18 pages • 36-minute read
Ego Tripping
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Further Reading & Resources
Related Poems
“The Negro Speaks of Rivers” by Langston Hughes (1921)
This poem by American poet Langston Hughes (1902-1967) contains images and allusions that are similar to the ones present in “Ego Tripping.” Hughes was a major figure of the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, during which Black artists in major cities in America gathered together to make art and write literature.
“Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou (1978)
American poet Maya Angelou (1951-2014) wrote this poem in 1978, four years after the publication of “Ego Tripping,” and the musical rhythms and bold tone of the speaker resemble those of Giovanni’s poem. Angelou and Giovanni were friends, fellow activists, and educators.
“The Crazy Woman” by Gwendolyn Brooks (1960)
American poet Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000) was the first Black writer to win the Pulitzer Prize. Giovanni’s publishing cooperative, NikTom, Ltd., helped Brooks’s voice to become known in the 1970s. This brief orderly poem about a woman who refuses to sing in the month of May contrasts with the effusive female voice of Giovanni’s speaker.
Further Literary Resources
"Ego Tripping: Jamila Woods Interviewed" (2018)
“Ego Tripping” continues to inspire Black artists, and this article in British music and fashion magazine Clash about Jamila Woods, an American singer, songwriter and poet, illustrates how Giovanni’s influential poem continues to make cultural waves around the world. The interviewer quotes Woods’s appreciative words for Giovanni’s poem, describing it as “‘very hip-hop’” in its accessibility and rhythm.
Nikki Giovanni’s Personal Website
Giovanni’s own website contains many links to literary resources as well as biographical information about the poet and a bibliography of her published works. Also available are articles based on interviews with Giovanni as well as links to videos of Giovanni speaking about poetry and politics.
"The Tragedy at Virginia Tech: Giovanni Speaks" (2007)
In this recording of an NPR news piece, Giovanni speaks with Farai Chideya about her address to the grieving Virginia Tech community the day after a 23-year-old student killed 32 people on campus. Giovanni reveals her relationship with the student who committed the shooting as well as her feelings towards the tragedy.
Listen to Poem
Listen to Nikki Giovanni perform her poem “Ego Tripping.”
The poet herself performs “Ego Tripping” at the 2014 Albany State University Poetry Festival.
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