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A Summary and Analysis of Amanda Gorman's 'The Hill We Climb' Pledging at $1/month gets you immediate access to the full Hamilblog, a breakdown of every song in Hamilton, as well as the ongoing Shakesblog, where Im working my way through Romeo and Juliet, and any other works that I do in-between the primary projects. She alludes to dark moments in our recent history, using shade as a symbol for them. It lands in a way that echoes the confident optimism that courses through this whole poem. The imagery of the dawn sky and the rising sun represents renewal. On Wednesday, as she recited "The Hill We Climb," in front of the Capitol in the bright sunlight, her voice animated and full of emotion, Gorman described her background as a "skinny Black. 1.. The Hill We Climb Themes | SuperSummary Weve braved the belly of the beast. Gorman uses passages to depict America stepping out of the dark and into the light. It is always a sum of parts. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. The following line, and this effort very nearly succeeded, is almost jarring in its simplicity, lack of rhetoricity, and lack of lyrical connection to what precedes. More books than SparkNotes. For example, Somehow in lines twelve and thirteen as well as That even as we thirty-seven through thirty-nine. Lesson of the Day: Amanda Gorman and 'The Hill We Climb' (LogOut/ The US Congress is known as Capitol Hill, so the hill in her poem is simultaneously a literal and physical manifestation. Every once in a while, the language is just so gorgeous that I swoon. Scott Kaisers Shakespeares Wordcraft (https://bookshop.org/a/1552/9780879103453) doesnt use the Greek terms but is a wonderful categorization of devices with lots of examples. Readers who enjoyed Amanda Gormans The Hill We Climb, should also consider reading some related poems. []For there is always light,if only were brave enough to see it.If only were brave enough to be it. That Gorman begins and ends with it suggests hope is the most pressing theme she wishes to . Gorman really lets the consonance off the leash in the next couple of lines, such that it becomes paroemion, where the consonance involves nearly every word in the sentence. 2023 Transparent Language, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The line everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree alludes to a verse in the Hebrew scriptures, specifically Micah 4:4, and one that was also used by George Washington many times in his life. For example, the transition between lines four and five, as well as six and seven. Victorious is a small appositio, describing the condition of being tied together, and then Gorman follows up that addition with another, longer qualification. She writes that We, the American people, have seen a force that would shatter our nation / rather than share it. The effort, and the efforts of those who supported the insurrection in the media and in the Congress, nearly succeeded, she adds. Legacy/birthright hearkens to the past/future dichotomy again, as does the chiasmus of leave behind-country-one-left with. From the beginning to the end of the poem, Gorman uses images of light and darkness, hope and fear, to describe the two opposing sides of America, those who want to divide and those who want to unify. Occasionally, the poem will use the "I" pronoun, but the majority of the poem does not distinguish, and uses "we" and "our" to rally the audience into a feeling of collectiveness. The line usually refers to the story of a farmer who is free from the tyranny of government or the state. The anaphora on Somehow carries us to the next thought, which similarly acknowledges that past/present/future tension in the comparison between broken and unfinished (syncrisis rather than antithesis, for the two items are not really in opposition to each other). will be the inheritance of the next generation. With breath-taking views and adventurous curves, it'll take you all the way down into the valley at speeds up to 25mph (40 kmh) and with an altitude difference of . The line "a union that is perfect" refers to the Preamble of the United States Constitution. (As a sidebar, could we as a nation please ditch the Red Scare era religiosity and go back to e pluribus unum? "The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman". From the beginning to the end of the poem, Gorman uses images of light and darkness, hope and fear, to describe the two opposing sides of America, those who want to divide and those who want to unify. I love that she puts two buts in a row and then caps it off with an and; it makes a nice progression within the description. Amanda Gorman is known around the world for her highly relevant contemporary verse. And yet it has breath; its not something metal, its something that lives. "harm to none and harmony to all": "harm" is repeated The Hill We Climb Analysis - eNotes.com Here, the use of the third person rather than the first. A sea, after all, is not something you wade across. Wonderful! But one thing is certain, if we merge mercy with might, and might with right, then love becomes our legacy, and change our childrens birthright. Cooper, James ed. Translation Controversy Surrounding The Hill We Climb. She refers to herself as a skinny Black girl descended from slaves and celebrates the fact that because of the way the tide has changed so far in regard to race in the United States that she is able to recite a poem for the President of the United States. The contrast between day and night that opens the poem represents the contrast between what America had just experienced under Trump and what Gorman believes it will now experience under President Biden. "where can we find light in this never-ending shade" "And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us, This site is using cookies under cookie policy . In addition to being historically important for all Americans, Gormans poem had a literary significance thats also noteworthy. ok so there is a couple that I found you will have to find the las one That shouldn't be too hard. As the youngest inaugural poet in history and the first National Youth Poet Laureate, Gorman's performance was an What words does Gorman use to point towards the future? It is partly rhyme, partly slant rhyme, but importantly the combination of rhyme and some level of isocolon, parallel structure. By being "obvious," as Oscar Wilde would say, Gorman sacrificed this moment on the altar of banal political platitudes. Fun experience climbing for a great view! - Tripadvisor Gorman returns to the idea of inheritance again, this time thinking not about what we have been heir to but what we will leave for others. Look at the third stanza, where she speaks of polished, pristine, perfect, and purpose, then shifts to, compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man., I am in awe of this work. We will not be turned around or interrupted by intimidation, because we know our inaction and inertia will be the inheritance of the next generation. Those descriptors then form a grammatical synchysis stretching across the lines, which is A-B-A-B structure (as opposed to the A-B-B-A of chiasmus). I ought to have marked in this faith as exergasia on in this truth; together, they are part of a hyperbaton as well as a hypozeugma. "The Hill We Climb" was first performed by Amanda Gorman on January 20, 2021, at the inauguration of President Joe Biden. First things first: This poem is so good that when I finished the initial rhetorical markup, I felt buzzed. That fear, I think, is a feeling many of us have had, whatever our age, when we have to confront the idea that this nation is not guaranteed. It was a message the political leaders gathered together that day could not fail to notice. government cannot take away. We get a little bit of hyperbaton, syntactical disorder, a device common in Shakespeare but less so in modern English, as the usual phrase would be well be tied together forever, but Gorman moves forever up, which better balances the aural quality of the line, I think. We will rise from the sun-baked South. The last of those pairs is also another sound-shifting device, this time metathesis, transposition of letters within a word. The lines The loss we carry, / a sea we must wade (Lines 3-4) amplify the burden placed on people by the past administration. Some of the major literary devices used by her are as follows. Here, I think we see a bit of both. And Gorman's poem fits into this long and august tradition of inauguration poems, which began with Robert Frost at John F. Kennedy's inauguration in 1961. What makes it so rhetorically elegant, though, is the antithesis of descended/raised within that line, particularly since the contrast rests on secondary meanings of the words rather than only their strict function in the sentence. If you are studying the English language, you could not find a better example of its power than Amanda Gormans poem performed at the inauguration ceremony for President Joe Biden. Anadiplosis has a laddering effect, an apt device for a poem with much imagery of building and climbing. Gorman invites the listeners to think of the phrase shes not-quite-quoting, but by leaving out more, she leaves herself room to explore the act of that striving . In this phrase, we tried / That well forever be tied together, the poet is again alluding to the difficulties of the previous year and the suffering, physical, mental, and emotional, and how it should bring everyone who suffered together. The idea that the dawn blooms is catachresis, a misapplication of words that nonetheless makes a certain degree of sense. This occasional poem follows others written and read at five previous inaugurations. The line "in this faith we trust" refers to the motto that frequently appears on United States currency. figurative language Poem Analysis, https://poemanalysis.com/amanda-gorman/the-hill-we-climb/. It is only the first of many ingenious literary devices at work in this piece. Its the crash of waves within the larger motion of the tide. Julius Caesars Friends, Romans, countrymen. ], [And if youre a teacher sharing this with your students, please leave a comment and let me know! Gorman echoes her arms dichotomy with the antithesis of blade/bridges. C. The Bill of Rights list the rights all U.S. citizens possess, including Her piece, titled "The Hill We Climb," called for unity and justice, through both reckoning with the nation's past and looking toward its future. And this magnificent deconstruction helps us to understand why. "where can we find light in this never-ending shade" "And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us but what stands before us" Explanation: She references herself a few times in the text, as well as her upbringing, goals, and her family. Absolutely! It calls up imagery of statues. She seeks to inspire hope in those listening that a better day is dawning and that better times are ahead. Not because we will never again know defeat, but because we will never again sow division, that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree, Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy, But while democracy can be periodically delayed. And this effort very nearly succeeded. We've learned that quiet isn't always peace and the norms and notions of what just is, isn't always justice. Will you suggest a good reference book that lists or otherwise breaks down all of these rhetorical devices? She uses words like "dawn" , "striving", and "purpose" that point to the future. "might with right": assonance of "i" sound, Slam poetry, spoken-word poetry, occasional poetry, The American people ("we") function as both protagonist and antagonist. The Hill We Climb Analysis - Literary devices and Poetic devices Scripture tells us to envision that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. important symbol of Ameri The past/present/future progression continues in the next stanza, as Gorman imagines us not only receiving the past (a pride we inherit) but also participating in it (the past we step into). And shes gonna hammer that home in her final lines. There is prosopopoeia in gold-limbed hills, giving the west a body; there is enargia in the descriptions of the northeast as windswept and the south as sunbaked; there is appositio in further describing the northeast as where our forefathers first realized revolution; there is epitheton (a pithy descriptor, as in rosy-fingered dawn) in lake-rimmed cities. Poem Solutions Limited International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct,London, EC1A 2BN, United Kingdom, Discover and learn about the greatest poetry, straight to your inbox, Discover and learn about the greatest poetry ever straight to your inbox. are you analyzing Ms Gormans Superbowl poem? Enjambment is a common formal device that occurs when the poet cuts of a line before its natural stopping point. We can never form a perfect union, between human foibles and the idea of whats perfect always changing. Here is an analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem. She is standing at the inauguration ceremony of the 46th president of the United States, Joe Biden, talking about herself standing there reading a poem. We, the successors of a country and a time where a skinny Black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother can dream of becoming president, only to find herself reciting for one. The Question and Answer section for The Hill We Climb is a great Again, Gorman stresses that difference between a perfect union and a purposeful one. Amanda Gorman's "The Hill We Climb" is very much a poem that defines a moment of change and determination, as its title indicates. A drowning Jonah prays to God to save him, only to have a giant whale swallow him whole, trapping him in the belly of the beast. Id love to hear how its been useful for you and your pedagogy. Ellipsis is a simple omission of a word or phrase easily understood in context. Paromoiosis is, broadly, that not-quite-rhyme sense, highlighted by parallel structure. Then Gorman launches into a beautiful auxesis, a series which builds to a climax, augmented by isocolon, anaphora (That even as), and consonance throughout (grieved/grew, hurt/hoped, tired/tried). Somehow, weve weathered and witnessed a nation that isnt broken, but simply unfinished. That difference feels like epanorthosis: a correction that makes the message more vehement and reminds us of our duty. I absolutely love the phrase promise to glade. A nation isnt really a thing. (The whole poem, in a sense, is that, too, but here we have it in miniature). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Shade, light day. In the next lines, the speaker says that America and Americans will overcome their differences and be victorious not because they will never again know defeat but because they will never again sow division. They would not, in this scenario, be defeated in their unity. Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true. But it also means to be trapped in any hopeless situation. GradeSaver, 9 May 2021 Web. America is a thorny problem, all over, but reducing the arrangement to its key words, what is isnt justice, well, that does sum the problem up succinctly. And then, not quite content with that big auxesis of the regions, Gorman embeds another one in rebuild-reconcile-recover, with the series augmented by anaphora/consonance. - Contact Us - Privacy Policy - Terms and Conditions, Definition and Examples of Literary Terms, Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood, Sonnet 55: Not Marble nor the Gilded Monuments, To the Right Honorable William, Earl of Dartmouth, Sonnet 15: When I Consider Everything That Grows, Sonnet 10: For shame deny that thou bearst love to any. The delayed/defeated phrasing and the general cadence reminded me of the legal maxim Justice delayed is justice denied. That even as we hurt, we hoped; that even as we tired, we tried; that well forever be tied together, victorious. In case you somehow missed it, please watch National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman deliver The Hill We Climb as the inaugural poem for Joe Biden. As the youngest inaugural poet in history and the first National Youth Poet Laureate, Gorman's performance was an internationally watched event, and has since garnered significant attention for the young writer. Take, for example, her reference in the first stanza to the belly of the beast. Gorman described finishing this poem the day after that event and used it to help fuel these concluding lines. In her poem, Gorman is celebrating the fact that the country made it through this period and now has the opportunity to right itself. One does not negate the other. The vine and fig tree allusion is anamnesis on multiple levels. So, let us leave behind a country better than one we were left. At the end of the poem, these same images return, with Gorman emphasizing that hope is always present, despite the seemingly never-ending darkness. Own time forms paromoiosis with own vine, which is a marvelously subtle way of transitioning to her next thought: victory picks up from victorious several lines earlier, through polyptoton, the repetition of a word in a different grammatical form. The next few lines contain a particularly gorgeous arrangement. Erin Schaff/The New York Times Update: Here is a transcript of the poem from CNN. Because of the riots that happened shortly before, this reference also tries to head the damage done by the riot and reimagine the space as one that belongs to "we," the people. We are meant to hear them as equal, but not. The dominant devices in The Hill We Climb are consonance and paromoiosis, both figures of repetition. Our blunders become their burdens. We will rebuild, reconcile and recover in every known nook of our nation, in every corner called our country our people diverse and beautiful will emerge battered and beautiful. In the last part of the poem, Gorman returns to her opening metaphor and opening day/shade antithesis. Do you think its possible for you to annotate the figurative language in The Secretary Chant by Marge Piercy? "blade," "made," and "glade": assonance of "ade" sound There is a turn in the poem in the ninth line where the poet interrupts herself to say that the dawn is ours / before we knew it. Suddenly, she says, we have a chance to put things right. Major Themes in "The Hill We Climb": Equality, optimism, and the will to bring reformation are three major thematic strands of the poem "The Hill We Climb." The poet is of the view that they have achieved greatness as Americans, yet they have not reached the pinnacles of equality, prosperity, and freedom that they should have surmounted. When day comes we ask ourselves,where can we find light in this never-ending shade?The loss we carry,a sea we must wade.Weve braved the belly of the beast,Weve learned that quiet isnt always peace,and the norms and notionsof what just isisnt always just-ice.And yet the dawn is oursbefore we knew it.Somehow we do it.Somehow weve weathered and witnesseda nation that isnt broken,but simply unfinished.We the successors of a country and a timewhere a skinny Black girldescended from slaves and raised by a single mothercan dream of becoming presidentonly to find herself reciting for one.And yes we are far from polished.Far from pristine.But that doesnt mean we arestriving to form a union that is perfect.We are striving to forge a union with purpose,to compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters andconditions of man.And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us,but what stands before us.We close the divide because we know, to put our future first,we must first put our differences aside.We lay down our armsso we can reach out our armsto one another.We seek harm to none and harmony for all.Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true,that even as we grieved, we grew,that even as we hurt, we hoped,that even as we tired, we tried,that well forever be tied together, victorious.Not because we will never again know defeat,but because we will never again sow division.Scripture tells us to envisionthat everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig treeand no one shall make them afraid.If were to live up to our own time,then victory wont lie in the blade.But in all the bridges weve made,that is the promise to glade,the hill we climb.If only we dare.Its because being American is more than a pride we inherit,its the past we step intoand how we repair it.Weve seen a force that would shatter our nationrather than share it.Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy.And this effort very nearly succeeded.But while democracy can be periodically delayed,it can never be permanently defeated.In this truth,in this faith we trust.For while we have our eyes on the future,history has its eyes on us.This is the era of just redemptionwe feared at its inception.We did not feel prepared to be the heirsof such a terrifying hourbut within it we found the powerto author a new chapter.To offer hope and laughter to ourselves.So while once we asked,how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe?Now we assert,How could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?We will not march back to what was,but move to what shall be.A country that is bruised but whole,benevolent but bold,fierce and free.We will not be turned aroundor interrupted by intimidation,because we know our inaction and inertiawill be the inheritance of the next generation.Our blunders become their burdens.But one thing is certain,If we merge mercy with might,and might with right,then love becomes our legacy,and change our childrens birthright.So let us leave behind a countrybetter than the one we were left with.Every breath from my bronze-pounded chest,we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one.We will rise from the gold-limbed hills of the west.We will rise from the windswept northeast,where our forefathers first realized revolution.We will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the midwestern states.We will rise from the sunbaked south.We will rebuild, reconcile and recover.And every known nook of our nation andevery corner called our country,our people diverse and beautiful will emerge,battered and beautiful.When day comes we step out of the shade,aflame and unafraid,the new dawn blooms as we free it.For there is always light,if only were brave enough to see it.If only were brave enough to be it.