The Hill We Climb and 5 other poems that inspire you to fight for the future selected by Amanda Gorman

The real name on everyone’s lips, after the inauguration ceremony of the new president Joe Biden, is that of the young poet Amanda Gorman who attended the event by reciting her The hill we climb, a text written in the aftermath of the attack by Trump supporters on Capitol Hill.

The verses, pronounced with force and transport by the 22-year-old, are affected by the divisions and riots that have gone through the United States in this very special year. However, they do not stop to describe the situation, but indicate a way for tomorrow: «There is always light if we have the courage to see it. There is always light if we have the courage to be ”.

A message of hope present in most of his works. Feminists and anti-racists, these appeal above all to their peers so that they do not stop fighting and believe in a different future, at the height of their dreams and ambitions. However, an inspiration to look for not only in her poems, but also in those of other poets that she herself declared to be fundamental precisely because they push for change and instill courage and serenity in moments of crisis.

ON THE PULSE OF MORNING – MAYA ANGELOU –

This poem, exactly like that of Gorman, was recited during theInauguration day of the former president Bill Clinton. The message is very strong and significant: to continue to nurture hope even if reality seems to be taking us in another direction. How to do it? Being grateful for the little joys that life can give us. Verses that actually accompanied a season of changes.

A WOMAN SPEAKS – AUDRE LORDE –

Lorde, through her work, she fought for the recognition of minority rights in defense of women, the African American community and LGBT. The text chosen by the 22-year-old poet is perhaps one of the most representative: it is a proud hymn to being a black woman. On the difficult path towards full equality of rights, these words constitute a very useful reminder.

AN ANTHEM – SONIA SANCHEZ –

«Sonia Sanchez she is a poet who does not speak to the single individual, but to the community. It helps us understand what it means to be an active member of a community, ”he stressed Amanda Gorman in an interview, explaining what this poem meant to her. An extra push to abandon individualism and to feel members of a larger universe where one can only be stronger if one is united.

I, TOO – LANGSTON HUGHES –

If you saw The Power of the Word in 2007, these lines will not sound new to you: Danzel Washington to his class, standing on the desk, he recites this very poem. It is a very famous poem, with a high symbolic value, especially in relation to civil rights movements. Gorman recommends reading it, alone, strictly aloud. Every single word, punctuation mark or pause is an invitation to think that the future will be better, that a light will always come to pierce the darkness.

HOPE IS THE THING WITH THE FEATHERS – EMILY DICKINSON –

Speaking of feminism and hope, Emily Dickinson she is certainly one of the reference authors. The text reads: “Hope is a feathered being that rests on the soul, sings melodies without words and never ends.” In this period – and Gorman he knows – we all need to hope that the future is better than our present. And just when we feel down we think about these lines.