A Poem for My Librarian, Mrs. Long Themes
Admiration
Since the title of this poem ("A Poem for My Librarian, Mrs. Long") is a dedication to… well, Mrs. Long, we know that we're in for some heavy-duty admiration. And we're not disappointed. Giovanni...
Race
Nikki Giovanni has been one of the strongest, clearest voices to talk about the black experience in America, so it will come as no surprise that her earliest memories would include issues of race a...
Innocence
In "A Poem for My Librarian, Mrs. Long," Nikki Giovanni reflects on her childhood in Knoxville, at a time when the pace was slower and her chief pleasures were books, books… and more books. Oh, a...
Education
Whenever we hear the term "education," we usually think of something institutional, formal, and mainstream. But Giovanni's "A Poem for My Librarian, Mrs. Long" shows us that other experiences contr...