The poem “For Saundra” by Nikki Giovanni is a poem that really caught my attention because as I read it, I felt like I could compare it to one of my own pieces of writing . The poem “For Saundra” uses the literary thoughts of imagery and symbolism to see a different journey of transformation, also including a moment of self-realization. It's like one of those funny poems that not only contains sarcasm but also talks about itself at the same time. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Poetry Analysis Nikki Giovanni stated, “I'll write a beautiful poem about a green tree / peeking through my window,” and Giovanni followed up with the line, which says, “I noticed the schoolyard was covered in asphalt/no greenery - no trees grow/in Manhattan." Is there any valid reason why he wouldn't have contemplated the substance of the poem before starting to compose it? Giovanni wants to write poems about beauty, yet he is still discovering what to write about. Poetry can be perceived in various ways to be poetry, it can come from emotions, behaviors and perspectives. Nikki Giovanni repeatedly expresses this action in her writings. At the beginning of the poem Giovanni states: “I wanted to write/ a poem/ that rhymes/ but the revolution doesn't lend itself/ to be-bopping”. From the beginning Giovanni admits that her thinking about how poetry is expressed is changing, causing her to lose confidence in her way of expressing not only her feelings but her way of thinking. Furthermore, John's most important words conclude her poem because they tell her why she fought. His last three verses were "maybe these aren't/times/poetic at all" earlier he stated "but all the clouds have risen/low since No-Dick was elected" No-Dick is Richard Dixion and he was elected at the end of the 1960s. This was a time when America was not at its best. This was John dictating that was not a good poetic moment. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The poem “For Saundra” uses the literary thoughts of imagery and symbolism to see a different journey of transformation, also including a moment of self-realization. Nikki Giovanni expressed this self-realization by showing us how much of what was happening in our country had impacted the way she lived life, it was a hectic time. Even though this social change was forcing her to lose confidence in her way of expressing not only her feelings but also her way of thinking, the effort to extend a hand to oppose the stigmatization. This influenced Nikki Giovanni to write such a poem which showed people how this affected her thinking about the ability to write poetry at that time..