Ego Tripping (there may be a reason why)

1. Ego Tripping (there may be a reason why) By : Nikki Giovanni

2. Vocabulary • Ego trip : something undertaken to boost or draw attention to a person's own image or appraisal of himself. something done primarily to satisfy one's vanity. • Congo : A republic in Central Africa • Allah : The Arabic word for God • Nefertiti : Queen of Egypt and wife of Akhenaton (14 century BC) • Gazelle : A Small Slender antelope that typically has Curved horns and a yellowish-brown coat with white underpants; found in open country in Africa and Asia.

3. About The Poem • Structure : Free Verse • 51 lined Stanza , no regular rhyme scheme • Whole Poem is Enjambment & a Hyperbole. • Theme : African American Pride , Woman's power • “The title, “Ego-Tripping,” suggests an ego so large that the author is tripping over it, but that is not the poem's purpose. Giovanni's first trip to Africa was in 1972, the year of the publication of this poem. Many of the great ancient African civilizations, the Egyptians, the Carthagians, and the Ethiopians, contributed to the greatness of Greek, Roman, and Norman life, and in these civilizations, much of modern life finds its origins. Giovanni aligns herself with these beginnings and the possibilities they offer in “Ego-Tripping,” as she celebrates being black and female. “

4. Symbolism • Hair –Sexuality • Summer- Maturity , vigor, accomplishments • Ruler- power • North- towards wilderness ; purity • Desert- sterility • River- the course of human life

5. Diction 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 5 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 10 to cool my thirst My oldest daughter is Nefertiti the tears from my birth pains created the Nile I am a beautiful woman 15 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 20 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 25 My strength flows ever on My son Noah built new/ark and I stood proudly at the helm as we sailed on a soft summer day I turned myself into myself and was 30 Jesus men intone my loving name All praises All praises I am the one who would save I sowed diamonds in my back yard 35 My bowels deliver uranium the filings from my fingernails are semi-precious jewels On a trip north I caught a cold and blew 40 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 45 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 … • Designed • Star • Glows • Devine • Perfect • Nefertiti • Created • Beautiful • Strength • Proudly • Jesus • Loving • Save • Jewels • Correct • Built

6. 1st Stanza I was born in the CongoI walked to the fertile crescent and built the sphinxI designed a pyramid so tough that a star that only glows every one hundred years falls into the center giving divineperfect lightI am badRight in the beginning of the poem the speaker shows strength and power, she imagines herself as a female God. In the first section she claims to have created the Sphinx and pyramids. In the rest of the stanza the speaker adds science and religion . The star that she refers to in this stanza is the Milky way which burns out every 100 years and when it does it is very bright. The speaker adds “I am bad” it doesn’t mean she is a bad person but a strong one and an awesome one. She is very proud of who she is and of her accomplishments.

7. Congo Sphinx Milky Way The Sphinx of Giza is a symbol that has represented the essence of Egypt for thousands of years.

8. 2nd stanza I sat on the throne drinking nectar with AllahI got hot and sent an ice age to Europe to cool my thirstMy oldest daughter is Nefertiti the tears from my birth painscreated the NileI am a beautiful woman “I sat on the throne drinking nectar with Allah” she becomes equal to him because she sat next to him they both shared power. In the second stanza the speaker relates herself as a queen and even a Goddess someone of much power. She is the mother of Nefertiti (queen of Egypt and wife of Akhenaton) The name Nefertiti means “Beautiful”. With her daughter being Nefertiti it makes her way more beautiful and better. Her child’s tears created the Nile river which is the longest river (4000 miles) and is very important to Egypt. “I am a beautiful woman” she is very confident about herself and proud. She creates many thing because she feels like a God. “ “I got hot and sent an ice age to Europe to cool my thirst.”

9. Nefertiti Nile River

10. 3rdStanza I gazed on the forest and burned out the Sahara desert with a packet of goat's meat and a change of clothesI crossed it in two hours I am a gazelle so swift so swift you can't catch meIn the third stanza the speaker says her gaze burns the Sahara desert which is the largest desert in the world she's able to cross the desert in 2 hours . “ I am a gazelle so swift “ A gazelle is known to be the fastest animal in the world. "So swift you cant catch me “ escaping those who see her as a prey. She feels Superior that she can do anything.

11. Gazelle Sahara Desert

12. 4th stanza For a birthday present when he was threeI gave my son Hannibal an elephantHe gave me Rome for mother's day My strength flows ever onIn the 4th stanza the speaker mentions another son who happens to be Hannibal (A great Carthaginian general.) Hannibal crossed the Pyrenees with 35 elephants . However he did not succeed in taking Rome , but did control large parts of the Roman Empire before being defeated. The speaker signifies on cultural knowledge and historical relocations of the Ancient Roman

13. 5th stanza My son Noah built new/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 In this stanza the speaker is basically saying that she is equally praised as Jesus was. “She was born again as Jesus. The speaker seems to be so powerful and all knowing that he or she is above worldly classifications or gender.” The speaker makes a reference to the Genesis flood narrative which features Noah and his new Ark. The connections to biblical personalities symbolizes the mission of Africa and black people identity as descendants of Africa.

14. 6th stanza I sowed diamonds in my back yard My bowels deliver uranium the filings from my fingernails are semi-precious jewels On a trip northI caught a cold and blew My nose giving oil to the Arab worldI am so hip even my errors are correctI 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 continentsIn this stanza the speaker basically says everything she does and creates is good . She is also the reason why the earth became round . “ The speaker has furnished the world with precious jewels, and other resources from her body parts.”

15. 7th stanza I am so perfect so divine so ethereal so surrealI cannot be comprehended except by my permissionThe speakers is to good to be true , she decided who can comprehend her. Everything she does is so perfect.8th stanza I mean … I … can fly like a bird in the sky …“A play on the pop culture phrase “fly” meaning great/amazing. The speaker compares herself to a bird to further illustrate her coolness and literary ability to “fly”.

16. Nikki Giovanni • Giovanni was born in Knoxville, Tennessee June 7, 1943 and grew up in Lincoln Heights, an all-black suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio. • Giovanni is a world-renowned poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator. • One of the most widely-read American poets, she prides herself on being "a Black American, a daughter, a mother, a professor of English • Her focus is on the individual, specifically, on the power one has to make a difference in oneself, and thus, in the lives of others. • Always insisting on presenting the truth as she sees it, she has maintained a prominent place as a strong voice of the Black community.

18. 1. Where was the poet born? • 2. what type of poem is this ? • 3. What is the rhyme scheme? • 4.What is the theme ? • 5. what does “ I am bad “ mean in the last line of the 1st stanza? • 6. What year was the poet born ? • 8. who is Nefertiti? • 9.What is the poet making herself feel like throughout the poem? • 10. what does “there may be a reason why “ mean ?