Ego Tripping (there may be a reason why) BY : NIKKI
GIOVANNI
Slide 2
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.
Vocabulary Vocabulary
Slide 3
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.
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Hair Sexuality Summer- Maturity, vigor, accomplishments Ruler-
power North- towards wilderness ; purity Desert- sterility River-
the course of human life
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Designed Star Glows Devine Perfect Nefertiti Created Beautiful
Strength Proudly Jesus Loving Save Jewels Correct Built 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
Slide 6
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 Right 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 doesnt 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.
Slide 7
The Sphinx of Giza is a symbol that has represented the essence
of Egypt for thousands of years. CongoSphinx Milky Way
Slide 8
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 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 childs 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.
Slide 9
Nefertiti Nile River
Slide 10
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 In 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.
Slide 11
Sahara Desert Gazelle
Slide 12
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 In the 4 th 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
Slide 13
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 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.
Slide 14
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 In 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.
Slide 15
Slide 16
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.
Slide 17
Slide 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 1 st 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 ?