# Ma Man explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Langston Hughes.

## What happens

A woman ecstatically describes her man's electrifying gaze and his skillful banjo playing, which improves when he is drunk, and invites him to dance the eagle-rock with her.

## Themes in this chapter

### Love and Loss

The speaker's passionate, joyful devotion to her man highlights the theme of love and its intoxicating power.

### Resilience and Joy

The exuberant tone and invitation to dance express resilience and the pursuit of joy despite life's hardships.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown

The speaker, a woman infatuated with her man, narrates the poem.

### Daddy

The 'ma man' addressed as 'Daddy', whose eyes and banjo playing captivate the speaker.

## Key lines

> When ma man looks at me He knocks me off ma feet.

When my man looks at me, I am overwhelmed with emotion.

_The speaker uses hyperbole to convey the powerful, disorienting effect of her lover's gaze._

> He plays good when he’s sober An’ better, better, better when he’s drunk.

His banjo playing is good when sober, but even better when he is drunk.

_This line suggests that alcohol enhances his musical expression, reflecting a common trope in blues and jazz culture._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_15_se/chapters/ma-man
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_15_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_15_se/chapters