I Wrote a Good Omelet by Nikki Giovanni
"I Wrote a Good Omelet" by Nikki Giovanni is a poem that explores the complexities of love through a playful and introspective lens. The speaker reflects on a transformative romantic experience, describing it as both exhilarating and confusing, highlighted by the vivid imagery of stopping at a traffic light, which symbolizes the disruption love can bring to one’s life. Giovanni's work is characterized by a blend of emotional depth and whimsicality, offering a unique perspective on the joy and chaos that accompany passionate relationships.
This poem is part of Giovanni's larger collection, "Those Who Ride the Night Winds," where she employs longer, more prosaic verses and frequent ellipses, suggesting a conversational tone and a stream-of-consciousness style. The evolution seen in this collection reflects Giovanni's growth as a poet, as she delves deeper into individual experiences and emotions. Overall, "I Wrote a Good Omelet" captures the essence of love's impact on the self, inviting readers to engage with its themes of ecstasy and introspection.
On this Page
I Wrote a Good Omelet by Nikki Giovanni
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition
First published: 1983 (collected in Those Who Ride the Night Winds, 1983)
Type of work: Poem
The Work
“I Wrote a Good Omelet” also shows Giovanni at her playful best. The speaker has had a spectacularly jolting encounter with love and has everything confused. She tells the reader, “I goed on red . . . and stopped on green . . . after loving you.” In short, things were never the same but were filled with ecstasy, passion, and delight.
Stylistically, “I Wrote a Good Omelet” is representative of the entire collection Those Who Ride the Night Winds. In this book, the poems are longer, more prosaic, and frequently punctuated with ellipses. Furthermore, they mark a continued growth in the poet, at once becoming more introspective and showing an even more pronounced spirit of the individual than previous poems.
Bibliography
Beason, Tyrone. “Survival of the Baddest: Poet and Activist Nikki Giovanni Keeps Her ’60s Spirit Intact for a New Generation.” The Seattle Times, January 15, 2004, p. C1.
Davis, Arthur P. “The New Poetry of Black Hate.” In Modern Black Poets: A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by Donald B. Gibson. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1973.
Fowler, Virginia C. Nikki Giovanni. New York: Twayne, 1992.
Jago, Carol. Nikki Giovanni in the Classroom: “The Same Ol Danger but a Brand New Pleasure.” Urbana, Ill.: National Council of Teachers of English, 1999.
Josephson, Judith P. Nikki Giovanni: Poet of the People. Berkeley Heights, N.J.: Enslow, 2003.
“Nikki Giovanni.” In Her Words: Diverse Voices in Contemporary Appalachian Women’s Poetry, edited by Felicia Mitchel. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 2002.
Washington, Elsie B. “Nikki Giovanni: Wisdom for All Ages.” Essence 24 (March, 1994): 67.