Ain't That Bad? by Maya Angelou: poem analysis

This is an analysis of the poem Ain't That Bad? that begins with:

Dancin' the funky chicken
Eatin' ribs and tips...

Elements of the verse: questions and answers

The information we provided is prepared by means of a special computer program. Use the criteria sheet to understand greatest poems or improve your poetry analysis essay.

  • Rhyme scheme: abcb XXbX XbXb adad eFFeefa geXe caXa ghhh cbXbXeFFEEFa
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,7,4,4,4,12,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 1001010 10111 1010101 110101 101111 10111 101010 11111 101010 10111 100010 1011001 111010 111010 1110010 11110 1111 1111 1111 1111 1111 1111 1111 11010001 11111101011 110111101 010111101001 110111100010 100101 110110101111 1001001 10110101 01010001 1111101 111011 100101111 0101111 10110111 111001 1111 1111 1111 1111 1111 1111 1111
  • Amount of stanzas: 10
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 123
  • Average number of words per stanza: 23
  • Amount of lines: 46
  • Average number of symbols per line: 26 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 5

  • Mood of the speaker:

    The speaker asks many questions. Perhaps, he or she is in confusion.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; they, and, an', we are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words an, an' are repeated.

    There is a poetic device epiphora at the end of some neighboring lines black, bad are repeated).

If you write a school or university poetry essay, you should Include in your explanation of the poem:

  • summary of Ain't That Bad?;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Maya Angelou

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