America is a country that has led the world not only in technology and science, but in new contemporary art styles as well. The creative factor that is shared in both is a crucial piece of our history and culture, but as technology has a far more prominent role in our day to day lives, the widespread appreciation of something like poetry is far less common. The presidents that have invited poets to read at their inaugurations share a passion for the arts, especially reading and writing. The poems created for the inaugurations have their own unique style, breaking the rules of meter and rhyme like modern poetry, but remaining accessible to a wide audience.
Amanda Gorman’s poem differs greatly from the earlier inaugural poems by directly referencing events in the modern day, where the others use metaphor and other tools to invoke patriotism and unity. The exception to this is Richard Blanco’s “One Today”, written for the second inauguration of Barack Obama. Both Blanco’s and Gorman’s poems reference themselves in the first person, using their personal experiences and many of the things we interact with in our everyday lives to connect with the audience, bringing their hearts closer and attention in.
“Elizabeth Alexander’s “Praise Song for the Day”, written for the first inauguration of Barack Obama, shares many thematic elements with Gorman’s poem. Both have descriptive imagery of moving forward towards a goal, and associate that goal with light. This amalgamous light-filled goal represents the ideal America, and the journey to get there is long and complicated.
Gorman’s poem features repetitive lists, a common trope in poetry that’s used to evoke emotion in the audience. This can also be seen in Maya Angelou’s inaugural poem for the first inauguration of Bill Clinton, “On the Pulse of Morning”, though they have different emotions they are trying to evoke. Angelou’s poem repeats races and ethnicities, along with the phrase “A Rock, A River, A Tree”, which is a core piece of the narrative metaphor. This is meant to evoke a sense of unity and love of the earth. Gorman’s poem uses repetition to both transition between concepts and drive points home. Here, the emotions evoked are closer to a rallying cry, something that unites over a common goal, a different kind of unity than in Maya Angelou’s.
“The Hill We Climb” borrows all the best parts of previous inaugural poems and adds a modern style, all while still stirring patriotism and inspiration. All of these poems feel unique, and seeing as how they were all written for a certain occasion, should be considered their own genre. Amanda Gorman’s poem, however, stands above the rest with her use of repetition, allusion to modern culture, and descriptive imagery.
Works Cited
Amanda Gorman's "The Hill We Climb"
Elizabeth Alexander's "Praise Song for the Day"
Miller Williams' "Of History and Hope"