Connecting Politics, Poetry and People.

Poetry can often encapsulate the zeitgeist of the era in which they were written, highlighting the particular opinions of a people or conditions of a country. It helps audiences deepen their political knowledge without necessarily promoting any specific ideology.

Amanda Gorman’s 2021 inauguration poem The Hill We Climb epitomizes this concept. The young poet preached her political opinions of the time, perfectly publicizing her points without propagandizing.

In her poem, Gorman began by recapitulating our country’s political progress. She notes that although our country is “far from polished,” we are constantly “striving to forge a union with purpose, to compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man.” Her exquisite alliteration commandingly seizes her audience’s attention, reminding them of the constant and common goal to improve our nation and better everyone’s livelihood. Even though our country was and in many ways still is imperfect, “being American… is the past we step into and how we repair it.” We as a people are and should be dedicated to self-improvement, for the betterment of our nation and everyone in it.

Future audiences can look back at this poem and understand the environment the poet found herself in. Because of this, poems, like The Hill We Climb, serve as signposts for society, marking the political state of the time. Gorman recognizes the political significance of her writing and wisely avoids any mention of differing political stances. Instead of contaminating her words by catering to a particular party – risking causing further political polarization – she unites all Americans under a universal goal: to “leave behind a country
better than the one we were left with.”

Poems can summarize the shared thoughts and feelings of a people, call them out when they stumble, and inspire them when they need it. Gorman recognizes this, and does all of the above to unite poetry with politics.

Poetry is an essential societal tool – it represents the people’s voice.