Ego tripping

Perhaps the most well-known African American poet in the world, Nikki Giovanni is praised by both the general public and the literary community. Though its brief title has made it famous, the poem's original title was "Ego-Tripping," making it her most well-known piece of poetry (there may be a reason why). The poem's title alludes to an ego so big that the author is tripping over it. When Giovanni visited Africa for the first time in 1972, she was inspired to write the poem after seeing the accomplishments of some of the major old African civilizations, such as the Egyptians, the Carthagians, and the Ethiopians.

As she celebrates both being black and being a woman, the speaker of the poem joins two significant beginnings. Ego Tripping is one of Giovanni’s favorite poems and she has included it in at least three of her poetry collections. Nikki Giovanni's poem "Ego-Tripping" was first released in 1972 as part of the poetry book My House. Ego-Tripping and Other Poems for Young People, a children's poetry collection that was released the next year, also contains the piece. In the latter book, George Ford's pictures present children with empowering representations of black pride. The images and text extol strength and power; anything that may be envisioned is conceivable. Periods, commas, and other punctuation are not used by Giovanni. There aren't any breaks or locations for the reader to take a breath.

Poet: Nikki Giovanni

Published: 1972