“knoxville, tennessee”

By: Samantha Hammond“KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE”

Nikki Giovanni

∞ Born 1943, in Knoxville, Tennessee

∞ Grew up in Lincoln Heights, Ohio

∞ Spent a major part of her happy childhood with her grandparents

∞ Bachelors Degree in History at Fisk University, 1967

BASIC FACTS

∞ While attending Fisk, Giovanni was greatly influenced by a novelist who taught a Creative Writing workshop, John

Oliver Killens.

∞ Racial views of her classmates

INFLUENCES

∞ Most of her early poetry included her anger towards how black Americans were treated

∞ She supported open violence, due to how impatient she was for change

In 1969 Giovanni:∞ Took a teaching job at Rutgers University

∞ Gave birth to her son Thomas∞ Never married

∞ 1970s her work became less angry and more domestic

MORE…

∞ Black Judgment & Black feeling, Black talk

∞ 1971 she experimented with sound recording and released the album Truth is on its way

∞ 1978 - Cotton Candy on a Rainy Day

∞ 1983 - Those Who Ride the Night Winds

PUBLISHED BOOKS/ALBUMS

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE

“I always like summerBestyou can eat fresh cornFrom daddy's gardenAnd okraAnd greensAnd cabbageAnd lots ofBarbequeAnd buttermilkAnd homemade ice-creamAt the church picnicAnd listen toGospel musicOutsideAt the churchHomecomingAnd go to the mountains withYour grandmotherAnd go barefootedAnd be warmAll the timeNot only when you go to bedAnd sleep”

One theme for “Knoxville, Tennessee” is simple life before the race riots, this can be determined by how she incorporated several simple life activities/items:

∞ Food

∞ Activities

∞ Family members

In other poetry by Giovanni, its typically about her anger towards the racial views on Black Americans.

THEME

∞ SymbolsIn almost every line she uses symbols, such as:

“and you can eat fresh corn” (line 3)

“And homemade ice-cream” (line 11)

“Barbeque” (line 9)

“And go barefooted” (line 20)

POETIC DEVICES 1

∞ ImageryGiovanni uses imagery to set the scene to the reader, she

uses this multiple times: ‘I always like summer’ (line 1)

‘At the church’ (line 16) ‘And you can eat fresh corn

And okraAnd greens

And cabbage” (line “At the church picnic” (line

POETIC DEVICE 2

∞ Tone, MoodGiovanni uses tone and mood multiple times within her

writing

“Gospel music” (line 14)

“Homecoming” (line 17)

“And be warm” (line 21)

POETIC DEVICE 3

"Knoxville, Tennessee." Poetry for Students. Ed. David A. Galens. Vol. 17. Detroit: Gale, 2003. 130-143. Gale Virtual

Reference Library. Web. 2 June 2014.

BIBLIOGRAPHY