I was so sad to hear about Nikki Giovanni’s passing. I met her a couple of times. Once was at the Georgia Council of Teachers of English convention,  probably in the late 1990s, and I met her again at NCTE some years ago (picture below). Both times I met her, she was extremely kind.

Nikki Giovanni was one of the first poets I read and thought, “Oh! You can do that with poetry? Why didn’t I read poetry like that in school?” When I was an undergraduate, I took a poetry course with Coleman Barks. Actually, it was his very last poetry class before he retired. I loved Dr. Barks, but we did not read any women in that class except for Adrienne Rich. When a classmate called him on it, I remember her advocating for Nikki Giovanni.

I heard her read “Ego-Tripping,” and you cannot beat her cadence at the poem’s end:

Many of my teacher friends on Bluesky (we’ve ditched the website formerly known as Twitter) mourned Giovanni’s passing in the way teachers do—sharing her work and wisdom and creating lessons. I had to sit in thought for a few days. I had to shed a few tears. Now, I’m ready to share my contribution in memory of Nikki Giovanni. This lesson focuses on “Resignation,” but you could probably adapt it for other Giovanni poems.

For context, I have 70-minute class periods, but you can adapt this lesson as you see fit. Some inspiration for this lesson came from Teach This Poem by the Academy of American Poets.  I also adapted the Tone Bottles activity from #TeachLivingPoets (also described in this book). I plan to teach this lesson next Thursday, right before we go on winter break. It is part of a larger thematic unit on love and relationships. For this activity, you will need:

• Clear glue (not dries clear but actually clear, such as this kind)
• Index cards
• A selection of glitters and sequins
• Clean, clear plastic bottles (such as soda or water bottles)

As a warm-up or activator, ask students to journal for a few minutes on the following topic:

What does the word “resignation” mean to you? Feel free to do some research. What connotations does the word have? 

Discuss the journal afterward. Invite students to share their ideas. Compile their definitions on the board.

I always share some details about the author’s biography. Here is what I plan to share about Giovanni.

Then we will watch this PBS News Hour video about Giovanni:

I will probably share my own reflections about meeting Ms. Giovanni and what she means to me.

Next we will watch and listen closely to “Love is so Simple” by the Dells, alluded to in the poem.

Students can share their observations about words and phrases that stood out to them and why.

Distribute copies of the poem and ask students to read it silently for a few minutes and then share out what they notice. If they don’t say anything about Giovanni’s use of anaphora, draw their attention to it and ask them about its effect.

Next, read the poem again aloud. Giovanni’s poetry, in particular, benefits from being read aloud.

As a full class, discuss the following questions:

• Discuss the idea of “resignation” in love. Does it imply acceptance, inevitability, or submission?
• Is this a positive or negative perspective on love? Why? (point to evidence)
• Does “resignation” always mean giving up? Can it be empowering? (encourage students to explain their responses)

In small groups, students decide which line they think is the most important line in the poem. Bring the class together to share their lines and offer their evidence. What does this line reveal about the speaker and/or the beloved? This activity encourages them to pay attention to language.

Brainstorm a list of symbols in the poem (e.g., snowflakes, darkness and light, or metaphors of coffee and chocolate milk) and discuss what they might represent. 

Have students create “Resignation” bottles that capture the poem the way they see it. They should pick elements such as glitter, sequins, or other small items that represent a symbol in the poem, the tone of the poem, and a chosen image, phrase, or line. They should select a food color that represents the poem’s overall meaning. I won’t reprint instructions for Tone Bottles here since you can find them at #TeachLivingPoets, but I will basically be following those instructions with the tweak of incorporating symbols in addition to tone. Also, I plan to tweak the recipe to eliminate mineral oil and soap, as I found them hard to work with. Instead, I’ll be using a recipe that is more similar to this one for a glitter jar.

On index cards, students write a paragraph that addresses these two prompts:

• Explain why the bottle represents Nikki Giovanni’s poem.
• Explain how creating the bottle helped you analyze the poem.

Finally, let students show off their work and examine their peers’ work with a gallery walk. Ask them to reflect on their peers’ choices.

I’ll let you know how the lesson goes. In the meantime, feel free to use it.