The Hill We Climb Poem Analysis

📌Category: Poems
📌Words: 1225
📌Pages: 5
📌Published: 27 March 2022

Wars, genocides, slavery and many other afflictions plague our world but artists always find a way to give hope and inspire change through their works. The inauguration of Joe Biden, following a dark time of political conflict and violence in America, is when Amanda Gorman performs The Hill We Climb, her rallying cry to a divided nation. In her inauguration poem, Amanda Gorman’s use of essay conventions, rhetorical devices, and persuasive techniques all work to convince Americans their country can still be redeemed from its past of oppression; unity is the key to their betterment.

The essay conventions Gorman uses promote the narrative of hope she is advocating. The way the poem is structured shows a progression from a place of discouragement to one of hopefulness that America can still be redeemed. It opens with, “When day comes we ask ourselves,/where can we find light in this never-ending shade?”(1). Then ends with, “When day comes we step out the shade,/aflame and unafraid/The new dawn blooms as we free it/For there is always light,”(3). The introduction starts with a rhetorical question filled with despair reflecting Americans’ feelings as they are going through what seems like a “never-ending” cycle of oppression. On the other hand, the conclusion, while employing the same sentence structure, offers a hopeful image of them stepping out of that shade and welcoming a new dawn because "there is always light". While the shade or darkness is a symbol of suffering, the dawn is a symbol for new beginnings which relates to the inauguration and the light is a symbol of hope. The structure of the poem is meant to follow the drift of the reader’s emotional response. So, while at the opening Gorman recognizes they may feel discouraged, her poem intends to guide her reader from a dark place, to welcome a new beginning and finally feel hopeful. To effectively lead her readers there, Gorman’s tone throughout the poem remains hopeful, convincing them that there is an escape from their state of despair. In the poem, she hopes the world can say of Americans, “That even as we grieved, we grew/That even as we hurt, we hoped/That even as we tired, we tried''(1). In this quote and throughout the whole piece, Gorman does not fail to recognize the problems they are facing. Her message of hope is real because she does so. She does not paint a beautiful picture of America for the sake of giving people hope in its future. Instead, she recognizes they are grieving, hurting and tired. However, the hope lies in their willingness to grow from their mistakes and to keep trying for a better future. In this way, Gorman is realistic while keeping a hopeful tone. Thus, the structure and tone of the poem ensure that Amanda Gorman first validates the reader’s emotions and then inspires them to feel hopeful.

Furthermore, the use of rhetorical devices in the poem allows for a deeper analysis of whether America can be redeemed or not. Rhetorical questions are used to bring forth that reflection. Gorman writes, “So while once we asked,/how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe?/Now we assert/How could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?”(2). The first rhetorical question demonstrates Americans’ feelings of doubt amidst the catastrophes they have witnessed and how they feel it almost impossible to surmount them but she says this in the past tense. On the contrary, the second rhetorical question is in the present tense and incites thoughts about their doubts. It is asking, why would they think it impossible? This is her attempt to get her readers to leave their doubts in the past and be certain they can be redeemed. In the same way, the juxtaposition of words in the poem contrast America’s current state to what it could be. She hopes, “We will not march back to what was/ but move to what shall be/A country that is bruised but whole,”(2). The juxtaposition of the words “bruised” and “whole” to describe the country they should aim for explains why she thinks America can be redeemed. While the two words might seem contradictory they are true together because bruised does not equal broken. Gorman personifies future America and describes it as “bruised but whole” because while she recognizes that its past is bound to leave a significant mark she hopes it can still be whole instead of divided. It shows she is not aiming for a perfect nation, just a better one, keeping her message realistic. Amanda Gorman’s use of rhetorical devices leads the reader toward the conclusion that America can still be redeemed.

Finally, Amanda Gorman’s subject position and use of emotions persuade the reader to believe and contribute to her hopes for a better America. As she talks about walking away from America’s past of oppression, her position as one of the demographics having suffered from this past establishes her credibility. She shares her personal experience when she states, “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”(1). The long past of persecution in America is not foreign to her since she is a descendant of slaves and continues to live through its ripples today. Since the issue is something she knows and experiences, she becomes a reputable source. Moreover, her writing this poem encouraging hope amidst despair from her position sends a powerful message of resilience and she becomes an embodiment of her message. This emphasizes her point and her credibility. Her personal story also serves as a historical point to support her hopes. As a descendant of slaves, it is in that same America that she - a Black girl - can now recite a poem for a president. Consequently, if the current generation of Americans is the successor of a country that has already been through changes, it is reasonable to hope they can keep improving it. Amanda Gorman goes further than persuading the reader to believe in her message, by evoking a feeling of fellowship in her audience The Hill We Climb also proposes a solution for the change it promotes. Gorman writes at the end of the poem:

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 and every corner called out country,(3).

By naming multiple spaces in the United States she is making sure that everybody in the country feels heard in her message. The last line using alliteration and the juxtaposition of the words “nook” and “nation” as well as “corner” and “country” summarizes it well. As small as a nook and corner are in the large scope of a country and nation, this contrast is Gorman letting them know that they matter too. This emotion of fellowship and inclusion that she also brings forth by continually using the plural pronoun “we” throughout the poem creates the solution she thinks necessary. Since America’s past of oppression is one causing the stigmatization and isolation of certain groups from society, she believes unity is the key to a better America. By using persuasive techniques, Amanda Gorman ensures her readers believe her message of hope and feel included in her call for unity. 

Amanda Gorman's use of essay conventions, rhetorical devices and persuasive devices in The Hill We Climb intends to make Americans hope that through unity they can heal from their country’s dark past and create a better future. Through the art of poetry, she effectively connects with her audience and leads a nation towards change. Therefore, it is clear that in times of darkness and despair, artists like Amanda Gorman provide the beacon of hope society desperately needs.                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Works Cited

Groman, Amanda. “Amanda Gorman's poem: ‘The Hill We Climb’” Maclean’s, 20 January 2021, https://www.macleans.ca/news/amanda-gorman-poem-biden-inauguration/.

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