The Collected Poetry of Nikki Giovanni '68-'98

Timeless Themes- The desire for a Revolution for the oppressed (128), justice, power hungry people (135), hypocritical society, loneliness, faith, judgement

Fiercely Political – L.B. Johnson (16), Nixon(80), Hoover (22), MLK (51), Rosa Parks, (60)

(Nikki’s) Personal Life- Black women, lover, mother, teacher, artist. “Nikki-Rosa”(53). Her poems from “My House” of 1972 reflect much of her personal life, loved ones, enemies, living spaces, and experiences; almost autobiographical. Cancers (339).

Metaphorical Panther- in reference to Black Panthers~ violent Black Civil Rights revolters. Stokely (17) … (34) Panthers escape form the zoo, metaphorically.

Explicit Dictation- Aggressively articulate. Beautifully Articulate. Very blunt (167) and it agitates and ingages the reader. Language is harshly real. Based on opinion, could be read as absurd.

Taboo Subjects- “Fags”, sexual deterioration(21-22)2, dikes, sex, whores, addressing, and attacking stereotypes. “Two people of the same sex DOING IT” (127)

The metaphor of the N*gger Vs. the Black Man. (19) “Kill a n*gger mind” “Learn to be a Black Man”…. (45)

Religious Themes- The Promise Land (50) God’s guidance for the oppressed, likeliness to turn to God in the worst of times, Virgin Mary (122), (115) “do not fear the lion, for he is us”.

Ego Tripping (125). Black Creation Story (135).

Musical Metahpors*(68-69).. Motown, John Lennon, Aretha Franklin (103), Ray Charles & the Raelettes-Dream Girls-Atlantic Records (67), The Temptations– Lyrics and Artists names in relevance with Civil Rights. Stevie Wonder in poem “The Wonder Woman”(164). Diana Ross (of The Supremes) and Dionne Warwick (134).

Love & sex(71) (35) (100) — Anger & aggression– Grief & Strength– Power vs. Peace– Mockery of stereotypes– Race–Politics–Violent rage

Ignorance Is Bliss- For An Intellectual Audience (33) … (97) .

.(183) Nothing Makes Sense

Revolution- Shown in almost every poem from 1968 “Black Feeling :Black Talk”, “Black Judgement”- 1970 “Re: Creation”

Love- “revolution of love” (77). “Life could be fertilized by a love thought from a loved one who loves you” (107). Love Poem (31). Ultimate luxury of love, not materials and wealth (207).

Blacks in Jail- Rap Brown, unjustly trialed, beaten by police, ad sent to jail (118). “There will be no reservations only if we fail” (95). “Africa is a young man bathing in the back of a prison fortress” (177)

Dreams- Reference to Langston Hughes’ “Dream Deffered”(64-67) and (318). “Dreams have a way of tossing and turning themselves around” (164).

“We are all imprisoned in the castle of our skins/and some of us have said it/ if i am in jail my castle shall become/my rendezvous”.
(175)

What is poeetry metaphorically: “Poetry is a threstle {rigid frame used to support}/spanning the distance between/what i feel/ and what i say/ a locamotive/ i rush full speed ahead/ thrusting your strength/ to carry over me”….”the most beautiful poem I heard is your heart racing” (210)

“Laws of motion tells us an inert object is more difficult to/propel than an object heading in the wrong direction is to/turn around/Motion being energy -inertia- apathy.
Apathy equals hostility. Hostility -violence-/Violence/being energy is its own virtue. Laws of motion teach us” (211)

“Called mankind hueman beings just because they dropped the “e” the concept remains colored cause we recognize if we add “s” to hisstory why we ain’t part of it or put “n” back in democracy and you’ll understand the present system of war is raw and any way you look at it even with a spanish touch and god is dog” (124)

“Ever want to know what would happen if your life could be fertilized by a love thought from a loved one who loves you” (107)

“WE must seek our reward. God will not love us, unless we share with others our suffering. Precious Lord-Take Our Hands-Lead Us On” (50)

Sex Vs. Love- “The problem with Love is not what we feel but what we wish we felt when we bagan to feel we should feel something. Just as publicity is not production: seduction is not seductive” (211)

“Poetry is motion graceful as a fawn, gentle as a teardrop, strong like the eye finding peace in a crowded room. We poets tend to think our words golden though emotions speak too loudly to be defined by silence” (221)

Metaphors often leave you with out an answer in order to provoke thought and allow perspective and opinion to be present for the reader, using “what if” or hypothetical situations. This promotes the power of individuality. “Writing is about character,” she said in an interview, “It’s not about content; it’s about who you are.”

Cotton Candy On A Rainy Day of 1978 is a “metaphor for life itself, which one invests in and strives to make better despite the inevitability of change, and ultimately, death.”

Race and Gender intertwined- Women’s identity, positions they are expected to occupy, Black women being subjective to Black men (163)

The radical “poet of the people”.