EGO TRIPPING
by: Nikki Giovanni
NIKKI GIOVANNI BIO
 Nikki Giovanni was born in
Knoxville, Tennessee, and grew
up in Lincoln Heights, an allblack suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio.
 She graduated with honors from
Fisk University, after graduating
from Fisk, she attended the
University of Pennsylvania and
Columbia University.
 She published her first book of
poetry, Black Feeling Black Talk,
in 1968, and within the next year
published a second book, thus
launching her career as a writer.
 The recipient of some twentyfive honorary degrees, she has
been named Woman of the Year
by Mademoiselle Magazine, The
Ladies Home Journal, and Ebony
Magazine.
 She was the first recipient of the
Rosa L. Parks Woman of Courage
Award, and she has also been
awarded the Langston Hughes
Medal for poetry.
 She is an honorary member of
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and
has received Life Membership
and Scroll from The National
Council of Negro Women.
POEM ANALYSIS
Form
• 9 Stanzas poem with 51 lines
• It is a Free Verse poem with out a rhyme scheme
• Has no caesuras
Theme
• The theme of the poem is that everyone on this Earth should be
equal no matter how we look or what we’ve done
Meter
• Little to no specific structure in the poem
• Line 4 uses Tribrach (a metrical foot of three short or unstressed
syllables)
• More use of Iambic feet than Trochees (a foot consisting of one
long or stressed syllable followed by one short or unstressed syllable)
MEANING
• The poem talks about the strength of equality that goes
around.
• Its also points out how people could become confused because
of their ego
• It also calls for African Americans to become united and rise
up by following their dreams
• She (the narrator) shows that by talking about how terrible she
is in the beginning and rising up to have over power the egos
of people on top
• This poem represents and tells of the strength of equality in a
system. It calls for blacks to rise up against the odds and
inspire pride into their hearts.
TONE
• Giovanni’s poem makes a lot of biblical references and uses
them as analogies to help us understand how her ego confused
her because of her arrogance and pride. Thus giving it a tone
of confusion.
• She then changes the tone on the last two line by changing her
ego to “a bird in a sky” opposed to the God like ego that she
had the whole poem
• Nikki Giovanni uses her past experiences to explain the
loneliness of African-Americans during the Civil Rights
Movement
DICTION
• Giovanni’s poem uses religious words and references
for its diction to show how arrogant and egotistic the
narrator is.
• She adds the idea of feminism to establish how much
plain women go through
• You could find examples in lines 9, 12-14, 27-34.
EXAMPLES OF LITERARY DEVICES
"He gave me rome for mother's day"- metaphor
"like a bird in the sky …"- simile
"jesus"-biblical reference, allusion
"All Praises All Praises"- repetition
"so swift you cant catch me"- litotes
QUIZ!!!!
1. Where was the author born?
A. New york
B. Chicago
C. Tennessee
2. Are there any caesuras in the
poem?
A. No
B. Yes
3. What type of poem is this?
A. Italian sonnet
B. Free verse
C. Narrative
4. How many stanzas are there?
A. 4
B. 6
C. 9
5. Which of the following
schools did Nikki attend?
A. Columbia University
B. Harvard University
C. Stanford University
6. What is the meaning of the poem ?
A. African American culture is
important.
B. Strength, equality, and for black
people to rise up against all odds
and inspire pride.
C. To show that African American
culture is not as important in the
U.S.
7.What is the diction like?
A. Religious words and references
B. Very cynical
C. Gang related
8. What is the over all theme to the
poem?
A. Everyone is equal no matter how
we look or what we’ve done
B. People should be treated fairly
C. People value education
9. What type of meter is used?
A. Monometer
B. Little to no structure
C. Trimeter
10.What is one literary device used in
the poem?