Favorite poems are like favorite children. We definitely have them but we never tell as the others would have their feelings hurt.
Nikki GiovanniRead
I’ve not learned the acceptable way of saying you fascinate me...I’ve not even learned how to say I like you without frightening people away-
Interpretation
What this quote means
The speaker struggles to express their affection without causing discomfort.
This quote by Nikki Giovanni highlights the difficulty of expressing deep feelings of attraction and the fear that genuine expressions of affection can sometimes provoke discomfort or fear in others. It encapsulates the complex emotions tied to romantic interest, where the desire to connect is often clashed with the anxiety of vulnerability and potential rejection.
Themes
LoveAffectionCommunicationVulnerabilityFear
In practice
Example use cases
Use this quote in a conversation when discussing the challenges of expressing feelings in relationships.
More from Nikki Giovanni
All quotes →I want to be clear about this. If you wrote from experience, you'd get maybe one book, maybe three poems. Writers write from empathy.
Nikki GiovanniRead
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.
Nikki GiovanniRead
Art is not for the cultivated taste. It is to cultivate taste.
Nikki GiovanniRead
Style has a profound meaning to Black Americans. If we can’t drive, we will invent walks and the world will envy the dexterity of our feet. If we can’t have ham, we will boil chitterlings; if we are given rotten peaches, we will make cobblers; if given scraps, we will make quilts; take away our drums, and we will clap our hands. We prove the human spirit will prevail. We will take what we have to make what we need. We need confidence in our knowledge of who we are.
Nikki GiovanniRead
If you were a pure bolt of fire-cutting the skies I'd touch you-risking my life-not because I'm brave or strong, but because I'm fascinated by what the outcome would be.
Nikki GiovanniRead
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