity for all?

share your thoughts in the comments to join the discussion and help extend the conversation beyond the page.

This item includes visual material drawn from recognized stock-image collections and has undergone editorial review for accuracy and reliability.

What are the main ways Akroman Zonic redefines female physicality in her poetry?

Unpacking the Gaze: How Akroman Zonic Re‑defines Female Physicality

Key themes identified in Zonic’s recent collections (2022‑2025)

Theme	Representative poem	Core imagery	Critical insight
Embodied Agency	“Riverbone”	Blood‑red rivers, hummingbones	Shows the body as a source of narrative power, not a passive object (Khan, 2024).
Sensory Sovereignty	“Skin‑Map”	Cartographic lines drawn on skin	Positions tactile experience as a map of self‑ownership (Al‑Mansour, 2023).
Intersectional Flesh	“Mosaic Pulse”	Collage of cultural symbols on a torso	Merges ethnicity, class, and gender into a unified bodily tableau (Osei, 2025).

How Zonic Shifts the Customary Male Gaze

1. Re‑centering the Subject – Poems consistently place the woman’s viewpoint at the narrative core, flipping the classic observer/observed dynamic.
2. Descriptive Autonomy – language moves from objectifying adjectives (“smooth,” “delicate”) to verbs that act on the body (“walks,” “shapes,” “rebels”).
3. Multi‑Sensory Detailing – rather than visual fixation,Zonic layers scent,sound,and touch,expanding the reader’s perception beyond sight.

“The body is not a canvas for the eyes; it is an orchestra for the senses.” – Akraman Zonic, Veins of Velvet (2023)

Practical Takeaways for Readers and Educators

• Integrate close‑reading exercises that ask students to map the sensory devices used in each stanza.
• encourage creative writing prompts that invert the gaze, e.g., “Write a poem where the body narrates its own story.”
• Use comparative analysis with classic male‑gaze poems (e.g., Byron, Keats) to highlight Zonic’s divergent approach.

Real‑World Impact: academic and Community Responses

1. University of Lagos Literary Symposium (April 2024) – A panel titled “Bodies Unbound: Zonic’s Feminist Poetics” cited the poet’s work as a catalyst for new curricula in gender studies.
2. Women’s Arts Collective, Nairobi (June 2025) – Hosted a spoken‑word workshop where participants recited Zonic’s verses, reporting increased confidence in discussing body autonomy.

SEO‑Pleasant Content Structure: Why This Matters

• Targeted headings (“Unpacking the Gaze,” “Practical takeaways”) align with common search queries such as “Akraman Zonic women’s bodies” and “feminist poetry analysis.”
• Bullet points and tables improve dwell time and readability, factors that boost page rank.
• Citations of recent scholarly articles (2023‑2025) reinforce authority signals for search algorithms.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Where can I find full texts of Zonic’s poems?

A: Most poems appear in the anthologies Veins of Velvet (2023) and Mosaic Pulse (2025), available through academic libraries and major e‑book platforms.

Q: How does Zonic’s portrayal differ from contemporary Western feminist poets?

A: While Western poets often emphasize individual empowerment, Zonic weaves collective cultural motifs into bodily imagery, reflecting a broader intersectional narrative.

Q: What are effective teaching strategies for Zonic’s work?

A: Combine multimodal analysis (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) with dialog‑driven seminars that let students embody the poem’s sensory language.

Action Steps for Content Creators

1. Embed relevant hashtags (#WomenInPoetry, #AkramanZonic) when sharing excerpts on social media to increase discoverability.
2. Link to reputable sources (e.g., JSTOR articles on Zonic) to enhance outbound link quality.
3. Update meta description to include primary keywords: “Explore how Akraman Zonic celebrates women’s bodies, feminist poetry, and the shift beyond the male gaze.”

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All references are drawn from peer‑reviewed publications and documented events up to 2025.