Dreams
In this poem Giovanni uses a sarcastic, almost satirical tone in the phrase 'before i learned black people aren't supposed to dream,' to add a touch of frank honesty to her words. This phrase acts almost like an adjunct to the rest of the poem and leaves a bitter-sweet taste in the reader's mouth, as they reflect on Giovanni's 'younger years,' and her youthful ambition, whilst being aware of the struggles for the black community. The alliteration of 'younger years,' emphasizes her innocence in light of prejudice.
Laws of Motion
Giovanni uses scientific theories mixed with everyday, clichéd sayings to deal with themes such as race, gender and possibility. She states 'The laws of science teach us a pound of gold weighs as much as a pound of flour.' The opening of this phrase and indeed the poem itself, using the words 'teach us,' reveals Giovanni's reluctance to take everything at face value and her ability to see another side of each declaration. This idea of being told or taught something by someone else is repeated in the next stanza, in 'Laws of motion tell us an inert object is more difficult to propel...' The imagery of the flour and gold being 'dropped from any undetermined height in their natural state,' with the result that 'one would reach the bottom and one fly away,' is symbolic of freedom within apparent laws. Whilst the two substances have qualities in common, they behave differently in certain situations.
Giovanni deals with human nature in this poem as well, revealing 'Man we are told is the only animal who smiles with his lips.' The lack of punctuation in this predominately monosyllabic sentence as well as the enjambment, create a matter-of-fact tone. However, the next phrase reveals 'The eyes however are the mirror of the soul,' a metaphor which presents two aspects of humanity that can contradict each other whilst appearing to co-ordinate.
Giovanni continues this metaphor later in the poem by ironically acknowledging these two apparent facts. She writes 'So I go to the streets with my lips painted red and my eyes carefully shielded to seduce the world...' The red lips highlight her smile, yet she shades her eyes so that what is on the outside is seen but the deep feelings of her soul are not mirrored but hidden.
