Nikki Giovanni's "Ego Trippin" Can you tell me where exactly? I'm having trouble finding it cause whatever I google just comes up with sites for buying jewelry and such. X_X

Well, that's possibly because (I presume) you're googling 'jewels' or something along those lines. You have to think where jewels come from - minerals. Minerals have long been a source of conflict. Have you seen the film 'Blood Diamond' - that's about a conflict over minerals (jewels).

Ego Tripping (there may be a reason why)

Ego Tripping (there may be a reason why)

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 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

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...

Yes I have. Good movie... so that means there's conflict in Africa and other places over jewels in general and not just diamonds. That makes sense now...

"My bowels deliver uranium"
-reference to German colonialism in Namibia

"My nose giving oil to the arab world"
-oil conflicts in Libya, Iraq, Kuwait?

"The hair from my head thinned and gold was laid
across three continents"
-the Slave Trade, the East India Company, the Dutch East India Company

Whoa. I got the second one, but care to explain the other two?

""The hair from my head thinned and gold was laid
across three continents"
-The term 'across three continents' speaks to the movement of minerals from continent to continent, which could be seen as a reference to the Slave Trade and the colonial merchant trading in the time of European colonialism that led to the exploitation of areas in Africa, South America, and Asia.

Can you explain to me who you think the voice of the poem is? "I was born in the congo" - what does this sentence mean to you?

I see. So many allusions. X_X As far as the voice of the poem, I've interpreted the persona as a godlike figure. Or at least somebody who believes themselves to have godly powers. The part about being born in the Congo to me was just Nikki showing her pride in being black. I didn't find the place of origin to be of too much significance besides for being far away from the Fertile Crescent while still being able to walk there from the Congo.

Keep in mind I'm only a senior in high school, so I am not versed in interpreting poetry. English isn't exactly my strong suit either, so any help would greatly be appreciated. :)

Ok. Well, firstly, I would say that you should consider that the voice of the poem should not be taken as the voice of the person who wrote the poem. Those two are different. Example: Writers who write about murderers - they are not murderers themselves. The voice and thoughts of the protagonist should not be confused as being directly those of the author.

I think you could be right about the idea of a 'godlike figure' - there are many biblical references, to 'Noah' and the ark, singing 'praises. However, that the voice says she was 'born in the Congo' could also suggest the beginnings of man - which are traced back to central Africa. In that sense, the voice of the poem could be representative for humanity in general.

I have more to say but I'm also playing a live game so I'll post this for now. If you give me some time, I'll try to help you a bit more.

That's a good point, but it's a bit odd because she's god-like and if she were to be born in the Congo and represent humanity, that's not really godly. And yes my teacher has made sure to tell us that the author is not necessarily the speaker, which is why I referred to the speaker as the persona. The figure is god-like because of the lines "I sat on the throne drinking nectar with allah." Shows equivalence to Allah as well as the nectar being the favored drink of the gods.

God-like but not necessarily god. Can humanity be seen as god-like?

Not to the point of pooping uranium and blowing oil out of our noses. Then again I have read somewhere online that this poem could be somebody hallucinating on their own ego about their grandeur. Hyperbole of course also exists. It does seem to follow history, going from the Congo, to the Fertile Crescent, into Egypt, the Punic wars, Noah and Jesus, then a few of the problems of modern day such as the war over jewels and oil. Hm....

"Then again I have read somewhere online that this poem could be somebody hallucinating on their own ego about their grandeur."

That's more along the lines I was reading the poem. For example, the lines "I am so perfect so divine so ethereal so surreal, I cannot be comprehended except by my permission" certainly don't reflect positively on the voice of the poem. The title of the poem is 'Ego Tripping' - this doesn't like a way one would describe God. Surely the drinking of the nectar with Allah reflects the 'ego tripping' of a humanity who thinks they are god-like.

The more and more I read the poem, the more I think you're right. If you're interested, I could send you the paraphrase and analysis I've written for the poem so far. It's basically done besides for the last few lines. I could definitely use another person's opinion, though it is somewhat long (for me anyways).

Sure, I'll message you my email.

Thanks. I was just trying to get the ideas right so the language is pretty meh. I think my word choice got pretty repetitive, but that's for later. Tell me what you think. Thanks! :)