Equality by Maya Angelou: poem analysis

This is an analysis of the poem Equality that begins with:

You declare you see me dimly
through a glass which will not shine, ...

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: abaXaccC DD bbXe afef DD bghg hgaCXDD
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,2,4,4,2,4,7,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rondeau rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 10111110 1011011 11101110 1011101 11101110 1010101 11111010 1010101 010011001 010011001 10111110 1110101 100101101 1110101 111010100 110101 11111010 1111101 010011001 010011001 10100110 1010011 10111110 1011111 10111010 1011011 11111010 1010101 010011001 010011001
  • Amount of stanzas: 8
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 120
  • Average number of words per stanza: 23
  • Amount of lines: 30
  • Average number of symbols per line: 31 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 6

  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; you, i, and are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words equality, we, take, and, hear are repeated.

    There is a poetic device epiphora at the end of some neighboring lines free is repeated).

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

  • summary of Equality;
  • 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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