In the poem, “Nikki-Rosa,” Nikki Giovanni uses diction and imagery to prove that her childhood was happy in spite of her hardships. She incorporates universal concepts of childhood memories within her poem in an attempt to convey the anecdote of her youth. Through the utilization of diction such as “happy birthdays and Christmases”(20), Giovanni effectively illustrates a nostalgic image of a childhood which others of opposite descent or race such as caucasians couldn’t relate to or understand due to her apparent difficulties. In addition, as the poem progresses, she states,”Black love is black wealth”,(22) and “quite happy.”(24). Displaying her pride and internal joy acquired through love rather than her possessions or conflict within her
