Top 33 Nikki Giovanni Quotes

Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to the error that counts.

I am totally fascinated by people and our history as I understand and continue to explore it. People have so much to give and so far to go and yet we have given and gone a great distance. It’s really just interesting to ask: why not? And see where that takes me.

I think one of the nicest things that we created as a generation was just the fact that we could say, ‘Hey, I don’t like white people.’

Favorite poems are like favorite children. We definitely have them but we never tell as the others would have their feelings hurt.

For most of my life, I’ve thought of myself as pretty cool.

If everybody became a poet the world would be much better. We would all read to each other.

We write because we believe the human spirit cannot be tamed and should not be trained.

I had a really nice childhood; I had great parents. I earned my allowance by washing dishes, and in the summer I earned my allowance by working in daddy’s garden.

A lot of people resist transition and therefore never allow themselves to enjoy who they are. Embrace the change, no matter what it is; once you do, you can learn about the new world you’re in and take advantage of it.

If you know what you’re talking about, or if you feel that you do, the reader will believe you.

I really don’t think life is about the I-could-have-beens. Life is only about the I-tried-to-do. I don’t mind the failure but I can’t imagine that I’d forgive myself if I didn’t try.

Hip-hop is a cultural expression – it’s embracing.

I spend a lot of time learning about bird watching.

Some say we are responsible for those we love. Others know we are responsible for those who love us.

When you are skinning your customers, you should leave some skin on to grow again so that you can skin them again.

If now isn’t a good time for the truth I don’t see when we’ll get to it.

Art is not for the cultivated taste. It is to cultivate taste.

The catchword I use with my classes is: The authority of the writer always overcomes the skepticism of the reader.

I’m just totally fascinated by people.

Follow your image as far as you can no matter how useless you think it is. Push yourself.

I appreciate and enjoy my age.

You must invent your own games and teach us old ones how to play.

Now, everything I do, I do because I want to. And I believe the best is yet to come.

We believe ‘Peter Rabbit’ because Beatrix Potter believes it. You have to.

The poet Melvin B. Tolson once said, ‘A civilization is judged only in its decline.’ That made sense to me. I would imagine the same is true for poets and tennis players.

There’re two people in the world that are not likeable: a master and a slave.

If I could come back as anything – I’d be a bird, first, but definitely the command key is my second choice.

Sacred cows make very poor gladiators.

White people really deal more with God and black people with Jesus.

Everything will change. The only question is growing up or decaying.

I am proud of the hip hop generation. They are good business people and, actually, good people.

Poetry and music are very good friends. Like mommies and daddies and strawberries and cream – they go together.

There are things you stand up for because it’s right.