Jania+&+Brian

﻿ Nikki Giovanni



Biography Nikki Giovanni was born in Knoxville, Tennessee on June 7th, 1943. She was raised in a city completely populated by black people in Cincinnati. Every summer as a child she and her sister came back to Tennessee to visit her grandparents. In 1967 Nikki graduated with honors at Fisk University with bachelors degree in history. She later got into poetry in her late teens and got her first poem published after college. Giovanni gave birth to her only son Thomas Watson Giovanni on August 31st, 1969. During an interview she said, “ I wanted a baby and I could afford to have a baby.” In 1995, 27 years after the birth of her child, Nikki was diagnosed with lung cancer and lost a lung in order to save her life. Nikki Giovanni has been awarded many awards in including, Ebony Magazine’s woman of the year, NAACP’s Image Award for love poems, and she was awarded as one of O Magazine’s “Legends.” Nikki has written over 20 books filled with poetry. Her books include Black Feeling, Black Talk (1968), My House (1972), and Bicycles: Love Poems (2009). Her autobiography, Gemini was nominated for a National Book Award. Her favorite poet is Robert Louis Stevenson. Besides writing poetry Nikki Giovanni likes to play tennis, paint, and to read (especially the Harry Potter series). Nikki is also a University Distinguished English Professor at Virginia Tech.

Styles & Influences Nikki Giovanni wanted to become a poet because she was very interested in different types of people. she also loved to read when she was younger. she became a poet so she could express her thoughts in a positive way. live her poem Nikki-rose. she expresses how she was thinking. she enjoys many poets but sense she was a kid she loved to read Rodert Louis Stevenson. because he had a very good meaningful poems. Nikki Giovanni is very different type of poet. when she writes its about expression, experience and facts, she has been writing for about 20 years. she has a different style, she mixes music with poetry. this is different because most poets stay with the basic rules. she uses sonnet poetry and free verse some times. are poet is famous for not following the poetry rules because she likes to write poetry that can express her feelings. other poets like Robert Frost enjoy reading her poetry, because its real and different.

Poems By The Author  Legacies: ﻿ 

her grandmother called her from the playground “yes, ma’am”“i want chu to learn how to make rolls” said the old woman proudlybut the little girl didn’t wantto learn how because she kneweven if she couldn’t say it thatthat would mean when the old one died she would be less dependent on her spirit soshe said“i don’t want to know how to make no rolls”with her lips poked outand the old woman wiped her hands onher apron saying “lordthese children”and neither of them eversaid what they meantand i guess nobody ever does Dreams:

in my younger yearsbefore i learnedblack people aren’t suppose to dreami wanted to bea raeletand say “dr o wn d in my youn tears”or “tal kin bout tal kin bout”or marjorie hendricks and grindall up against the micand scream“baaaaaby nightandday baaaaaby nightandday”then as i grew and maturedi became more sensible and decided i would settle downand just becomea sweet inspiration

Original Poems

Brian: The Wish Walking home in the hot sun, Making sure I didn’t get lost When I was 5 or maybe younger I asked, “Mama, how come we don’t get to go out, and eat every day Like Fred” She smiled and said, “Life is like unbalanced scales, but when you grow up you can change that”

Every day before bed I dreamed, I dreamed of the day when we would all be equal My house was cold in the winter, but there was more than enough love to keep us warm, Just like stew right out of the pot

When my Mama passed, I remembered what she’d been telling me on that sunny day I knew I would make a difference in my world, for the better

When I grew up and my children said why can’t I have this and that? I just told my kids, what my mom told me, “When you grow up you can change that” They might need to change things Because, I’m the president

Ice Cream on a Sunny Day

Don't want a taste

I'm melting in your hands

in the cracks of your palm

or dripping on the ground

now im in your tissue

I KEEP FALLING

i'm not in your control

only my ice cream cone

can't get a taste

Bibliography

<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% #ffffcc; line-height: 17.75pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Giovanni, Nikki. "Nikki Giovanni | Scholastic.com." //Teaching Resources, Children's Book Recommendations, and Student Activities | Scholastic.com//. Web. 10 May 2011. <http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=10575_type=Contributor_typeId=2604>.

"Nikki Giovanni: Bio: Biography." //Yolanda Cornelia "Nikki" Giovanni: Poet, Virginia Tech University Professor//. Web. 10 May 2011. <http://nikki-giovanni.com/bio.shtml>.