Nikki Giovanni

Nikki Giovanni
The first poem was really warm and fuzzy for me. I grew up without being wealthy by any means, yet we were all still very happy. I believe that being happy is more important then having any kinds of physical things in front of you. I like how she accentuates that even though there were problems in the family, like her father drinking, they still had Happy Birthdays and good Christmases. Her memories have a happy feeling that is woven into all of the misfortunate events.
I like how she wants to connect on the same level to a white person with her feelings and what she grew up in. She knows the struggles of others yet they still don’t really listen to her because she is black. She has gone through the same events in life (like losing a dream) but is treated differently.

Her second poem speaks to a lot of different people. Everyone has gone through the heartache of losing someone. She no longer is up at night over this hurting. She no longer dreams about it and no longer cries about it. I like how she takes his absence and uses it to her favor. She now has this big bed all to herself.

In her last poem, “Poem for Black Boys”, there is this hateful undertone that the reader can pick up on just within the first few lines. It is an eye opener to hear the reader say to practice things like vandalism, because it will be more useful for them. The way she takes what is going on around her in the adult world and transfers it to games for little boys is ingenious. It takes racism and shows how absurd it really is when we take it down to a basic level (as kids do).