Power Point PresentationPower Point PresentationPOETRY ANALYSIS POETRY ANALYSIS

by jj nathanby jj nathanRoom 18 Room 18 10/28/1210/28/12

Nikki GiovanniNikki GiovanniEgo TrippingEgo Tripping

vs. vs. Emily DickinsonEmily Dickinson

Discovering PoetryDiscovering Poetry

Quotations of Nikki Giovanni Quotations of Nikki Giovanni & Emily Dickinson& Emily Dickinson

Ego TrippingEgo Tripping (there maybe a reason (there maybe a reason

whywhy) ) Nikki GiovanniNikki Giovanni• ““I was born in the CongoI was born in the Congo

• I walked to the Fertile Crescent I walked to the Fertile Crescent

• and built the sphinxand built the sphinx

• I designed a pyramid I designed a pyramid

• so tough that a starso tough that a star

• That only glows every one hundred years That only glows every one hundred years fallsfalls

• Into the center giving divine perfect lightInto the center giving divine perfect light

• I am bad”I am bad”

Emily DickinsonEmily DickinsonThe Word is DEAD!The Word is DEAD!

• ““A word is deadA word is dead

• When it is said,When it is said,

• Some say,Some say,

• I say it just I say it just

• Begins to liveBegins to live

• That day.”That day.”

Poetry Poetry Comparison/ContrastComparison/Contrast• Nikki and Emily are both women so they are similar in their Nikki and Emily are both women so they are similar in their

focus on relationships and that love is one of the most focus on relationships and that love is one of the most important aspects of the human situation. Nikki was important aspects of the human situation. Nikki was focused that fact that black Americans were being still focused that fact that black Americans were being still treated unfairly in every aspect of the American society treated unfairly in every aspect of the American society you could name. She felt that revolution by the black man you could name. She felt that revolution by the black man and woman was being called for and believed in the rights and woman was being called for and believed in the rights of every human being. of every human being.

• Emily was more interested in her personal relationship Emily was more interested in her personal relationship with God, her relationships with two different men that she with God, her relationships with two different men that she couldn’t marry, and she studied Nature and for some couldn’t marry, and she studied Nature and for some reason insects. Some people think she might have been reason insects. Some people think she might have been left at the altar is the reason she never married.left at the altar is the reason she never married.

Comparing and Contrasting the Lives of Nikki and Emily Comparing and Contrasting the Lives of Nikki and Emily

Nikki’s BiographyNikki’s Biography• Nikki Giovanni lived in the Nikki Giovanni lived in the

1960’s when Black Power 1960’s when Black Power Movement and The Black Movement and The Black Panthers were fighting Panthers were fighting for the rights of African for the rights of African Americans who had Americans who had previously been called: previously been called: niggers, Negroes, and niggers, Negroes, and then were being called then were being called BLACK people. Other BLACK people. Other people who were fighting people who were fighting at this time were: Medgar at this time were: Medgar Evers, Evers,

• Martin Luther King , Jr., Martin Luther King , Jr., Malcolm X., and many Malcolm X., and many others.others.

Comparing and Contrasting the Lives of Nikki and EmilyComparing and Contrasting the Lives of Nikki and Emily

Emily Dickinson’s BiographyEmily Dickinson’s Biography• Emily Dickinson grew up in New Emily Dickinson grew up in New

England, attended an all girls school, England, attended an all girls school, cooked, sewed, and was also known cooked, sewed, and was also known as a sad child. Emily Dickinson was as a sad child. Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts, on born in Amherst, Massachusetts, on December 10, 1830. December 10, 1830.

• She seemed to have fallen in love She seemed to have fallen in love with two different married men and with two different married men and one died and the other was a Pastor one died and the other was a Pastor of a Presbyterian Church. of a Presbyterian Church.

• She went into seclusion only wearing She went into seclusion only wearing white, doing household tasks writing white, doing household tasks writing poems and sending her poems with a poems and sending her poems with a cherry pie or batch of cookies as a cherry pie or batch of cookies as a gift to friends and family. gift to friends and family.

• She told her family to destroy her She told her family to destroy her poems after she died, but they did poems after she died, but they did not follow her instructions instead not follow her instructions instead they took the neat little bundles of they took the neat little bundles of poems and letters and had them poems and letters and had them published, so she never knew she published, so she never knew she was famous.was famous.

• Thank heavens; because the world Thank heavens; because the world would have missed a genius that has would have missed a genius that has become one of my most favorite become one of my most favorite female poetessfemale poetess. .

NIKKI and EMILY: Illustrations & NIKKI and EMILY: Illustrations & BiographiesBiographies

By looking at the facial By looking at the facial expressions in these two expressions in these two pictures, it appears that they pictures, it appears that they were very different in their were very different in their approaches to their lives and approaches to their lives and poetry. poetry.

Obviously Nikki is a black Obviously Nikki is a black woman in the 20woman in the 20thth Century Century and Emily is a white woman and Emily is a white woman in the 19in the 19thth Century. Century.

I think that Emily did not I think that Emily did not struggle with the outside struggle with the outside social world but rather with social world but rather with her internal challenges. Nikki her internal challenges. Nikki , on hand, was focused on , on hand, was focused on the world outside of herself the world outside of herself first and then with her inner first and then with her inner self later in life. self later in life.

Both women are highly Both women are highly respected commentators on respected commentators on the strangeness of human the strangeness of human nature.nature.

WHO IS THE WINNER WHO IS THE WINNER OF THIS CHALLENGE? OF THIS CHALLENGE?

It is a tie, because I It is a tie, because I cannot chose a favorite. cannot chose a favorite.

• Nikki is the fighter.Nikki is the fighter.• Nikki is the famous revolutionary, Nikki is the famous revolutionary,

while she is alive.while she is alive.• Nikki did not like injustice.Nikki did not like injustice.• Nikki was seeking for her identity.Nikki was seeking for her identity.

• Emily is the lover.Emily is the lover.• Emily did not like the public.Emily did not like the public.• Emily was seeking for her soul.Emily was seeking for her soul.

MY COPY CAT POEMMY COPY CAT POEMI am the field of flowersI am the field of flowers

““I was born in a fieldI was born in a fieldI walked to the wet and I walked to the wet and

marshy land marshy land and built a barn and built a barn

I designed a tractor I designed a tractor so tough that in so tough that in

a field that is full of flowersa field that is full of flowersThat only bloom That only bloom

every one hundred years every one hundred years I drove Into the center I drove Into the center

it gave the world it gave the world divine perfect blossomsdivine perfect blossoms

I am the earth.”I am the earth.”

jj nathanjj nathan

THEMES of EMILY and NIKKI POETRYTHEMES of EMILY and NIKKI POETRY Nikki’s themes appear to be: Afro-American Pride Nikki’s themes appear to be: Afro-American Pride

and Afro-American History and Love of Self and and Afro-American History and Love of Self and others with Black History and Pride.others with Black History and Pride.

• Black Feeling, Black TalkBlack Feeling, Black Talk (1967) (1967) • Black JudgementBlack Judgement (1968) (1968) • Ego-Tripping (1973)Ego-Tripping (1973)• Love PoemsLove Poems (1997) (1997) • Quilting the Black-Eyed Pea: Poems and Not Quite PoemsQuilting the Black-Eyed Pea: Poems and Not Quite Poems

(2002) (2002) • Bicycles: Love PoemsBicycles: Love Poems (2009) (2009) ((William MorrowWilliam Morrow)) • 100 Best African American Poems100 Best African American Poems (2010) (2010)

• Emily is known for the main theme s of God, Nature, Love, life Emily is known for the main theme s of God, Nature, Love, life and death. She is preoccupied with these ideas as you can see and death. She is preoccupied with these ideas as you can see from some of the titles:from some of the titles:

A Bird Came Down the WalkA Bird Came Down the Walk I Died for BeautyI Died for Beauty Because I Could Not Stop for DeathBecause I Could Not Stop for Death I Heard a Fly Buzz When I DiedI Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died I Am Nobody! Who are You? I Am Nobody! Who are You? Hope is a Thing with FeathersHope is a Thing with Feathers

Citations of Citations of SourcesSources• The Language of Literature: The Language of Literature:

• World Literature World Literature

• Mc Dougall Littell Mc Dougall Littell

• Emily Dickinson Poetry: Emily Dickinson Poetry:

• Bing ImagesBing Images

• Wikipedia Encyclopedia: Wikipedia Encyclopedia:

• Nikki GiovanniNikki Giovanni

FINAL WORDSFINAL WORDS