How would you describe the feelings that the speaker expresses in the first stanza? "the world is not a pleasant place to be without someone to hold and be held by"

In the first stanza of her poem, the author feels lonely and sad, because she thinks that every human being needs a companion in his/her life, because, otherwise, life will seem boring and unpleasant.

She also tries to say that human beings are not supposed to be alone, that every person needs someone who will hold our hands and take care of us. Nikki Giovanni also feels the need to share her world with someone, to love and to be loved by a person who will always be there for her.