Analysis Of The Poem Choices By Nikki Giovanni

The poem “Choices” by Nikki Giovanni shows the impact of positive thinking. An example from “Choices” would be the first stanza, “If I can’t do what I want to do then my job is to not do what I don't want to do”. The world isn’t fair and neither is life, but opportunity is. If you don’t like where you ended up it can still change if make more opportunities for yourself and avoid things that you know are harmful. Later in the second stanza of “Choices” it states, “It’s not the same but it’s the best I can do”. This stanza reinforces the positive thinking that was applied to the first stanza. The third stanza of Choices reads, “If I can’t have what I want… then my job is to want what I've got and be satisfied that at least there is something …show more content…
Part of positivity is how reasonable something is. Goals help give guidance to where you want to be, but they should be achievable. The desire to want something is good motivation although it shouldn’t be the only thing. There are so many little things in the world that make life so much better, things that are considered standard for you might be luxury else where. Stanza 4 states, “Since I can't go where I need to go… then I must .. fo where the signs point through always understanding parallel movement isn't lateral”. Nikki is representing that if you can’t get to where you want to be you should think of a way to go around rather than through. The signs represent that notion. Furthermore with the statement “understanding parallel movement isn’t lateral”(Giovanni 21) represents that it can helpful to have a role model to help direct your path, that’s all it should do. Success can’t be copied on achieved. The fifth stanza states, “When I can’t express what I really feel I practice feeling what I can express and none of it equal”. Not every situation will be favorable, but it shouldn’t show. In the sixth and final stanza it states, “I know but that’s why mankind alone among the animals learns to