Why Do Women Still Have Power

Women Still Have Power The 1970s were a rough year for African-Americans, still fighting for social and political rights in the United States. In this period, women still did not receive equal rights. However, in 1972, “Congress approved the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the Constitution, which reads: ‘Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex’ (History.com Staff).” Out of the thirty-eight necessary states only twenty-two ratified it right away, it was relieving for the moment because they the feminist advocates had been trying to be ratified since 1923. In 1972 Shirley Chisholm was the first African-American woman to be elected to the U.S. Congress. The poem Ego
The theme of this poem was power, the world as we know it is ran by power, solely based on power and control. Lack of power can cause problems as well as abusing power. Sometimes individuals do not know what they are capable of and what people have done before them. She expresses her ideas through powerful statements and flashbacks in history. First, the use of different deities that she compares herself to and basically puts herself above. She uses God like figures and statements in contrast to her own life. God like figures are very powerful they are often praised and worshiped and she strongly believes she can keep up with them. Then, she uses such impactful imagery to express her thoughts to her audience and for them to be somewhat relatable. The statements she uses are metaphors comparing her life to the life of the moments in history. Finally, this topic is used in every stanza of her poem which is the use of egoism. The way she describes herself is a way in which is Godly and somewhat undefinable, she lets it be known that she cannot be stopped and no one can tell her that they are above her. As a result, In Ego Tripping one can be able to understand the theme of power through the use of different deities, explicit imagery, and controversial egoism.
Giovanni’s use of different deities to convey the level of power she feels she possesses. In line 8 and 9 of Ego Tripping
According to Giovanni “My oldest daughter is Nefertiti, the tears from my birth pains, created the Nile.” Nefertiti was a powerful ancient queen, alongside her late husband who was a Pharaoh, after his death she took over his kingdom and gained full control over it, which cause her to be an impactful person in ancient Egypt. In addition, the Nile River is the largest river in the world right now for her to describe, her tears in a way it is expressing the power Nefertiti and Giovanni both share, which is where the claim of that being her oldest daughter comes from. In an analysis from Poetry for Students, reiterates by saying “The Nile was so important in early Egyptian life that its flood and drought cycle became basis for the Egyptian seasons (Poetry for Students).” The Nile is significant in the development of Egypt. To conclude the use of different deities, Giovanni’s last point she states in Line 30 “I turned myself into myself and was Jesus.” From my understanding, Jesus is the savior for all people and she communicates her transformation from a queen to a God like figure in such is described as a savior. According to Jasmyn Stewart in a summary about the poem Ego Tripping she states, “Giovanni is implying that she found a new closeness within herself (that is similar to that of God and Jesus as they can sometimes be viewed as one) that has changed her