Nikki Giovanni

Nikki Giovanni not like any other writer is a strong, independent, African American woman. Although, her childhood wasn’t the brightest, it pushed her to strive and become one of the best female poets in literary history. Her books and her poems zoom in on the struggles of many African Americans and her own personal experiences. Not many people can say that they succeeded in their life and are satisfied at where they are now. Not only can Nikki Giovanni say she succeeded and made a better life for herself but her writings says it all. In the life of Nikki Giovanni there were many ups and downs but she over came them and became an outstanding idol and leader. Nikki’s strength and motivation passes through all of her readers instantly by reading just one line from her writings. Giovanni is a headstrong, determined, inspirational writer. To Start, Giovanni’s background causes her to be an inspirational writer by speaking her mind and having a stern attitude. Magill’s Survey of American Literature says “Giovanni was born on June 7th, 1943 in Knoxville, Tennessee” (1). Nikki Giovanni was born Yolande Cornelia Giovanni Jr. She lived with her parents as a child in Cincinnati, Ohio during the hard times of segregation. Giovanni was…

Nikki Giovanni was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, on June 7th,1943. She was the youngest child, and she had one sister, Gray. Nikki Giovanni’s real name is Yolande Cornelia Giovanni Jr.; her older sister called her Nikki and the nickname stuck. In August her family moves to Cincinnati, Ohio, and her parents acquired jobs as housekeepers, (“Giovanni”). She gained a lot of appreciation for her African American heritage from her outspoken grandma. Nikki and her sister went to Knoxville often to…

bring forth primal level art which was easier for people to understand. There definitely was not any room for sugarcoating or indirectness in their work. These artists wanted to maintain ownership of their work so they created their own magazines, journals, radio programs and even television. They wanted it to be known that this was one of their personal forms of self-defense. It was also the most problematic era of all black literature because it was racist, sexist, and homophobic. Nikki…

In many books, movies, and even on the news people rebel against society. They believe it is an awful idea, and they want to change that. However, is it really that bad? Society has a positive effect on many different people, including individuals in The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton; “On the Road,” by CBS; and “The World is Not a Pleasant Place to Be,” by Nikki Giovanni. In the video, “On the Road,” by CBS, a group of football players wanted to show their appreciation for a disabled teammate. By…

The poem “Woman”, written by Nikki Giovanni, uses several metaphors to describe the journey of a woman and what she feels the man should do but will not do. She describes in many different ways how she wants support from the man, but he is unwilling to give it. In the first stanza, she starts the poem with the woman being a simple, insignificant thing. “She wanted to be a blade of grass amid the fields” (lines 1-2). Grass grows under your feet. Blades of grass are plentiful and ordinary. She…

Giovanni writes in the second stanza how if she cannot have something, but already has something good she should be content and not upset. However, if she should always want more than what is given to her. She is saying often times people become so content with what they have they stop dreaming and wanting more. In life always ask for more always strive for something you may never get, but still dream and aspire to be more than what you have. According to Giovanni, in Line 9 of Choices she says…

one my favorite poets and writers Yolande Cornelia Giovanni Jr. better known as Nikki Giovanni. Nikki Giovanni is renowned as one of the pioneers of the Black Art’s movement of the late 1960’s. Although some may have viewed her work as controversial, she is one of the most influential poets of the Black Movement era. She is famously known for “her unabashed advocacy of murderous militancy as a proper black response to white oppression.”(pg.2096) Her writings express her love of the African…

Nikki Giovanni is an African American author and poet, also known to be as a member of the Black Arts Movement. Giovanni as an author and poet was very much underestimated. Much of Giovanni’s works focus on the racial digression of the African American race. Giovanni’s rebellious nature through her works was what galvanized others to fight the fight. She was an activist when activism was threatening. She was a feminist when feminism was ostracized. Giovanni was a womanist before the term was…

A strong yet controversial figure in American poetry, Nikki Giovanni rose into fame through the social mayhems of the late-1960s and early-1970s. Although Giovanni’s poetry was originally recognized for unique powerful “Black Power” point of view, Giovanni 's poetry covers a wide variety of themes—from young innocence to intense sexuality. Giovanni 's poems are highly personal statements of anger and love, capable of tenderness, humor, and irony. They are dynamically individualistic—even to the…

Throughout the poem “Choices” Nikki Giovanni portrays the feelings of how it is to be oppressed and not being able to express because you expressions are the ¨normal¨. In the first stanza Nikki seems to describe that she's grateful that at least she can refuse to do things that she doesn't want to but at the same time she displays that she's unable to speak her mind and do the things she wants. This pattern continues and the poem concludes with Giovanni accepting that she will not be able to…