Biography Analysis of an African-American Poet: Nikki Giovanni (Research Paper Sample)
The following are the directions that were given for the paper:
Students will gain a knowledge of and respect for the literary works of a poet via the study of the biography of a particular poet, the literary period in which the poet lived, the style of writing he or she used, and the effect the poet had on American poetry. The students will continue to develop their research and reading comprehension skills by reading literary criticism. A formal research paper will be written by the students, in which they will successfully integrate research and literary critique.
I chose to write about the African American poet Nikki Giovanni.
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Poetry Research Paper: Nikki Giovanni
Introduction
"If I could come back as anything - I'd be a bird, first, but definitely the command key is my second choice." Those were the words of Nikki Giovanni, a bird-like woman whose appearance captivated the crowd's total concentration with vocal talent and prowess during the Civil Rights Era. She has been a literary charm to those who are lucky enough to see and hear her. Nikki Giovanni is an African-American artist and civil rights activist who has been a formidable force since the Black Arts Movement. Her writings manifest her life experiences, which characterize her literary voice and the Black community, rendering her an assertive product of the 1950s. Nikki masterfully writes gems of American poetry that communicate the Black experience, making her a controversial poet during the Civil Rights Era who drew a storm of protest while drawing readers of all genders, races, and socioeconomic backgrounds. By combining personal anecdotes with political criticism harkening back to current societal developments, she hopes to explain the critical aspects of her life and the rapidly changing world around her via her poetry. Nikki Giovanni impacted the Black community positively in the quest for equality through her works of poetry.
Biographical Information
Nikki Giovanni was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, on June 7, 1943 (Fowler 54). She was named Yolanda Cornelia Giovanni and was the second born in her family, and her parents were Yolande and Jones Giovanni (Biography). The family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, just a few months after Nikki Giovanni was born, where she was raised (Fowler 56). Although she spent most of her time in Ohio, she and her sister would go to Tennessee every summer and visit their grandparents (Fowler 56). Her childhood was like any other as she spent a lot of time trying to earn some money by washing dishes at times and even gardening at her dad's garden. She studied kindergarten at Oak Avenue School and her first, second, and third grades. In her 4rth grade, she enrolled at St. Simon School, where her mother taught, and she did her 5th to 8th-grade education there. However, in her 9th grade, she went to Lockland High School, an all-black school. At 14 years old, she went back to Tennessee to live with her grandparents. She acquired her high school education at Austin High School in Knoxville, Tennessee. While there, her grandfather taught her Latin, and her grandmother influenced her significantly through her charity and political involvement. She applied for an early entry into a historically black Fisk University in Nashville as it had her plan. However, she was dismissed from the university in 1961 due to her outspokenness about the rules in the school (Fowler 58).
Afterward, she went back to Cincinnati to live with her parents and care for her sister's child. She went back to Fisk in 1964, and after talking with the new administration, she re-reenrolled into the institution and went to become a student leader. While there, she majored in history and started her activism life. She reestablished the Student Nonviolence Coordinating Committee at Fisk, edited a student literary journal, and published an essay in "Negro Digest" on gender questions in the Civil Rights Movement (Walters 213). She went back to Cincinnati in 1967, where she received her B.A. in History (Walters 214). The killing of Malcolm X became a game-changer in the social and political scene, leading to the emergence of the Black Panthers (Walters 215). During this time, her poetic works became the voice of many African Americans since she could relate to their experiences. She organized a Black Arts Festivals in Cincinnati and enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania. Her enrollment did not continue as planned as she dropped out in the following year and moved to New York. She later founded her publishing company, Niktom Limited, in 1970, publishing more than fourteen volumes of poetry and books.
Source of Influence
Nikki Giovanni's life was normal and mirrored the normalcy of the troubles endured by every black child during that time. However, she was
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