I distinctly remember being blown away by the author's recital during the inauguration, and I watched it on YouTube today before reading the poem slowly to appreciate it in a different way. Even if the world on the whole seems to have changed for the worse and not for the better since then, to me the poem is still perfect, both in its form and language and in its message. Reading it slowly in a book made me appreciate the rhythm, the alliterations and the word play even more.

As for the message, I want to quote the ending of the poem:

For there is always light,
If only we are brave enough to see it,
If only we are brave enough to be it.

This resonates with me even more today than three years ago. ( )

A beautiful poem written for Joe Biden’s inauguration, Ms. Gorman’s “The Hill We Climb” rightly describes the United States as a country, not striving for perfection, but working toward improvement. While the overarching theme is hope, Ms. Gorman does not whitewash the reality of the social and political divide, the divisiveness and hatred and violence that has risen and thrived in this dark period of our country. It's an anthem meant to be read aloud, with its dynamic cadence, rhymes, and rhythms . I read it through once silently, but found something transformative in reading it aloud the second time. ( )

Perfection! ( )

Box 2 - 29
Hardcover ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 059346527X ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593465271
PS 3607 .O74 H55 2021 AURA
The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country by Amanda Gorman
(2021) published by Viking Books (Imprint of Penguin Random House), First Edition, 32 pages Hardcover, ISBN 059346527X ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593465271 PS 3607 .O74 H55 2021 AURA

Amanda Gorman, twenty-two years old, delivered this poem, a call for togetherness, at the presidential inauguration in 2021. This is a powerful poem deep in meaning. Her ability to wordsmith has the poem flowing effortlessly from page to page. Interspersed throughout her poem Amanda incorporates rhyme and alliteration. The poem reads easily, smoothly but the true elegance is in the message. Amanda has crafted a short, beautiful poem for the American people. She ends her brilliant free verse poem with "For there is always light, If only we're brave enough to see it, If only we're brave enough to be it." ( )