Saturday, December 31, 2011
Giovanni's Speech on Virginia Tech
Although this is not a reading of one of her poems, Giovanni's speech at the Virginia Tech Memorial Convocation in 2007 is moving, passionate, and believable. Once I saw this video on YouTube, I knew that I wanted to do my poetry project about this interesting, multidimensional, strong woman.
I Wrote A Good Omelet
I wrote a good omelet...and ate
a hot poem... after loving you
Buttoned my car...and drove my
coat home...in the rain...
after loving you
I goed on red...and stopped on
green...floating somewhere in between...
being here and being there...
after loving you
I rolled my bed...turned down
my hair...slightly
confused but...I don't care...
Laid out my teeth...and gargled my
gown...then I stood
...and laid me down...
To sleep...
after loving you
"I Wrote a Good Omelet" is a humorous love poem that reflects the gaiety and dreaminess of being in love. This narrative poem has a fun playfulness to it; at first the reader is confused as to what is occurring, but we soon realize that we are supposed to be confused. The auditor is immersed in the inner thoughts of a person in this dream-like state: being in love turns your world upside down. The form of this poem is "longer, more prosaic, and frequently punctuated with ellipses" (http://www.enotes.com/wrote-good-omelet-salem/wrote-good-omelet). It contains no rhyme scheme but there is the repetition of "after loving you" at the end of each stanza. Although this poem's diction and syntax are not complex, Giovanni captures the sentiment of love using simple words (http://personalwriting.wordpress.com/2008/03/02/a-good-love-poem/). The three literary terms associated with this poem are prosaic, ellipse, and repetition. The prosaic style of the poem allows the reader to be transported into a story-like atmosphere in which content is placed above beautiful writing. The ellipses in part disrupt the fluidity of the story, but also contribute a sense of a list being read. Beginning with breakfast and finishing with sleeping, the person in the poem essentially provides a list of the different actions she had done that day. The list is laced with his or her continuous thoughts of love. Finally, the repetition of the phrase "after loving you" placed after the nonsensical swapping of actions demonstrates how her or his life has changed since falling in love.
a hot poem... after loving you
Buttoned my car...and drove my
coat home...in the rain...
after loving you
I goed on red...and stopped on
green...floating somewhere in between...
being here and being there...
after loving you
I rolled my bed...turned down
my hair...slightly
confused but...I don't care...
Laid out my teeth...and gargled my
gown...then I stood
...and laid me down...
To sleep...
after loving you
"I Wrote a Good Omelet" is a humorous love poem that reflects the gaiety and dreaminess of being in love. This narrative poem has a fun playfulness to it; at first the reader is confused as to what is occurring, but we soon realize that we are supposed to be confused. The auditor is immersed in the inner thoughts of a person in this dream-like state: being in love turns your world upside down. The form of this poem is "longer, more prosaic, and frequently punctuated with ellipses" (http://www.enotes.com/wrote-good-omelet-salem/wrote-good-omelet). It contains no rhyme scheme but there is the repetition of "after loving you" at the end of each stanza. Although this poem's diction and syntax are not complex, Giovanni captures the sentiment of love using simple words (http://personalwriting.wordpress.com/2008/03/02/a-good-love-poem/). The three literary terms associated with this poem are prosaic, ellipse, and repetition. The prosaic style of the poem allows the reader to be transported into a story-like atmosphere in which content is placed above beautiful writing. The ellipses in part disrupt the fluidity of the story, but also contribute a sense of a list being read. Beginning with breakfast and finishing with sleeping, the person in the poem essentially provides a list of the different actions she had done that day. The list is laced with his or her continuous thoughts of love. Finally, the repetition of the phrase "after loving you" placed after the nonsensical swapping of actions demonstrates how her or his life has changed since falling in love.
A Poem Of Friendship
We are not lovers
because of the love
we make
but the love
we have
We are not friends
because of the laughs
we spend
but the tears
we save
I don't want to be near you
for the thoughts we share
but the words we never have
to speak
I will never miss you
because of what we do
but what we are
together
Giovanni presents the multifaceted qualities of a relationship; the sides not usually verbalized or appreciated. "A Poem of Friendship" draws attention to the unspoken bond between the two people, which originates from knowing a person holistically: his or her habits, likes, and dislikes (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100419232342AAkAnUU). Like the characters Esteban and Manuel, twin brothers from the novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey, the couple knows each other so well that they become one unit, one identity: "I will never miss you because of what we do but what we are together" (lines 15-18). The three literary terms are open form, closed form, and enjambment. The first two stanzas are in closed form; there is a regularity in rhythm and line length. However, these aspects change in the third and fourth stanzas slightly in substituting the first word to "I" instead of "We" and altering the number of lines for five to four. The poem, in parts, is in closed form, but as a whole is open form because it lacks consistency throughout. Lastly, enjambment is used once again to promote fluidity.
because of the love
we make
but the love
we have
We are not friends
because of the laughs
we spend
but the tears
we save
I don't want to be near you
for the thoughts we share
but the words we never have
to speak
I will never miss you
because of what we do
but what we are
together
Giovanni presents the multifaceted qualities of a relationship; the sides not usually verbalized or appreciated. "A Poem of Friendship" draws attention to the unspoken bond between the two people, which originates from knowing a person holistically: his or her habits, likes, and dislikes (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100419232342AAkAnUU). Like the characters Esteban and Manuel, twin brothers from the novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey, the couple knows each other so well that they become one unit, one identity: "I will never miss you because of what we do but what we are together" (lines 15-18). The three literary terms are open form, closed form, and enjambment. The first two stanzas are in closed form; there is a regularity in rhythm and line length. However, these aspects change in the third and fourth stanzas slightly in substituting the first word to "I" instead of "We" and altering the number of lines for five to four. The poem, in parts, is in closed form, but as a whole is open form because it lacks consistency throughout. Lastly, enjambment is used once again to promote fluidity.
Balances
in life
one is always
balancing
like we juggle our mothers
against our fathers
or one teacher
against another
(only to balance our grade average)
3 grains of salt
to one ounce truth
our sweet black essence
or the funky honkies down the street
and lately I've begun wondering
if you're trying to tell me something
we used to talk all night
and do things alone together
and I've begun
(as a reaction to a feeling)
to balance
the pleasure of loneliness
against the pain
of loving you
The last couple of lines, like most of Giovanni's poems, are always the most captivating; they develop a new meaning to the poem and force the reader to reread it. The narrator describes the common, casual balances of life, then transitions into a sub-love story which ends with a balance of "the pleasure of loneliness against the pain of loving you" (lines 20-22). The relationship has become bitter, causing the narrator to feel relief in solitude. However, he or she is unable to forget the unhealthy love from the relationship. The three literary terms used are enjambment, oxymoron, and paradox. Enjambment, a run-on line of poetry in which logical and grammatical sense carries over from one line into the next, is seen throughout the poem as well as free verse. Giovanni creates a story through her writing with seamless fluidity utilizing enjambment. The oxymoron "alone together" perhaps demonstrates the emotional distance between the pair, even when they are physically together (line 16). Finally, the paradox "I've begun (as a reaction to a feeling) to balance the pleasure of loneliness against the pain of loving you" illuminates the inner conflict of the narrator (lines 17-22). He or she struggles with the yearning for the love that was previously felt and the present, damaging love which is unbearable.
one is always
balancing
like we juggle our mothers
against our fathers
or one teacher
against another
(only to balance our grade average)
3 grains of salt
to one ounce truth
our sweet black essence
or the funky honkies down the street
and lately I've begun wondering
if you're trying to tell me something
we used to talk all night
and do things alone together
and I've begun
(as a reaction to a feeling)
to balance
the pleasure of loneliness
against the pain
of loving you
The last couple of lines, like most of Giovanni's poems, are always the most captivating; they develop a new meaning to the poem and force the reader to reread it. The narrator describes the common, casual balances of life, then transitions into a sub-love story which ends with a balance of "the pleasure of loneliness against the pain of loving you" (lines 20-22). The relationship has become bitter, causing the narrator to feel relief in solitude. However, he or she is unable to forget the unhealthy love from the relationship. The three literary terms used are enjambment, oxymoron, and paradox. Enjambment, a run-on line of poetry in which logical and grammatical sense carries over from one line into the next, is seen throughout the poem as well as free verse. Giovanni creates a story through her writing with seamless fluidity utilizing enjambment. The oxymoron "alone together" perhaps demonstrates the emotional distance between the pair, even when they are physically together (line 16). Finally, the paradox "I've begun (as a reaction to a feeling) to balance the pleasure of loneliness against the pain of loving you" illuminates the inner conflict of the narrator (lines 17-22). He or she struggles with the yearning for the love that was previously felt and the present, damaging love which is unbearable.
Ego Tripping
I was born in the Congo.
I walked to the Fertile Crescent and built the sphinx.
I designed a pyramid so tough that a star
that only glows every one hundred years falls
into the center giving divine perfect light.
I am bad.
I sat on the throne
drinking nectar with Allah.
I got hot and sent an ice age to Europe
to cool my thirst.
My oldest daughter is Nefertiti.
The tears from my birth pains
created the Nile.
I am a beautiful woman.
I gazed on the forest and burned
out the Sahara desert.
With a packet of goat's meat
and a change of clothes,
I crossed it in two hours.
I am a gazelle so swift,
so swift you can't catch me.
For a birthday present when he was three,
I gave my son Hannibal an elephant.
He gave me Rome for mother's day.
My strength flows ever on.
My son Noah built an ark and
I stood proudly at the helm
as we sailed on a soft summer day.
I turned myself into myself and was Jesus.
Men intone my loving name.
All praises all praises,
I am the one who would save.
I sowed diamonds in my back yard.
My bowels deliver uranium.
The filings from my fingernails are
semi-precious jewels.
On a trip north,
I caught a cold and blew
my nose giving oil to the Arab world.
I am so hip even my errors are correct.
I sailed west to reach east and had to round off
the earth as I went.
The hair from my head thinned and gold was laid
across three continents.
I am so perfect so divine so ethereal so surreal.
I cannot be comprehended except by my permission.
I mean...I...can fly
like a bird in the sky...
When I first read "Ego Tripping", I thought that the message was that amidst exaggeration or lies, there is truth. I came to this conclusion about the truth with the interspersed, realistic, simple lines: "I was born in the Congo" (line 1), "I am bad" (line 7), "I am a beautiful woman" (15), etc. However, I thought that there must be a connection to the religious allusions in some way, so I looked the poem up. According to one source, "she went deep inside of her soul and sort of transformed herself spiritually. She created a new person in herself and it was brought to the outside. It was as if she was reincarnated into herself" (http://www.exampleessays.com/viewpaper/94213.html). In other words, the narrator is exploring different religions by envisioning herself as a friend of Allah and mother of Nefertiti and Noah. Furthermore, the title ego tripping literally means "getting high on your ego and hallucinating" these impossible situations (http://www.emule.com/2poetry/phorum/read.php?6,184592). The next source explains the theme is "empowerment; she uses all of the allusions to support it (exaggerating of course). She is a black woman and an activist - whether she wants to express that black people are powerful, or that women are powerful, I don't know" (http://www.emule.com/2poetry/phorum/read.php?6,184592). I had never thought of this interpretation, however it seems highly plausible because Giovanni is a civil rights activist and writes about the lives of African Americans in a realistic light. The first stanza/line of the poem is the origin of this connection to Africa, followed by later "I am a beautiful woman" (line 15), which establishes the feminist or black pride motif (http://ledascholars.blogspot.com/). The poem ends with a hopeful, uplifting sentiment utilizing the image of a bird flying. Three literary terms are allusion, hyperbole, and simile. In parts of the poem, the allusions act as a hyperbole in that the narrator is claiming inconceivable actions and lineages: "For a birthday present when he was three, I gave my son Hannibal an elephant. He gave me Rome for mother's day" (lines 23-25). The simile "I mean...I...can fly like a bird in the sky..." (lines 48-49) promotes the uplifting, promising future for, perhaps, black women.
I walked to the Fertile Crescent and built the sphinx.
I designed a pyramid so tough that a star
that only glows every one hundred years falls
into the center giving divine perfect light.
I am bad.
I sat on the throne
drinking nectar with Allah.
I got hot and sent an ice age to Europe
to cool my thirst.
My oldest daughter is Nefertiti.
The tears from my birth pains
created the Nile.
I am a beautiful woman.
I gazed on the forest and burned
out the Sahara desert.
With a packet of goat's meat
and a change of clothes,
I crossed it in two hours.
I am a gazelle so swift,
so swift you can't catch me.
For a birthday present when he was three,
I gave my son Hannibal an elephant.
He gave me Rome for mother's day.
My strength flows ever on.
My son Noah built an ark and
I stood proudly at the helm
as we sailed on a soft summer day.
I turned myself into myself and was Jesus.
Men intone my loving name.
All praises all praises,
I am the one who would save.
I sowed diamonds in my back yard.
My bowels deliver uranium.
The filings from my fingernails are
semi-precious jewels.
On a trip north,
I caught a cold and blew
my nose giving oil to the Arab world.
I am so hip even my errors are correct.
I sailed west to reach east and had to round off
the earth as I went.
The hair from my head thinned and gold was laid
across three continents.
I am so perfect so divine so ethereal so surreal.
I cannot be comprehended except by my permission.
I mean...I...can fly
like a bird in the sky...
When I first read "Ego Tripping", I thought that the message was that amidst exaggeration or lies, there is truth. I came to this conclusion about the truth with the interspersed, realistic, simple lines: "I was born in the Congo" (line 1), "I am bad" (line 7), "I am a beautiful woman" (15), etc. However, I thought that there must be a connection to the religious allusions in some way, so I looked the poem up. According to one source, "she went deep inside of her soul and sort of transformed herself spiritually. She created a new person in herself and it was brought to the outside. It was as if she was reincarnated into herself" (http://www.exampleessays.com/viewpaper/94213.html). In other words, the narrator is exploring different religions by envisioning herself as a friend of Allah and mother of Nefertiti and Noah. Furthermore, the title ego tripping literally means "getting high on your ego and hallucinating" these impossible situations (http://www.emule.com/2poetry/phorum/read.php?6,184592). The next source explains the theme is "empowerment; she uses all of the allusions to support it (exaggerating of course). She is a black woman and an activist - whether she wants to express that black people are powerful, or that women are powerful, I don't know" (http://www.emule.com/2poetry/phorum/read.php?6,184592). I had never thought of this interpretation, however it seems highly plausible because Giovanni is a civil rights activist and writes about the lives of African Americans in a realistic light. The first stanza/line of the poem is the origin of this connection to Africa, followed by later "I am a beautiful woman" (line 15), which establishes the feminist or black pride motif (http://ledascholars.blogspot.com/). The poem ends with a hopeful, uplifting sentiment utilizing the image of a bird flying. Three literary terms are allusion, hyperbole, and simile. In parts of the poem, the allusions act as a hyperbole in that the narrator is claiming inconceivable actions and lineages: "For a birthday present when he was three, I gave my son Hannibal an elephant. He gave me Rome for mother's day" (lines 23-25). The simile "I mean...I...can fly like a bird in the sky..." (lines 48-49) promotes the uplifting, promising future for, perhaps, black women.
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