Review Of Nikki Giovanni's Poem 'From Inspiration'
Carlie Gallacher
English 11 H
April 3, 2015
Period. 5
From Inspiration
Over the past 30 years, Nikki Giovanni has brought the eyes of the world on her as a poet, writer, activist, and professor. (Project) Being one of the most widely read poets she takes pride in her culture and background as a black American. She was born June 7, 1943 in Knoxville Tennessee. While she was still young, she and her family moved to an all-black suburb in Cincinnati, Ohio where she was raised. She had an upbeat family life, and the strong-minded Giovanni was particular close to her loving grandmother, Louvenia Terrell Watson. (Authors) Giovanni and her grandmother grew to have a close-knitted relationship, especially when Giovanni moved back to her childhood …show more content…
(Contemporary) This firsthand experience later helped in her writings by making them more truthful and lively. She expresses her experiences growing up as a young African American girl in her poem; “Nikki-Rosa.” The poem speaks of the general life and activities of a black child living during a time where the black race was so brutally disregarded. The title, “Nikki-Rosa,” suggests the merging of personal life with the public or political one, from the girl Nikki to the militant Rosa, the name alluding to Rosa Parks, a Civil Rights activist. (Nikki-Rosa Analysis) The poem starts out by saying, “childhood remembrances are always a drag/ if you’re Black/ you always remember things/ like living in Woodlawn/ with no inside toilet/ and if you become famous or something/ they never talk about how happy you were to have/ your mother.” (“Nikki-Rosa”) The poem addresses the positives and negatives of growing up in a black culture, which is associated with poverty and discrimination. Nevertheless, the negative memories, caused by poverty, are outweighed by the positive, provided by a strong, close family. Unfortunately, “they,” the critics and biographers, will record the lack of an “inside toilet” but will fail to mention the warm baths given in “one of those/ big tubs that folk in Chicago barbecue in.”(Nikki-Rosa Analysis) Giovanni …show more content…
Vol. 85. Detroit: Gale, 2011. Biography in Context. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.
"Nikki Giovanni." Contemporary Authors Online. Detroit: Gale, 2014. Biography in Context. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.
"Project Humanities Hosts 'An Evening Of Poetry And Conversation With
Nikki Giovanni '." States News Service 27 Aug. 2014. Biography in Context. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.
"Nikki Giovanni - Knoxville Tennessee." Dailymotion. Web. 30 Mar. 2015.
"Nikki-Rosa Analysis - ENotes.com." Enotes.com. Enotes.com. Web. 30 Mar. 2015.
Nikki Giovanni, “Nikki-Rosa” from Black Feeling, Black Talk, Black Judgment. . Copyright © 1968, 1970 by Nikki Giovanni.
"Nikki Giovanni, Warrior Poet, Virginia Tech Massacre Convocation... Poetry a Overwhelms the Speechifying of Politicos." The Moderates Voice. 18 Apr. x 2007. Web. 2 Apr. 2015.
Bernstein, Robin. "Utopian movements: Nikki Giovanni and the convocation m following the Virginia Tech Massacre." African American Review 45.3 x x x (2012): 341+. Biography in Context. Web. 2 Apr.
English 11 H
April 3, 2015
Period. 5
From Inspiration
Over the past 30 years, Nikki Giovanni has brought the eyes of the world on her as a poet, writer, activist, and professor. (Project) Being one of the most widely read poets she takes pride in her culture and background as a black American. She was born June 7, 1943 in Knoxville Tennessee. While she was still young, she and her family moved to an all-black suburb in Cincinnati, Ohio where she was raised. She had an upbeat family life, and the strong-minded Giovanni was particular close to her loving grandmother, Louvenia Terrell Watson. (Authors) Giovanni and her grandmother grew to have a close-knitted relationship, especially when Giovanni moved back to her childhood …show more content…
(Contemporary) This firsthand experience later helped in her writings by making them more truthful and lively. She expresses her experiences growing up as a young African American girl in her poem; “Nikki-Rosa.” The poem speaks of the general life and activities of a black child living during a time where the black race was so brutally disregarded. The title, “Nikki-Rosa,” suggests the merging of personal life with the public or political one, from the girl Nikki to the militant Rosa, the name alluding to Rosa Parks, a Civil Rights activist. (Nikki-Rosa Analysis) The poem starts out by saying, “childhood remembrances are always a drag/ if you’re Black/ you always remember things/ like living in Woodlawn/ with no inside toilet/ and if you become famous or something/ they never talk about how happy you were to have/ your mother.” (“Nikki-Rosa”) The poem addresses the positives and negatives of growing up in a black culture, which is associated with poverty and discrimination. Nevertheless, the negative memories, caused by poverty, are outweighed by the positive, provided by a strong, close family. Unfortunately, “they,” the critics and biographers, will record the lack of an “inside toilet” but will fail to mention the warm baths given in “one of those/ big tubs that folk in Chicago barbecue in.”(Nikki-Rosa Analysis) Giovanni …show more content…
Vol. 85. Detroit: Gale, 2011. Biography in Context. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.
"Nikki Giovanni." Contemporary Authors Online. Detroit: Gale, 2014. Biography in Context. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.
"Project Humanities Hosts 'An Evening Of Poetry And Conversation With
Nikki Giovanni '." States News Service 27 Aug. 2014. Biography in Context. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.
"Nikki Giovanni - Knoxville Tennessee." Dailymotion. Web. 30 Mar. 2015.
"Nikki-Rosa Analysis - ENotes.com." Enotes.com. Enotes.com. Web. 30 Mar. 2015.
Nikki Giovanni, “Nikki-Rosa” from Black Feeling, Black Talk, Black Judgment. . Copyright © 1968, 1970 by Nikki Giovanni.
"Nikki Giovanni, Warrior Poet, Virginia Tech Massacre Convocation... Poetry a Overwhelms the Speechifying of Politicos." The Moderates Voice. 18 Apr. x 2007. Web. 2 Apr. 2015.
Bernstein, Robin. "Utopian movements: Nikki Giovanni and the convocation m following the Virginia Tech Massacre." African American Review 45.3 x x x (2012): 341+. Biography in Context. Web. 2 Apr.