Ntozake Shange, Wild Beauty: New and Selected Poems (2017)
“
Hopefully, these characters bring us closer to a sense of self: honest and honored. Icons: Toussaint Louverture to José Martí to lesser known heroes, Atahualpa and Denmark Vesey. We lace our visions with Celia Cruz and Aretha Franklin.
— Ntozake Shange
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Hopefully, these characters bring us closer to a sense of self: honest and honored. Icons: Toussaint Louverture to José Martí to lesser known heroes, Atahualpa and Denmark Vesey. We lace our visions with Celia Cruz and Aretha Franklin." in the context of "Ntozake Shange, Wild Beauty: New and Selected Poems (2017)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Aretha Franklin" (About Aretha Franklin)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin (25 March 1942 - 16 August 2018) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin was also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock.
About Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin (25 March 1942 - 16 August 2018) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin was also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock.
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