And so it begins. As night follows day, Semester 2 follows Semester 1, and we begin a new “Circle of Life” here in AP Language. A circle wherein we hone our hard-fought skills by closely reading, rhetorically analyzing and writing a draft essay about a fresh text each week, even as we pay our respects to and celebrate a text well studied by drawing upon all our learning — and the spirit of our ancestors — to write our best and final essay for a Townsel rubric score. A cycle in which we gird ourselves for the upcoming battle of the AP Lang exam by examining our opponent, unit by unit, in AP Classroom.
This week, you’ll work with your accountability partner to create a detailed outline for an essay you’ll write collaboratively during your second class of the week, rhetorically analyzing Amanda Gorman’s occasional poem “The Hill We Climb”; you’ll post your partner essay on the blog; and you’ll use your rubric to work with your partner to peer review and assign a rubric score to two other essays. Separately, you’ll work independently to write your best and final Locavore essay and complete Unit 4 in AP Classroom. Stick with our cyclical battle plan all spring, and you’ll be singing “Hakuna Matata” on our May game day!
This Week’s Assignments
First, you’ll work with your accountability partner to create a detailed outline between your first and second class of this week for a rhetorical analysis of Ms. Gorman’s poem; I’ll review your prompt with you on Monday (juniors) or Thursday (sophomores). Pro tip: An effective outline comprises the full Aristotelian argument, the specific text evidence you intend to employ, and your thinking about where — and ideally what — you plan to include to satisfy Townsel’s required writing elements.
Then, you and your partner will work with your accountability partner during scheduled class time on Tuesday to write an effective rhetorical analysis of Ms. Gorman’s poem, capable of scoring at least a 5 on the six-point AP rhetorical analysis rubric. You’ll turn in last week’s Gorman SPACE CAT analysis and worksheet analysis, and your outline, to this Google form and post your essay in on the blog. Then, you’ll both collaborate again to review, comment upon and rubric score two posted essays.
Separately, you’ll write and turn in on this Google form your best and final locavore essay, taking into account all the feedback you received in blog comments and addressing all the issues raised in peer review by your accountability partner. This one’s for a test grade, so make it count!
Finally, you’ll go to your favorite home away from home, AP Classroom; per usual, you’ll watch and take notes on the assigned videos FOR UNIT 4 ONLY; then complete the assigned FRQ and MCQ assessments BY SUNDAY, 2.14 (JUNIORS) AND WEDNESDAY, 2.17 (SOPHOMORES). YES! I’m giving you two weeks to complete Unit 4 on Facebook. You’re welcome.
We’re pushing forward here in this new semester. And, in the words of Mufasa, “Believe in yourself and there will come a day when others will have no choice but to believe with you.” We’re getting there!
Dallya Hashem (1A) and Sabrina Wesbtrook (4B)
It is no secret Gorman’s poetic work made history at President Biden’s inauguration. Being the youngest poet to present her work in this setting, Gorman continues to build on her many credentials. Adored by many, Gorman’s poem was able to capture the true hardship endured by our nation throughout the year, most likely resulting from her past struggles. As a minority both racially and in relation to disability and gender, Gorman has had her fair share of misfortune, leading to the hard hitting piece of poetry witnessed by the nation on Inauguration Day. Furthermore, Gorman was able to successfully convey the message of building towards a promising future to the audience by implementing inclusivity in pronoun use, a consistency of a kairos approach throughout, relating her message to each tense of time. More specifically, her frequent use of the word “we,” her authoritative call to action, and her use of the past, present, and future allows Gorman’s poem to be particularly effective in the minds of the American people.
Singular pronoun use is commonly seen in speeches and poetry, but in Gorman’s case, she is careful to choose words that enforce the ideas of unity and togetherness. Furthermore, the plural pronoun “we” is used to describe both the good and bad of what “we” have already endured and what will continue to bond us. We see this specifically in lines such as, “that even as we grieved, we grew, that even as we hurt, we hoped, that even as we tired, we tried, that we’ll forever be tied together, victorious.” This choice of words enforces the feeling of community by reassuring the audience that there are people to turn to for support and relation, no matter the circumstances we have undergone. This decision, small as it may appear, has a greater impact by extending the poem to include herself, include the people present at the inauguration, and include anyone watching from home.
In our present time, a call to action is needed more than ever before. In Gorman’s piece, she gives us exactly this. The rhetorical appeal, kairos, was most prominent in her poem, specifically seen with the phrase, “And yet, the dawn is ours before we knew it. Somehow, we do it.” This phrase signifies that the nearly impossible is being done by ourselves, even if this responsibility has not come to be fully realized. It creates an inspirational tone in a declarative statement of completion of obligations, moving the audience towards action with total commitment. Moreover, the phrase “but that doesn’t mean we are striving to form a union that is perfect. We are striving to forge our union with purpose,” introduces the idea of practicality but also continues the goal to strive for better, which can only be achieved in our cohesive nation, or entity.
Additionally, Gorman integrates multiple eras of time into her poem by referencing history, current events, and future ideas. By encompassing many different tenses of time, she expresses her ability to relate the overarching message in many different ways. Quotes such as, “We will not march back to what was, but move to what shall be,” are particularly chosen to apply to a wide range of events that America has successfully tolerated. Encouraging the nation, our society, to move forward, Gorman expresses the potential for progress by enforcing the importance of time, the advancement of time, the power of time. In order to comprise the present moment into her writing, a phrase such as, “This is the era of just redemption” is utilized to reassure the listeners of current progression, in addition to future social strides.
With Gorman’s idea of unity, with her plural pronoun use, with her inclusion of history, with her recruitment of the community, with her influence in increase activism, with her ability to open the eyes of the listeners, with her heartfelt and well thought out sentence structure and word choice, Gorman’s piece was one of a kind. Her choices were most wise, as she used various logical emotional aspects, connecting to the audience intellectually and sentimentally. Gorman is unforgettable. Simple that the truth is. By the end of the poem, it is clear Gorman’s work is an example to be used in furthering one’s own writing by using similar tools to be more engaging, increasing appeal to the intended audience, the proposed perceiver.
Hi! You get a one for your thesis because it is defensible and on topic. We do feel that you got too into detail in your thesis and you could have used broader terms to have a more concise thesis. For the body paragraphs, Molly and I score your essay a three. We think that you had specific textual references that support all of your claims, you had a decent amount of explanation of how the evidence supports the argument and the evidence you used supports the argument and you definitely discussed a least one of the rhetorical choices that impacted your argument. We do feel that you could have connected your claims of Gorman’s rhetorical choices back to the essay as a whole, but other Thant that, good job. We give your essays sophistication. zero because we feel that the writing style could be improved and complex, and there could have been a stronger connection between claims. We feel you went too into detail in the thesis, but didn’t put enough detail in the body paragraphs. Good JOB!!!!!
Ella Arsenault (2A) and Emily Fluker (4B)
We would reward you a 1/1 for your thesis statement because you identified Amanda Gormans rhetorical choices and formed a defensible thesis. We would reward your evidence and commentary a 4/4 because you provided string textual evidence that supports your claims and explained how each one was relevant to your thesis statement. Throughout your essay you discusses various rhetorical choices, such as inclusive language, kairos, and acknowledgment of different tenses. For sophistication, we would give you a 0/1 because we think y’all could improve upon distinguishing and addressing the complexities within Gormans poem (or what ever piece we happen to be analyzing). Job well done!
Hey Dallya!We would give you a 1/1 for your thesis statement because it was strong and clear.You identified the rhetorical choices Amanda Gorman used in her speech well.Although we would suggest to not get into detail as much and keep your thesis statement simple to better your essay.For your evidence and commentary we would give you a 4/4 because you provided evidence and explained how they were relevant to your thesis.Lastly for sophistication we decided to give you a 0/1 because we felt like you could’ve had a stronger connection to your claims.We would suggest to add more detail in your body paragraphs instead of your thesis.Overall this essay was well written good job!
Reddy, Maya (2a) and Singh, Aidan (2a)
Exactly two weeks after an extremist mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, Amanda Gorman delivered her galvanizing poem “The Hill We Climb” at Joe Biden’s Presidential Inauguration. She is a 22 year old African-American poet from Harvard College. Gorman paints a picture of necessary change that Americans need to undergo in order to create a better tomorrow by alluding to historical and current themes, utilizing passionate imagery, and employing melodic poetic language. Gorman acknowledges the Capitol insurrection and the Black Lives Matter to define the failures of the government of yesterday. The poet uses natural imagery of light and the dawn as well as rhythmic phrases to build a hopeful tone about the America of tomorrow.
Gorman references historical documents and events as well as the current context in which she is delivering this poem. Her allusion to the Biblical verse cited in George Washington’s farewell address exemplifies her message of the bridges that will lead to victory, inspiring her audience to turn to peace instead of violence. Gorman also uses the preamble of the Constitution: “to form a more perfect Union” to contradict the idea that America is perfect, sending a signal to those listening that America is still developing. When discussing the “force that would shatter our nation,” she refers to the shocking insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, a protest against the results of a fair election, and reminds the country of the dark context in which she delivers this poem. Bringing these events back to mind creates an urgency for her message of unity and progress that gives Americans a reason to listen.
Gorman’s use of naturalistic imagery conveys a faithful tone and her use of American symbols creates a feeling of patriotism. Her poem includes key words such as “dawn” and “light” that are derived from American scripture, connecting with the most patriotic of citizens and augmenting her message. Gorman’s title, “The Hill we Climb”, uses terrestrial imagery to illustrate the hill Americans must conquer to combat the ills of the past government. Gorman also includes geographic imagery of the US: “gold-limned hills of the west” and the “windswept northwest” to familiarize the American people with the history of this country and how it has impacted every American color, creed, and character. Building imagery of nature and patriotism helps Gorman capture American citizens with her poetic blanket, reinforcing her message and bringing hope to the United States.
Gorman’s diction amplifies her delivery with devices such as alliteration, assonance, and anadiplosis, further emphasizing her message of progress and creating a sonically pleasing experience for her audience. In her strategic use of assonance, Gorman creates a recognition in her audience of her poetic skill, without fully realizing that they have just been impacted by her message. The wordplay of “what just isn’t always just-ice” is an example where the diction helps emulate her point of the necessary change in America, and helps the listener digest the message. Gorman’s application of alliteration has the same effect, soothing the listener with her mellifluous speech and invigorating Americans into “[Composing] a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man.” The repetition of “might” in her use of anadiplosis: “merge mercy with might, and might with right” brings the last sentiment of the phrase home, underscores the value of incessant righteousness, justice, liberty of man.
Gorman employs historical and current allusion, American imagery, and appealing poetic devices and diction in order to call attention to her vision of hope, liberty, and justice for all. Gorman’s poem advocates for progress and unity, and inspires Americans to envision a future of a better tomorrow. Her message is undeniable. Americans must speak up and take action to advance necessary change in the United States of America.
Dallya Hashem (1A) and Sabrina Westbrook (4B)
Hi Aidan and Maya! After reading through your essay, we decided to give you five out of six points when looking at the rhetorical essay rubric. Starting with the thesis statement, both of you were able to implement a direct and clear answer to the prompt, specifically seen with the line, “Gorman paints a picture of necessary change that Americans need to undergo in order to create a better tomorrow by alluding to historical and current themes, utilizing passionate imagery, and employing melodic poetic language.” All three points discussed later are clearly stated. As for evidence and commentary, full points are given, as various examples from the text are mentioned and elaborated upon. The implementation of quotation also flows nicely, an example from your writing being, “Gorman also uses the preamble of the Constitution: ‘to form a more perfect Union’ to contradict the idea that America is perfect, sending a signal to those listening that America is still developing.” Lastly, we believe that, as close as you were to it, you did not fully reach the sophistication point. We felt that the idea of addressing the “complexities or tensions” in the text was not as prominent as it could have been, reaching only a bit over surface level. Overall, I believe both of you were strong in a consistent explanation of your thesis, having an engaging conclusion, and using correct grammar and punctuation. Some things I would say to focus on in the future would be a more compelling introduction, improve upon transitions between paragraphs, and make a more specific peroration. Overall, great job!
You guy’s essay was really good and straight forward. We give your thesis a 1/1. It was very clear and understanding. Your four body paragraphs is a 4/4. You guys included great information and supporting evidence. You guys also used rhetorical choices in your writing. Your sophistication gets a 1/1. Overall you guy’s essay was well written. We grade your essay a 6/6. We didn’t really find anything that you could improve on, you did good all throughout!
Hi! Molly and I give your thesis a 1. It was extremely clear and well written. great job! For the body paragraphs, we give them a 4. IT WAS AMAZING! It filled every block in the rubric, you gave specific textual references that support all of your claims, you had a consistent explanation of evidence in support of the line of reasoning, and you guys discussed various rhetorical choices’ contributions to the writer’s argument. Then, we give your sophistication a 1. Overall a 6/6. The mature writing style to the deep analysis of her quotes in her speech, it was overall amazing. We tried to find some things to improve upon, but we truly can’t find anything! Amazing work.
Hey! We (Kendall Stafford and Arden Carethers) gave this essay a rhetorical analysis score of six out of six. The thesis was defensible, specific, clear, and its repetition throughout the entirety of the work provided understanding for your interpretation at all points within the writing. The evidence provided was concise and well-interpreted. Each textual reference supported the essay’s key claim as well as contributing to the overall discussion about rhetorical choices. The language, mature and glorious, also was a noticeable feature of your writing. The complexities within Ms Gorman’s poem were carefully dissected by appropriate words and proper encapsulations. Good job!
Hey guys! For the thesis it’s a 1/1. It was very clear and well written. Next for the body paragraphs once again y’all did an amazing job! They checked all the boxes, and you gave very clear evidence from the text to back up your claims. 4/4. For sophistication 1/1. The writing elements were all there and incorporated nicely. Overall a job well done. 6/6
Christana Wang
Hi, Maya and Aidan. We loved your essay. We give your thesis a 1/1, because It was presented very clearly and well written. And for your body paragraphs we give you a 4/4, since y’all provided a substantial amount of evidence while maintaining it very straightforward and to the point. However, we thought that the last paragraph could be more sophisticated and stronger. By a technicality it would be a 6/6, but for us it will be a 5/6
Hello Maya and Aidan. Gavin and I decided to give you a 6/6. YOur thesis was wellc onstructed and was defensible so we gave you 1/1. As for your evidence and commentary, it was coherrent and relevant to the prompt and topic sentences of your paragraphs. Lastly, we gave you a 1/1 for sophistication because it was well written and your wording was rather advanced. Good job!
At the recent inauguration of President Joe Biden, Amanda Gorman, a poet, recited a self composed occasional poem called The Hill We Climb. This served as a heartening, inspirational speech meant to instill a movement to solidify a seemingly separated nation. Throughout the poem, Gorman chooses to withdraw an emotional reaction from within the audience, include historical references, and use connecting words for the overall purpose of eliciting unity among a broken nation, a wounded nation, an utterly divided nation.
Gorman invigorates a prosperous nation through the usage of emotionally encapsulating appeals. In the affair of a struggling nation, Gorman validates the feasibility for a futurely united nation. Gorman emotionally attracts the audience by connecting to those without privilege in her personal narrative of a “skinny Black girl descended from slaves;” hence, a pathos appeal connecting to those who believe they are at a disadvantage in the likeness of society. Gorman finds it necessary to include a personal anecdote pertaining to past hardship with an attempt to express the hope in the progression of our nation. It is with hope that our society can progress to a point where “all cultures, colors, [and] characters” “can dream of becoming president.” By establishing a sense of togetherness in the reference to people of contrasting physical traits, a united nation becomes a reality for ourselves and posterity. “We will not march back to what was, but move to what shall be.”
Moving into ‘what shall be,’ Gorman mentions historical references to the past administration in order to illustrate the hope of a flourishing society. She urges for the unifying of something that is broken and bruised and battered and beaten. Within the speech, Gorman stresses that “we must first put our differences aside” for us to “close the divide” and “put our future first.” These notions of “the past we step into and how we repair it” connect with the challenges and hardships her audience has faced in the past 4 years. She chooses to include such phrases to underline the gravity towards seeking out a sound nation. Gorman also purposefully includes the context of the past to “lift our gazes not to what stands between us, but what stands before us.” She wonderfully incorporates her use of emotional appeals with historical context to inspire hope for a prosperous society. One that “will never again sow division.”
Gorman’s rhetorical choice of using words such as: we, us, our assist in kindling a sense of fellowship and togetherness between the audience and herself as well as within the audience. The usage of such terms vehemently connote her message of unity and encourages listeners and readers to come together and; ultimately, soften the dividend that so firmly wounds our nation. For instance, “When day comes we step out of the shade, aflame and unafraid, the new dawn blooms as we free it.” As opposed to using terms such as I/me, the terms we/us personalize Gorman’s speech and allow the audience to feel as though they are experiencing the same struggle together and together, will overcome it. Gorman demonstrates an outward focus and centers on her audience rather than herself. This inherently causes the audience to believe Gorman is considerate and interested in her audience rather than egotistical or self-centered. It is with such language that Gorman essentially presses for the dwindling of a nation lodged in shade, “[f]or there is always light.”
It is unequivocally evident that Gorman uses a diverse range of writing tactics and rhetorical choices to express her intention to guide a broken nation into an era of restoration. A well written, intricately thought out, a piece of work so zealous with regard to healing a damaged nation. Gorman’s repetitive use of emotional appeals; Gorman’s intentional references to the past administration; Gorman’s use of unifying language; Gorman’s consistent and apparent rhetorical choices made ensures that a nation will unite. United we are.
Anna Andrade (2A) & Mara Sandberg (2A)
Thesis: 1/1 Smooth narration into a clearly stated thesis that outlines the rest of the essay.
Evidence and Commentary: 4/4 Beautifully includes multiple excerpts from the text to support each claim. Each claim transitions gracefully into the other creating a coherent essay and argument.
Sophistication: 1/1 Amazing vocabulary and syntax. Nice use of power sandwich in your summation and preoration!
Hi Emily and Gavin!
After discussing with my partner, Journee Jones, we believe that your essay definitely earns the thesis point as your thesis is defensible and examines what you believe are Gorman’s rhetorical choices. When it comes to your evidence and commentary points, we believe that you earned all 4 points available because of the specific text references that fully support your claims made in your thesis and that are carried through your line of reasoning. Your evidence is constantly explained using mature dialect and the discussion that you present is relevant to your argument over Gorman’s various rhetorical choices. Journee and I disagreed when it came to whether or not you earned the sophistication point. Ultimately, we decided that you are very close to earning your sophistication but did not in fact earn the point this time around. However, we believe you are extremely close to learning the point and would benefit from using more of the writing elements in order to ensure that the maturity in your writing is amplified. Again, y’all are definitely on the right track for earning the point and we both really enjoyed reading your reflections on Gorman’s rhetorical choices! Awesome work 🙂
Hey Gavin and Emily! After reading your essay we have to say it was very impressive. You guys definitely earned the thesis point. It was clear and to the point. 1/1. The body paragraphs were very nicely written. Your use of evidence to support your claims was present and well displayed. 4/4. As for sophistication 1/1. The writing elements were incorporated nicely. Overall 6/6 well done!
You have a strong thesis, and more than sufficient evidence, but you could use a bit more sophistication on the overall essay. We would give this a 5/6 on the rubric.
Aileen Chantabutr (4B) and Amelia Canright (4B)
Amanda Gorman delivered her poem “The Hill We Climb,” at the 2021 Presidential Inauguration, addressing the American people and highlighting the feeling of division that plagued the nation at the time. Gorman conveys her message of unity and togetherness to the audience through the use of inclusive language, references to current events, tone, and emphasis and literary devices. All of these choices contribute to the effective and intimate nature that the poem shares with its audience.
The use of inclusive language naturally leads to a sense of unity and allows the listeners to further immerse themselves in her inspirational and moving words, making her poem even more impactful and effective. For this reason, Gorman directly addresses her audience before presenting her poem by mentioning the President and Vice President along with their spouses but more importantly, the “Americans and the world” as well. Because Gorman’s message emphasizes unity in the face of adversity, addressing her audience as a whole automatically fosters a feeling of togetherness within them. In addition to speaking to anyone and everyone in her audience, Gorman is advocating for “a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man.” Specifically recognizing all members of her audience of all backgrounds creates a feeling of inclusivity and validation for those struggling due to recent events.
At the time that this poem was recited, recent events within the last year had caused chaos and division within the country which inspired Gorman’s message of reconnecting and healing. By directly and indirectly referencing “a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it,” she connects with her audience over the shared feeling of destruction and chaos. Then, she follows up with the next quote which reestablishes hope and reassurance that “while democracy can be periodically delayed it can never be permanently defeated.” This is incredibly effective in conveying her message to the audience because it reinforces traditional American patriotism of perseverance in the face of adversity. After all, America has a history of prevailing under destructive and oppressive circumstances.
While Amanda Gorman’s message of unity and togetherness is emphasized throughout the poem, her hopeful and inspirational tone is heightened even more towards the end, focusing on themes of perseverance and strength. Her hopeful tone is meant to inspire her audience to “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.” By further recognizing the recent pain and struggle that many people have felt, Gorman connects more deeply with her audience to better convey her message that though we may be hurting, it is only temporary. She even ends with a call-to-action for her audience and reminds them that there will always be a solution as long as “we’re brave enough to see it. [As long as] we’re brave enough to be it.”
Arguably, the most prevalent aspect of Gorman’s poem is her use of literary devices to emphasize certain themes within her message. The consistent use of alliteration and strategic rhyme like that of “the norms and notions of what just is isn’t always just-ice,” which forces the listener to focus on the comparison between what we consider to be normal and what is right. By highlighting justice, Gorman is reinforcing her message of the importance of inclusivity and unity for the progress of the nation. By mentioning “[laying] down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another,” Gorman uses “arms” as a homonym to mean entirely opposite things, making a point in her message about the importance of peace over conflict. This choice to use sound as a means of emphasis draws the audience’s attention to aspects of her message that would have gone unnoticed had they not sounded so unique.
With Gorman’s effective and impactful use of inclusive language, references to current events, tone, and emphasis and literary devices, her message of unity and togetherness is successfully conveyed throughout her poem. By addressing the struggles that her audience has faced and the current state of the nation, she is able to connect and communicate on a deeper and intimate level. Simply by speaking to her audience as a whole and acknowledging every single person, no matter their background; no matter what struggles they may be facing; no matter how hopeless they feel, she already succeeded in fostering the feeling of solidarity.
Dallya Hashem (1A) and Sabrina Westbrook (4B)
Hi Aileen and Amelia!! After reading through your rhetorical analysis of Gorman’s poem, we think your essay deserves a score of five out of six overall. The thesis point is absolutely there, as we were able to spot the sentence at the end of the first paragraph that sets up the claims for your essay perfectly, as seen with the sentence “Gorman conveys her message of unity and togetherness to the audience through the use of inclusive language, references to current events, tone, and emphasis and literary devices.” Secondly, we believe that you both deserve the full four points for evidence, as well. We can see specific quotes that you took from the text to support your claims, and you’re even able to include some explanations as to how this expresses Gorman’s theme of unity. Lastly, the sophistication point, being difficult to receive, was almost there. While the essay had a nice flow, we felt as though there weren’t a whole lot of discussions of the deeper complexity of the poem. Overall, you did a nice job regarding establishing specific claims, clearly stating your thesis, and including every aspect needed from the Aristotelian Argument. Some things you might be able to improve upon is the transitioning between paragraphs and different trains of thought with a connecting sentence, using a more compelling introduction sentence to draw your reader in, and being careful to choose words that aren’t repetitive so that the essay stays intriguing. Overall, you both did an amazing job!!
Hey loved your essay!
Thesis: (1/1)
– There was a clear argument about what her message was and what choices she made to convey it, making your thesis defensible. It was also just really nicely written and easy to understand.
Claims and Evidence: (4/4)
– We would give your evidence and claims full points. You clearly referenced/sourced the poem more than 3 times. You also seamlessly related those to quotes to your claims and explained how the figurative language & rhetorical choice supported her message. It was easy to follow along even though you gave a deep and detailed analysis of the quotes. We also really love that each piece of evidence circles back around to her message of unity because it helps connect those paragraphs to your thesis over and over again.
Sophistication: (1/1)
– We see all of the necessary parts of the Aristotelian argument and we peeped a few of the Townsel required writing elements which are difficult to incorporate in rhetorical analysis essays. Your diction is also very strong and not too repetitive.
Overall I give you a (6/6). Great Job!
Aileen and Amelia,
After Kaitlyn and I read and reviewed your essay, we suggest it’d be scored a 5/6, 1 point for thesis, 3 points for evidence and commentary, and 1 point for sophistication. We think you deserve the thesis point because you stated your clear position and detailed claims on analyzing this poem. For evidence and commentary, we gave you a 3 because you brought many important choices made by Amanda Gorman to attention and explained their impact on the overall message. Each body paragraph was well put together and supported your thesis in all aspects. Lastly, we gave you guys 1 sophistication point because of the detailed diction and writing you produced throughout you claims. We really enjoyed reading this essay. Three specific things you did well in your essay were bringing up great pieces of evidence, accurately explaining the context of the poem, and relating all of your claims supportively to your thesis. Three specific things we think might help you are commenting with more depth into the meaning of this poem, using the rhetorical choices to explain the effect on the reader, and finishing your essay more powerfully with a complete power sandwich. Great job, you guys!
Natalie Free
Molly Mittman
2/1/21
Rhetorical Strategies of Amanda Gorman’s “The Hill We Climb”
The first National Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman, illustrated the hardships posed to Americans over the past few months in her poem presented at the presidential inauguration. Employing a tone that shifts from candid and earnest to assertive and empowering, Gorman illustrates struggles Americans have faced, asserting American resilience to convey a message urging us to unite and overcome past and present challenges.
The beginning of Gorman’s piece is sympathetic yet candid. The speaker addresses an audience that has faced loss and terror over the past year, so she knows she must be considerate of their emotions and past but straightforward about the demands of the future. Her sentiment in lines one through four informs her audience that she understands their struggle and knows everyone, including herself, has felt the weight of this past year. However, she notes that everyone has “braved the belly of the beast” and “learned that quiet isn’t always peace,” a direct jump from a soft congratulation to a reminder of recent events. By including these two phrases in one line, she shares her audience’s relief while simultaneously reminding them of the work they must do. In these lines, she claims that we must be ready to act, ready to work for something more than just quiet, ready to work for real peace, ready to recover from “the beast” while being respectful of her still-shaken listeners. Throughout Gorman’s entire poem, this tone doesn’t last. Once she reaches the line “[and] yet, the dawn is ours,” the speaker transitions to an assertive and empowering tone. With this line, she begins to assert her hopes for the future while encouraging the audience to act by illustrating what her listeners will do soon. Gorman cries, “we close the divide… [not] because we will never again know defeat, but because we will never again sow division.” Even though she knows a rift will occur again, the poet asserts that unity is the only way we’ll survive future trials and losses. She emphasizes her goal: Americans will “leave behind a country better than one we were left,” exciting her audience by asserting that “we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one.” By setting a goal for her audience, by providing them with a prediction, Gorman is able to encourage her listeners to act by informing them that they are capable of doing great things. This empowers the audience, meaning they feel confident enough to take leaps towards healing and unity and growth. The poem as a whole is straightforward and empowering while conscious of recent events when necessary.
Gorman’s rhetoric allows her to describe America’s struggles to remind listeners why unity is so vital. When she recalls the past, a time of uncertainty and fear, the speaker demonstrates the effects of division, consequently proving why Americans should act as one united force to overcome the challenges we face. She employs lines such as “[we’ve] seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it” to emphasize the impacts of disunion. This creates the sense that we, as a country, will succeed if we settle our differences and come together moving forward but will fail if we don’t. This gives the audience even more reason to listen to Gorman’s message because they’ll face the worst-case scenario if they don’t. In this way, the poet’s illustrations of America’s past challenges leave the audience with an idea of what will happen if they take the poet’s message to heart and what will happen if they don’t. Her methods force audiences to heed her ideas.
Prepared to drive her message home, Amanda Gorman doesn’t stop there. She asserts America’s resilience, appealing to a diverse audience, creating a sense of hope. This assures listeners that we will heal and grow if we come together as different people working towards the same goal. This demonstrates resilience and healing when the poet declares: “We will rebuild, reconcile and recover… in every corner called our country our people diverse and beautiful will emerge battered and beautiful.” American resilience will triumph. Gorman is certain.
Gorman’s poem illustrates the difficulties that were thrust upon us worldwide by providing us with hope and dignity for a better future. She subtly intertwines hardship with empowerment by using a specific tone that dramatically shifts from candid to empowering, proving that there is always room for healing and adjustment, even in a shattered nation. When Gorman expresses the implications of the past that are fixable for the future; when Gorman’s rhetoric creates a purposeful meaning behind her vision of unity; when Gorman describes a shattered nation is capable of reviving and reconciling; when her effectual tone amplifies her poem into an empowering and straightforward message; when her verbiage and word choice emphasizes her message of unity rather division; when she recognizes the connection of pain amongst Americans and uses it as a way to empower us to make a change, then we can see that through her tone and recognition of the past and hopefulness for a better future, Gorman’s poem was not only effectual but impactful.
(Nicole Anderson, Elizabeth Moss, Kordni Smith (4B)
Starting off, your thesis was very clear about specifying about Gorman’s message and how it relates to her rhetorical devices. to improve it maybe including the specific devices she used like alliteration or metaphor could help but your thesis still gets the job done 1/1. Secondly your evidence and commentary are really strong. You analized her words in depth which you perfectly related back to your thesis. I would suggest adding more quotes from the source as your second paragraph has 3 quotes, but the next couple of paragraphs have 1 or less. spreading out where you put your quotes or adding more could help you give more examples for your case. The last two paragraphs did not have any quotes which means you could cut them down and combine them to make a powerfully concise conclusion. With that, your case is still successful 3/4. Finally your writing exudes sophistication with cohesive words that tie your points together 1/1. In total 5/6 Good Job!
Hi Aileen and Amelia!!
We really loved your essay.
Thesis (1/1)
– We liked that you clearly stated and argued what Amanda Gorman’s message was and the choices she made to get the audience to understand her message, making the thesis defensible. It was also very well written and easy to understand.
Claims and Evidence (4/4)
-You clearly referenced/sourced more than 3 pieces of evidence from Amanda Gorman’s poem, “The Hill we Climb”. Your evidence was very strong and, in our opinion, you guys seamlessly incorporated the quotes. It was not just a bunch of quotes with zero explanation, but y’all gave a deep and detailed analysis of each of them and continued to connect it to the claim. We really love how each of the claims and evidence circled back around to Amanda Gorman’s message of unity, connecting the body paragraphs back to the thesis over and over again. You also never forgot about the rhetorical choices she made. It is easy to get caught up in the message, but you continued to mention tone, themes, and literary devices, such as alliteration.
Sophistication (1/1)
– You both clearly earned the sophistication part of the essay. We saw all of the necessary parts of the Aristotelian Argument and peeped some of the Townsel’s writing elements which are difficult to incorporate in a rhetorical analysis essay.
Some improvements you might want to consider is your diction. We know with rhetorical analysis there isn’t a lot of diversity in vocabulary because a metaphor is always called a metaphor or a theme is always a theme. But sometimes your choice of words such as unity and togetherness got a little worn out and became less effective when you used it.
Overall, we give you guys’ essay a 6/6. Great Job!
Amanda Gorman, an astounding and accomplished young black poet, used rhyme and rhythm, similes, along with clever metaphors to encourage Americans to put aside their cultural, racial, geographic, and political differences, in order to unify the nation and create a more loving country for future generations.
The speaker, Amanda Gorman, wrote this poem for the 2021 inauguration of President Biden and Madam Vice President Kamala Harris. 2020 as a whole was a chaotic year. Through the racial and political division, the controversy concerning the 2020 election, and the riots on the capitol in Washington, DC, many people were left feeling divided and became fearful of the upcoming year. Gorman’s poem brought solace into the situation by instilling hope for 2021. Her poem sought to unify Americans once again, by reminding them of the past and the potential for the future.
African American, white, Asian American, indigenous, and anyone else from any racial/ethnic background, were brought together by “The Hill We Climb”; through the acknowledgement Ms Gorman provided by calling everyone “we”. The imagery-rich phrases used within this address, that described our beloved country as one “committed to all” (Section 9), united all classes and backgrounds, by making all peoples “put [their] differences aside” (Section 11) and realize that we are alike. Ms Gorman sought to encourage her fellow Americans to pulverize the walls between us and stand together as one (nation, people, and heart). Promoting the idea that one common belief (hope and peace) will motivate others to “rise from the … Northeast… Midwestern states” (Section 29) and the South. Although this poet is young in years, she is wise. Wise enough to dismantle the false perceptions of what can be accepted (Section 4) and wise enough to notice what we must abolish as a society. Amanda Gorman is a wonder, not only because of her position during the Presidential Inauguration, but because she spoke to everyone during her speech (and continues to speak to everyone through her poetry) and touched the lives of everyone listening and watching, while also recognizing her individual limitations as a “skinny Black girl descended from slaves” (Section 7). There is a certain power derived from unity. One that is infinite, indescribable, yet can be encapsulated by a few words, all of which are within “The Hill We Climb”.
The poet, Amanda Gorman, also reminded the American people of their roots; one built on the foundations of strength, perseverance, and determination; and informed them of the bloodshed that coats our history books. Ms. Gorman is a clever and intelligent poet, she knows how to grasp the attention of her audience. Praise them, ease their minds, and motivate them as a whole. She starts by almost congratulating Americans on their numerous victories: surviving 2020, electing and inaugurating a new President into the white house, etc: and then proceeds to convey this celebration by emphasizing Americans’ eternal strength in Section 5 of “The Hill We Climb”; “Somehow, we do it.”The previous year can be described as chaotic and destructive, but it is also one of triumph and enlightenment. Americans pushed through a pandemic, through losing their brothers, sisters, wives, cousins, stayed strong through a nation-wide quarantine, with no contact and no comfort, and survived through an entire shift in their lives. Yet, somehow the majority managed to finally arrive at the dawn of the new year: 2021. We (The American people), as Ms Gorman described through various stanzas of rhythm and rhyme, have entered an “era of just redemption” and we will not let “fear at its inception”, we will prepare the world for the “heirs” (Section 22). 2021 is a chance for America to do better.
2020 hit us hard. How can one be prepared for the unexpected? We were not ready for Covid-19, we were not ready for the deaths of Kobe Bryant, Gianna Bryant, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Chadwick Bowman, etc, we were not ready for online school, we were not ready for the division this election would cause throughout the country. Yet throughout this year, we discovered the power of our voices, we discovered the power within the masses, we discovered new ways to make an impact from home. These experiences, discoveries, and developments continue to unite us and together, as Ms. Gorman preaches, we will start 2021 off right and forge a better country. A nation that everyone can stand for and protect.
Ms. Gormon uses her poem to instruct us on how to create a more loving country for future generations, declaring it is our sole responsibility. Amanda Gorman’s biggest metaphor is the entire structure of her poem. It resembles a build, a climb, a hill. She starts by reflecting on our year, 2020. She identifies our problems, empathizes with us, grieves our losses. She sets us at the bottom of the hill. Looking up at this huge obstacle, we reflect.“We’ve braved the belly of the beast. We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace. In the norms and notions of what just is isn’t always justice.” (Section 3-5) The belly of the beast is referring to Covid-19, the hate crimes, the racial inequalities, the lives we lost, and the overall unrest in America today. This is our hill. Overcoming 2020, reflecting on the past, and bettering the future is our climb. In the next line our speaker gives us hope. She says “Somehow, we’ve weathered and witnessed a nation that isn’t broken, but simply unfinished.” (Section 7) She is empowering us to take a step onto the hill because we are not broken. America can be saved. We still have an agenda, we still have problems that need to be addressed, we still have damage that needs to be controlled, we still have protests that need to be had, we still have potential that needs to be accessed. Ms. Gorman begins to guide us up the mountain through her words, proposing how we can repair the damages of the past and bring solace to the situation: “we lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another” (Section 13) and “we seek harm to none and harmony for all.”(Section 13) Again, she speaks on the unity of our nation. She is telling us, in order to conquer this obstacle, we need to embrace one another. We need to believe that different races and cultures better America, not worsen it. We need to stop doing harm to others and wish for peace and unification for this nation. Mid-climb, people get tired and want to stop. They want to take steps backwards, revert back to old practices. Ms. Gorman does not let us do this. She pushes us to reach the top of the hill through a swift and powerful tone change. She stops suggesting and becomes assertive, declaring what this country must do and what this country will do in order to become a union once again. She declares, “we will not march back to what was, but move to what shall be…”(Section 11), she declares “we will not be turned around or interrupted by intimidation…”(Section 11) , she declares “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.”(Section 11), she declares “We close the divide because we know, to put our future first, we must first put our differences aside.” (Section 11) She is saying we will overcome this obstacle, we will reach the top of the hill because we are no longer going to let intimidation prevent us not from working towards our goal of unity. Ms. Gorman is asserting we will no longer only tend to the rich and the white, ignoring the small, poor nooks of our country. We will address everyone as a whole and unify the people, so future generations will not have to face the same adversity. So, future generations will not have to climb to the top of the hill, due to our mistakes.
Amanda Gorman’s poem is powerful. As an intelligent and beautiful poet, she knew exactly what rhetorical choices to make in order to reach her audience. Her choice of diction, her use of figurative language, her empathetic tone, broke through American fear and pride. Amanda Gorman achieved the impossible. She got Americans to listen. She got Americans to truly hear her message of unity and kindness for all.
America’s hubris was built on the belief that dominance, oppression, and control formed a comfortable (false) perception of peace. But, as Gorman stated within her poem, true peace, true harmony, true unity comes from embracing the past, acknowledging our wrongdoings, seizing the future, and coming together on the forefront of “what if?”.
Hey Arden and Kendall!
We really loved your essay, and gave it a score of 5/6. Your thesis was 1/1, we loved how you described her message and the rhetorical devices used to express it. For Evidence and Commentary, we gave you 4/4 points, and we really liked how you seamlessly incorporated the quotes. We especially liked your last few paragraphs and how they expressed Gorman’s impact. We didn’t give you the sophistication point because we thought you can improve your essay by using more description of the rhetorical impact on the audience of Gorman’s words, rather than “translating” what she is saying. Overall, great job!
Hey you guys! We’re definitly giving you guys the thesis point, your thesis was clear and your intentions for which directions would go stood out well. For evidence we notied how you included specific lines and translated what those lines meant very well. You didn’t really make any commentary on what those lines meant to you though. We’re also giving you the sophistication point. Your tone was extremely professional, and your summation was written beautifully. Good job guys!
5/6
Champion, Chloe (2A) and Decuir, Jaydn (2A)
Amanda Gorman presented her memorable speech, “The Hill We Climb”, at Joe Biden’s Inauguration Day on January 20, 2021. Aware of the gravity of the events that took place in the past administration, she knew the importance of this speech and its message. Amanda Gorman creates an inspiring, poetic case for the action we should all take to change the future of our nation with alliteration, metaphor and an unique use of diction.
Amanda Gorman uses alliteration, a frequent choice in this speech, to add emphasis to specific lines that she really wants to resonate with the audience. Gorman’s use of alliteration in the line “…interrupted by intimidation, because we know our inaction and inertia will be the inheritance of the next generation.” adds emphasis to the statement words of the line. The alliteration adds a bounce to the line that not only makes her message memorable to the audience when spoken aloud, but also when it is read in silence. The alliteration in the line “We will rebuild, reconcile and recover in every known nook of our nation, in every corner called our country…” keeps the audience engaged whilst building off of her idea that it is necessary for the American people to be involved if there will be any changes in our country. This choice motivates, inspires, convinces the audience to want to be the change that brightens the future of this country.
Gorman’s use of metaphor through imagery words helps to explain what she is trying to convey to the audience about current events and actions needed to be taken. The metaphor in the lines “If we’re to live up to our own time, then victory won’t lie in the blade, but in all the bridges we’ve made.” defines victory not as the triumph at the end of the battle, but as the connections that are formed after the belly of the whale, an effective critique. Gorman highlights the importance of Americans being united and not letting the shadows inundate them. Amanda Gorman writes “When day comes, we step out of the shade aflame and unafraid. The new dawn blooms as we free it.”, she uses a lot of imagery to tell her audience it is time to speak up. Gorman wraps the audience in her words, so they can understand that the future will have a day when it is time to change the course of our country; they just have to allow it.
Gorman’s use of diction and wordplay and rhyme kept the audience’s attention and gave different perspectives on the importance of not allowing past events to break our country. An uncommon display of word magic (compared to the rest of her speech), the wordplay in “…the inheritance of the next generation. Our blunders become their burdens. But one thing is certain:” introduces the thought that the next generation will suffer the most from these haunting events. This new information, presented with a change in letters instead of a rhyme, dispirits the audience as it informs them of the generation that they might not have had in mind. This further persuades them to seek and fight for differences in the world we live in. Gorman’s wordplay in this line “In the norms and notions of what just is isn’t always justice.” is very obvious, you can tell that she purposely plays with the phrasing. She is acknowledging there is a problem with not only us previously living the “normal” way, but also with us currently living the “normal” way. The wordplay in the line makes the audience think about the norms of our society and of what real justice should be.
Amanda Gorman uses alliteration, Amanda Gorman uses metaphor and Amanda Gorman uses a unique use of diction to convey her thoughts about current events and the recent past in a very powerful way. Through these choices she is able to leave her audience with the courage to spark change in our wounded nation. Gorman’s poem leaves the audience with a sense of hope, purpose, and aspiration for the future.
Kristi Lee and Nora Ordinario (3rd period)
Hi Jaydn and Chloe! We would give you a total score of a 4/6.
For your thesis we gave you the 1 point because you had a defensible thesis that examined Gorman’s rhetorical choices. Regarding the evidence and commentary we scored it as a 3. We gave you a 3 rather than a 4 because even though you had specific textual references, and the discussion of more than one rhetorical choice, you failed to have a consistent explanation of how the evidence supports the argument. We felt that there were some assumptions made here and there. Regarding the sophistication point we did not give that to you either because the essay did not have any of the points in the rubric in order to get the point. It was a really solid essay and you had great examples and “claims” but it was more of a restatement/generalization.
Hi! our group (Nicole Anderson, Elizabeth Moss, and Kordni Smith (4B) would give your essay a 5/6. First of all your thesis was strong and clear in stating your position. The way you identified the specific rhetorical devices you would be talking about helps set up your essay for success and scores a 1/1. Secondly, your evidence and commentary are strong. Your analysis is very in-depth, however I think you should include more of the quotes, or a larger quantity of quotes from the source to give more context to your amazing analysis. 3/4. Lastly, your sophistication is very evident as your words work cohesively with what you are trying to convey. 1/1 in total 5/6 good job!
Hi Chole and Jaydn! First we love your approach to a rhetorical analysis essay. Your word choice is mature and your claims are thoughtful and on topic. For the thesis part of your essay, we give you a 1/1. For evidence and commentary we give your essay a 3/4. The evidence was there and so was the commentary. We think the analysis would’ve benefited from more consistent references to the thesis. Finally for sophistication, we give the essay a 1/1! Again, we noticed how fluid and mature the word choice is. Good Job guys!!
The first National Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman’s The Hill We Climb is a striking political commentary about the role of personal hardship as it pertains to communal growth. Gorman’s use of historical and patriotic allusions appeals to the American public and promotes a message of finding strength in adversity that any American citizen or citizen of the world could connect with.
Gorman’s patriotic language appeals to the American public and encourages a motion for progress in the nation. She makes it clear that her stance on social change “doesn’t mean we are striving to form a union that is perfect. We are striving to forge a union with purpose” (line 23-24). Much like a political candidate, Gorman heightens her argument by relating to the people, and in doing so, she puts the ball into our court, a choice very intentionally made judging by her insistence on referring to the audience as “we”. The patriotism and inclusion throughout her poem portrays a message that in order for this nation to prosper, the people must unify to create change for the foreseeable future.
Gorman’s coherent use of allusion to the past appeals to her audience and by putting into perspective the social and political landscape of the world today. Opportunities that are possible now would have never been dreamed of in the past. The fact that a “[b]lack girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother can dream of becoming the president only to find herself reciting for one” (line 17-19) is proof of this, and illustrates a nation that grows with its people. Gorman uses historical allusions to put present issues into perspective and further claims that by coming together as a nation we have the ability to “raise this wounded world into a wondrous one” (line 101).
Gorman’s historical and patriotic allusions are all in service of furthering her message of not backing down in the face of adversity because it will bring positive change in the future. She strengthens this claim by assuring her audience, the American people, that our country has always been in a constant state of development, that “even as we grieved we grew” (line 41) and contrasts it with near premonitions, such as “our inaction and inertia will be the inheritance of the next generation” (line 90-91). Through these appeals, Gorman is very clearly illustrating both our ability to progress, and the stakes involved if we fail to. Gorman’s choice here is motivational, it was made to encourage the American people to better themselves, better the people around them, better the nation they call home.
Amanda Gorman’s rhetorical choices appeal to the fearful and the insecure and, on the most fundamental level, the human. By pitting past issues against present ones Gorman illustrates what an ideal American future could be, but clarifies that if we continue to go down the path of self destruction, we will never be able to see it; If we unify we can fix the damage that has been done; If we look at the adversities we’ve faced in the past it can prevent worse challenges from happening in the future; If we as a nation brave this storm together, the possibilities for a better future are endless. After all, “being American is more than a pride we inherit; it’s the past we step into and how we repair it.”.
Anna Andrade (2A) & Mara Sandberg (2A)
Thesis: 1/1 Clearly states thesis that includes key claims.
Evidence and Commentary: 3/4: Utilizes 3+ excerpts from the text to support each claim. Provides commentary explaining the importance of the rhetorical choices Gorman uses to convey her message to her audience. Few grammar errors.
Sophistication: 0/1 Nice use of power sandwich, however essay would benefit from a variety of sentence structures and other literary devices. Essay would benefit from expanding the topic and alluding more to the context of Gorman’s speech and why it is important.
Christina Wang and Johnathan Ramos
Hi Danielle and Jon. Your essay was not bad. Nevertheless, there are spaces for improvements. We would give your thesis a 1/1, it does get the point across but it begins to falter when you start to add too many words and becomes too much. And there was a clear lack of sophistication, due to the said required amount of three rhetorical choices. Overall we think you received a 2/6.
Kristi Lee and Nora Ordinario (3rd Period)
Hi Danielle and Jon, we would score this essay a 1/6.
You do have a defensible thesis that discusses/examines Gorman’s rhetorical choices. For the evidence and commentary section we gave you 0 points, because you only have only one rhetorical choice, allusions. Even though you discussed different instances they all only count as one “source.” We also did not award the sophistication point because of the unmet requirement of three rhetorical choices.
Decuir, Jaydn (2A) and Champion, Chloe (2A)
Peer Review: Hey Danielle and Jon!
Thesis: 1/1
You have created a thesis that is defensible and responds to the prompt.
Evidence & Commentary: 3/4
There was ample amounts of evidence and the mention of a rhetorical choice; however, the commentary was quite repetitive.
Sophistication: 0/1
I think that the use of the required writing elements got this essay closer to this point; however, the analysis of the impact of her message could have dove deeper to reach this point.
For your thesis, we’d give you a 1/1. It responds to the prompt and lists your claims..creating defensibility. For your evidence/commentary, Gavin and I would give you 3/4 because the commentary relevant and clearly explained Gorman’s rhetorical chocies. It correlated with the thesis and prompt. As for sophistication, we’d give you 0/1 because the language could have been more advanced. More writing elemtns could have also been used. Overall, good job!
Hi guys!
We’re giving you guys the sophistication point. Your intentions were kind of clear. But you could do better.
We’re only giving you guys 2/4 evidence points. You only really talked about allusions and appeals, but we would’ve loved to see more. Also there was no commentary.
We’re also not giving you the sophistication point, your essay was a bit all over the place. Also why’d you put two periods at the end of your essay?
Overall 3/6, thank you guys.
Pace Maxwell (2a), Finlay Gaskins (3b), Alanah Martinez (3b)
Hi Danielle and Jon,
You guys had a defensible thesis and made it clear of what your stance was, so we give your thesis a 1/1.
In your essay, you also had many sufficient and consistent sources stated from within her poem and they were all relevant, so evidence and commentary get a 4/4.
There was a mature writing style and a good use of syntax, but you could have used more of the writing elements in your essay, so sophistication 0/1.
Reagan Davidson and Journee Jones 2A
Being the youngest ever inaugural poet in U.S. history, Amanda Gorman shattered glass ceilings alongside Kamala Harris as she spoke about the hope and prosperity the country and the world needs, all while conveying her message using rhetorical devices to connect to her audience. Gorman makes the rhetorical choices of anaphora, enjambment, allusion to make connections with her audience about the themes of the past and the future, as well as hope.
Anaphora was one of the main elements Gorman used as she repeated messages or ideas at the beginning of the lines of text. This allowed readers to connect the ideas from Gorman’s speech and applying them to the current political climate of our country and the world. Cutting the line short of its natural stopping point, enjambment she used. Enjambment allows for readers to theorize where they believe the idea was going to be continued to, which allows for a deeper connection to the message of the need for hope but also the recognition of how far we have come. Allusion is arguably the most important rhetorical choice she used because she alluded to the struggles our country and the world faced during the monstrosity of 2020 and also broadly referred to the difficulties the country endured due to the Trump administration.
In lines 12-13, Gorman says “Somehow we do it. Somehow we’ve weathered and witnessed a nation that isn’t broken, but simply unfinished.” Within this Gorman uses the repetition quality of anaphora to allow readers to reflect on the adversities that the nation has overcome and the prosperities that will subside with it. Anaphora allows the writer to add an artistic element to their message, which in this case allows Gorman to add artistic flair to the sparkling idea of hope while reflecting on the actions of the past and future.
Enjambment is seen in lines 4-5 and 6-7. Firstly, Gorman says “We’ve braved the belly of the beast, we’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace.” Directly following that Gorman states “And the norms and notions of what just is” in line 6 and finishes it up with “isn’t always justice.” in line 7. With cutting up ideas and making thoughts end sooner than what the audience thinks should happen, Gorman adds complexity to her writing by making the listener or reader want to continue on to the next line and read about how important hope is within the Biden administration and how we must remember the past battles that have brought us to this point, no matter how big or small.
Allusion is the most widely-seen rhetorical element in Gorman’s “The Hill We Climb” and really sells her idea to the reader of just how important it is to remain prosperous in these trying times, but also remain to fight for growth, even if the growth seems insignificant. Gorman not only connects the listeners of the country and the world to the insurmountable adversities placed upon us by 2020 but also threads the theme of the challenges put on the country and the world by the Trump administration. By using allusion, Gorman is easily allowed to place sprinkles of connections throughout her writing, which similar to enjambment encourages readers to keep picking up what she is putting down about hope and growth from battles.
There is simply no strong argument against Ms. Gorman’s undeniable intent and impact of patriotism, unity, and bravery all conveyed using allusion, enjambment, and anaphora. Gorman strongly conveys her message of unity and prosperity to her audience by strongly selecting rhetorical choices to boost the impact of her speech given at the Inauguration of the 46th President of the United States, Joe Biden.
Reagan and Journee,
After Katherine and I read and reviewed your essay, we suggest it’d be scored a 5/6, 1 point for thesis, 3 points for evidence and commentary, and 1 point for sophistication. We gave you the thesis point because you established a clear position and followed it with the three mains claims of your essay. For evidence and commentary, We think you deserve a 3 because you identified examples from the speech of the different rhetorical devices she used and then analyzed their impact. The use of this evidence provided strong support of the claims in your line of reasoning. Finally, we awarded you 1 sophistication point due to your mature and consistent writing style, specifically your use of adjectives. Overall it was a very well written essay! Three specific things you did well in your essay were hook the audience, incorporate strong inverted syntax, and you summarized your key claims well in the partition. Three specific things we think might help you improve your score are analyzing the evidence more and providing more incite, adding more required writing elements, and concluding with a power sandwich to really finish out strong. We are very impressed and think you are deserving of a high score!
Ella Arsenault (2A) and Emily Fluker (4A)
For your thesis we award you with a 1/1. You stated a clear argument that describes Amanda Gorman’s purpose and the rhetorical choices she used to convey her message. You made your thesis defensible and it was clearly written. For your claims and evidence we give you 3/4. You continued your thesis down into your body paragraphs expanding on each claim, and you explained how each rhetorical choice she made connected back to her message. The reason why we did not give you the full points for claims and evidence is because the structure was a little confusing. If you included the evidence/sources for anaphora and enjambment right after your first explanation of these rhetorical choices, then this could make your essay flow together and make it easier on the reader to understand. Also there was not enough supporting evidence or quotes in your paragraph about allusion. You did a great job at including an example of when she employed anaphora and enjambment but there was no quote for allusion. If you included one quote this could build the credibility of your essay and make for a stronger argument. Lastly, we give you 1/1 for sophistication. We saw a modified aristotelian argument and noticed a few of the Townsel required writing elements. The last thing we would suggest is to add the Townsel power sandwich, though you do not have to add (writers choice). This always does a great job at summing up an essay in a persuasive and inspiring way. Overall we give you a 5/6. Great job!
Reagan and Journee,
Maya and I read your developed essay and would score it a 5 out of 6. The thesis deserves a 1 because we saw a clear, defensible thesis that stated a position and could be followed with 3 claims. You baked in your points very nicely by stating specific rhetorical choices that would become well explained in the subsequent paragraphs. Evidence was scored a 4 because you paired each claim with evidence perfectly and included quotations effectively. Although the essay was well developed, sophistication didn’t receive a point due to the confusing organization. Overall, this was a very good essay with lots of potential!
Sonny Jordan and Bowen Mosman
3/6
Firstly, the thesis was nearly undefinable. With only two sentences leading into the main argument, there wasn’t much in terms of setup to this essay. As an audience member, I felt thrown into the main course with no introductory appetizer.
Thesis: 0/1
As far as arguments go, I can see why y’all were so restless to present them. Overall, they were well constructed and easy to digest. Although a few grammatical errors were made, it is nothing to sneeze at. Through evidence, clear lines of reasoning, and cited sources, the arguments really are indisputable.
Arguments: 3/4
As mentioned previously, there were many grammatical errors. Although they were few and far between, they’re not difficult to read through and correct. The setup of the essay wasn’t particularly complex or interesting, and felt rather formulaic. Ending on such a casual note doesn’t match the intellectual tone you guys were aiming for.
Sophistication: 0/1
Along with the introduction of Kamala Harris as the first female of color as Vice President of the United States, 22 year old poet Amanda Gorman became the youngest female person of color to deliver a poem at the presidential inauguration. After a gruesome year where injustice and brutality and fear rose among us, it’s inspiring to see Gorman deliver such a captivating and powerful message to America and the world. The successful rhetorical devices and choices made in Amanda Gorman’s poem, “The Hill We Climb”, help convey a deeper emotional understanding on the importance of justice, equality, and perseverance we must strive for to rebuild the face of our nation.
Gorman makes the deliberate choice to discuss the unjust and racist acts that our country once profited from in the past. As 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.” We can understand her decision to touch on the emotional topic of our nation’s history of slavery after witnessing the Black Lives Matter movement that has changed the way our nation discusses racial inequality. The forceful message in her poem reflects on the historical events that our nation has stemmed from. Gorman helps the audience understand that we can still aspire to change the vile ways in which we are perceived. A young female activist, Amanda Gorman has made history speaking as a person of color at this inauguration and inspiring those who can relate to the hardships she has persevered through in her life.
Throughout the recitation of her poem, Ms. Gorman makes the intentional choice to connect with her audience through allusions toward events they are all aware of, as well as the emotions so closely tied to those events. Perhaps the most noticeable, powerful allusion Gorman makes is to the insurrection of the Capitol and how the “effort very nearly succeeded” in severely damaging our democracy. Gorman ties this into her writing well, and uses it as a tool to convey to her audience that even in the midst of such a tragedy, we evidently have the power to uphold democracy for the betterment of every American.
The rhyme that Amanda Gorman implements into “The Hill We Climb” is an element so cleverly used to ensure that the audience absorbs the satisfactory flow of her overall message. Gorman’s rhythm is both smooth and choppy at times, but it constantly fits perfectly into the nature of how she delivers the purpose of the piece. As Gorman recites “We’ve braved the belly of the beast. We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace”, she is simultaneously encouraging her audience that since we’ve already been through many unfathomable events, there’s hope that we have the strength to persevere forward. Not only do we have the strength to do so for ourselves, but to work towards improving the nation as we know it.
Gorman successfully utilizes rhyme, allusion, and contextual historical anecdotes, among other considerate choices, to deliver a hopeful message on the already inspirational date of her recitation. Gorman calls her audience of fellow Americans to action, and does so by grabbing and retaining their attention with powerful emotion and attractive wording. It is evident through Amanda Gorman’s poem, “The Hill We Climb”, that she employs various rhetorical devices and choices to provide her audience with a better understanding of the vital task at hand. This task is the necessity to work towards justice and equality for all, and to let the obstacles we’ve overcome thus far testify to our strength to persevere in the future.
Asia and Sanaa, Reagan and I gave your essay a score of 6. We gave you the thesis statement point because it was defensible and stated the clear position you took on the topic. We gave you all 4 evidence/commentary points because you used 3 specific sources from the poem that were relevant to your line of reasoning and your commentary fit seamlessly in with the direct quotes you utilize. And finally we awarded you with the sophistication point because of how well you directly answered the prompt in regards to what Amanda Gordman’s message and intent was instead of just stating the rhetorical choices she made. Very well done!
Hi Asia and Sanaa! You guys earned the thesis point, as your thesis is incredibly clear in the introductory paragraph, and is quite recognizable right off the bat, as well as neatly and efficiently organizing your main ideas. However, for the use of evidence, I think especially in the second paragraph, more quotes and examples could have been implemented. By doing that I think it would allow for more examples from the poem to be highlighted as well as assist your thesis and strengthen your essay even more. For that reason, I would give you a 3 for the evidence. Although, I would reward you both with the sophistication point, as your essay was neatly written, and your ideas were organized very clearly. You both truly did explain your ideas thoroughly and presented a sophisticated and detailed essay highlighting broader ideas that were sparked with inspiration from Ms. Gorman’s poem. So overall 5/6 points, and great job to both of you!
Amanda Gorman’s “The Hill We Climb”
Mia Goldammer (3B) and Tori Jones (3B)
“For there is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.” These last words of Ms. Amanda Gorman’s poem, “The Hill We Climb,” at President Biden’s 2021 Presidential Inauguration, conveys her message that if we rise as one, united nation, hope will always reign over darkness. Her piece consists of a mixture of literary devices that allow her to get her point across to the audience. Throughout the poem, Gorman uses symbolism, contrasting rhythmic patterns and repetition to express her message to the citizens of the United States: hope will always prevail as long as we work together.
Symbolism is heavily used throughout Gorman’s piece in order to paint a clear image for the audience to picture and easily comprehend the major events that have and will continue to occur in the U.S. “Light vs. Shade” is a topic that Gorman brings up many times. For example, she says, “When day comes we ask ourselves, where can we find light in this never-ending shade?” In this quote, “light” symbolizes a brighter future that’s upon us with President Biden and his administration, giving the audience a picture to imagine their head. The “light” is something positive, something joyous, something optimistic; On the other hand, when she mentions “shade”, she refers to the dark times our country experienced throughout Trump’s Presidency. No one likes to experience a feeling where shade overcomes light, so when Gorman symbolized the dark times with shade, people were able to understand, without difficulty, what she was expressing. The “dawn” is an additional symbol that relates to a new country being born into a new and better and improved world. In the poem, Gorman says, “And yet, the dawn is ours before we knew it. Somehow, we do it.” “Dawn” is known as the beginning of a new day, so as Gorman uses it, U.S citizens begin to gain hope that one day, we may also be able to experience a new day for our country.
Throughout Gorman’s work, there are a variety of rhythmic patterns that catch the attention of the audience, and force them to really listen and pay attention to the words that she is communicating. For instance, Gorman says, “If we merge mercy with might, and might with right, then love becomes our legacy, and change our children’s birthright.” In this phrase, Gorman uses the rhyming words “might, right, and birthright.” Typically, when people think of words rhyming in a poem, they imagine that the last word of each phrase will rhyme with the one before. However, in this case she uses a different kind of meter, which catches the audience off guard, causing them to pay close attention to what she is stating. Another way that Gorman uses a unique rhythmic pattern is when she mentions, “In the norms and notions of what just is isn’t always justice.” In this phrase she used play on words by using two different words that sound the exact same; the audience heard the sound “just-is” as “justice” making the brain think that she repeated a word, however they heard two different words with two different meanings. By doing this, Gorman made the audience’s ears perk up and open their eyes. Lastly, she uses yet another pattern in one of her phrases, “Our blunders become their burdens. But one thing is certain.” Here, she used a different rhyme scheme. The words “burdens” and “certain” have the same sound in the middle of the words, yet they technically do not rhyme. Significant attention to this phrase Gorman adds as she uses this technique.
Anaphora and alliteration, Two other literary devices, are greatly used throughout the duration of this poem; The repetition techniques of these devices allows for emphasis on certain keywords and phrases. One example of anaphora is, “In this truth, in this faith we trust, for while we have our eyes on the future, history has its eyes on us.” By repeating “in this” at the beginning of the quote, Gorman stresses that we in this moment have all “eyes on us”; We must do what we can to improve as a nation, thrive as a nation, and unite as a nation. An example of alliteration is, “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.” This phrase has a lot of importance and weight to it since it consists of alliteration throughout the beginning, middle, and end. Here, she mentions the words, “rebuild, reconcile, and recover,”the most important section of the phrase. These three words are the most necessary and vital actions that we must take as a country as soon as possible. If these action weren’t so
important, then Gorman wouldn’t take the time to apply alliteration. Because she did this, the audience can see how crucial these actions are for our nation to take.
Due to the inclusion of multiple literary devices throughout her piece- rhyming, symbolism, alliteration, anaphora, and many more- Gorman was able to touch the hearts and open the eyes of many people with her empowering message. It’s clear that “we’ve braved the belly of the beast,” (Gorman), and have gone through hell and back, but that won’t stop us. We can make a change. As Gorman says, “… being American is more than a pride we inherit; it’s the past we step into and how we repair it.” Gorman’s choice of representation significantly impacted the way her message was transmitted to the people; Gorman’s choice of specific language added vital, necessary emphasis to the piece; Gorman’s rhythmic style not only opened the eye of the American people, but also tied together a poem that resonated with American’s who strive for unity and peace.
Hi Mia and Tori! First, your thesis definitely deserves 1/1 points because it was defensible and easy to notice as you pointed out each of the three choices Gorman makes to get the message across in her poem. Although your evidence was very strong and each supported your claim, the amount of quotations used could become distracting to where we lost how exactly your commentary directly connected the original claim of the paragraph. For sophistication, we would give you 1/1 points for being clear throughout your entire essay, and your syntax was also varied in ways that kept the information interesting. With a 5/6 points overall, you all did a great job!
I would give your thesis a 1/1. Your thesis was defensible and clear. You clearly stated the choices Gorman made, the thesis served its purpose. For your evidence i would give you a 3/4. The evidence was strong and you had evidence that backed up your claim perfectly. I feel like you could have elaborated a little more with your claims and went into more depth. For sophistication I would give you 1/1 because your use of syntax was great. Overall your essay was great and enjoyable to read.
Hey Mia and Tori, I’d give your essay 5/6 points. Your Thesis was present with a strong and defensible stance. (2/3) for evidence, you provided evidence and clearly related and expanded on it but felt lacking in presence. (1/1) Sophistication was there throughout the essay as you elaborated ideas in many ways.
Kaitlyn Hennings and Katherine Willis
Period 1A
Amanda Gorman Analysis Essay
On January 20, 2021, Joe Biden was welcomed into his position as the next President of the United States. A wonderful celebration, Inauguration Day was full of cheerful spirits, new beginnings, anticipatory happiness. Following the appearances and performances of the favored celebrities, Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez, Amanda Gorman takes the stage and fills the room with her presence. A young activist full of passion and courage, Amanda Gorman uses her poetic voice to portray a message of overcoming our adversities and persevering through them in unity as a nation, which is emphasized with metaphors, alliteration, and references to our history.
Miss Gorman’s application of metaphors is compelling and captivating and clever. Even from the start, she makes a comparison between the struggles required to climb a hill and the difficulties we have to endure in America in the title, “The Hill We Climb.” With this, Miss Gorman is embodying the spirit of progress and determination, for she is declaring that our nation can and will overcome our troubles, and we will do it together. We’ve already gone through some of the most strenuous circumstances, or as Amanda Gorman pronounced, “we’ve braved the belly of the beast.” On top of the already challenging Covid-19 Pandemic, our country has faced riots, extreme political polarization, and a raiding of the US Capitol. When we were in the middle of these situations it felt impossible to escape the chaos, however, we managed to get out. This only proves her message that, in the future, we will be able to overcome whatever disturbances get in our way. One common characteristic of the various trials our nation faces is violence. Rather than arguing with our fellow Americans, we must “lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another.” This metaphorical phrase first uses the word “arms” to symbolize firearms in order to allude to gun violence in America. She then contrasts this with her second use of “arms” which literally paints the image of joining hands with your neighbor, and figuratively means to unite our nation as a whole. The continuous employment of metaphors throughout Miss Gorman’s speech aids to more strongly convey her message of perseverance and ceaseless improvement.
One notion America has strived for since its very inception is justice. Justice is fairness, justice is moral righteousness, justice is respectfulness and peace. “In the norms and notions of what just is isn’t always justice,” emphasizes Amanda Gorman. This moment of her speech is not only memorable and unique because of its message, but because of the rhetorical device, alliteration. Alliteration is the recurrence of similar sounds closely between words. In the repetition of sounds, Miss Gorman uses alliteration to further her argument that how we are currently living isn’t going towards justice and that it must change. Right now, there are still individuals held victim to racial, LGBTQ+, religious, and other inequalities. In order to thrive away from these affairs, we must expand and “compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man.” The recurrence of the “c” sound leaves a lasting impression in the audience’s mind, for the phrase’s catchiness combined with its meaningfulness is very influential. It inspires us, as the listeners, to be more accepting and kind to all. To reach our goal of equality, we must “not be turned around or interrupted by intimidation, because we know our inaction and inertia will be the inheritance of the next generation.” In this alliterative phrase with the prefix “in”, the argument of not letting our downfalls define us is strengthened, intensified, and stressed. Instead, we must create a better future for generations to come, which is only possible if we strive for growth and justice now.
Slavery is in our history, oppression is in our history, tyranny is in our history. Throughout Miss Gorman’s speech, she makes references to our nation’s past, the good and the bad, in order for us to reflect and fully understand its effect on the present time. One of the most vile and unbearable institutions from founding our country is slavery. Amanda Gorman refers to how “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.” She is alluding to history, for there was once a time where the dream of a young black girl, like herself, would never be able to become reality. However, now, with our nation’s constant drive to achieve justice for all, possible anything is. Miss Gorman furthers this message by quoting a scripture that was repeated by the respectable George Washington multiple times throughout his life, which is that “everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid.” Washington’s life took place during the American Revolution against Great Britain; its goal was to steer away from the tyranny of King George III’ rulership and retaliate against mistreatment. “We will rise from the wind-swept Northeast where our forefathers first realized revolution.” Gorman is emphasizing how we must be united and respect other people’s beliefs, rather than solely valuing individuals of higher power. We must also continue to grow and develop from the original ideals of our country.
Gorman’s use of metaphors, alliteration, and various references to history highlights her message, creating an accepting environment that makes the audience strive for unity and incites hopefulness for a better future, a time where there is finally justice and equality. Everyone deserves that. Amanda Gorman is simply influential, an inspiring young woman, an activist full of bravery and determined for change. When you take note of the rhetorical choices made by Miss Gorman; when you realize the impact that the metaphorical phrases have; when you listen to her prominent diction; when you notice how she decided to repeat similar sounds; when you become aware of the connections her speech makes to history, then you will truly understand her overlying message of hope, unity, and perseverance. United we shall stand.
Hi Kaitlyn and Katherine!
We gave you the thesis point, because it was a clear and strong statement regarding the prompt. For evidence and commentary, we are giving you a 4/4, because you had a great balance between your own thoughts and ideas with quotation from Gorman’s speech. You did a very nice job explaining how and why the choices in her speech were effective in portraying her message. We gave you the sophistication point, because the organization of your essay comes together very nicely in the end. Overall we are giving your essay a 6/6. Very nice job!
Hey guys really loved your work here!
Thesis- 1/1
Your thesis was clear and defensible. Y’all also did a great job introducing your claims subject.
Evidence and commentary- 3/4
Throughout your body paragraphs there was consistent references to your claims and we were happy to see writing elements as well. The discussion of present and past was there and fulfilling however adding some more details and depth about unification and the future might be a good place to close.
Sophistication- 1/1
the essay had a solid level of sophistication and maturity!!
Great work !
Amanda Gorman’s inauguration poem was to the country as Kairos is in literature. Just what we needed at just the right time. Amanda Gorman, activist, a part of the new generation, feminist, is more to our country than just a well spoken poet. She is a representation of the change to come, the change we needed. Gorman uplifts the public throughout her poem by using elements such as allusions to past events, inclusive language, and key notes of pathos.
Gorman’s poem is something to go down in history, so of course she’d want to allude to important moments in our country’s past. In the line “-quiet isn’t always peace.” alludes to the past riots over the Black Lives Matter and how quiet times didn’t mean that everything wasn’t resolved. She also nods to the riot at the capital two weeks before in the line, “We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation-”. This was added to the divide between political parties, so it would be foolish to not mention it. The very inauguration she is speaking at was the cause for the riot. Alluding to these events bring a realization that work needs to be done. Now more than ever.
Even though Gorman mentioned events that made a great divide between people of opposing beliefs, she still made sure to include everyone in her uplifting and inspiring speech. Lines like, “We close the divide,” and “we grew,” make it so everyone feels like they are a part of something positive and good. A country divided we are, but we can still stand as one in moments of need was the very idea of this poem. However, Gorman did not shy away from also condemning everyone watching and listening at the capital and at home. She states that, “our inaction and inertia will be the inheritance of the next generation.” She isn’t passing the blame to anyone opposing her. Gorman is just stating that as a whole the country needs to do better.
Pathos is one way to tug on the heart strings of many. One way Gorman did this was in her line, “Our blunders become their burdens.” This makes the listener believe that their careless mistakes are now ours to handle as the next generation. It’s heartbreaking and tear jerking and depressing. However, Gorman doesn’t make this poem a constant pity party for America, in her line, “We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms-” we are shown hope to lift each other up. It’s a saying that we can remember forever that we’ll say to ourselves to give us a pick me up. We felt the heart and soul within her words.
By showing Gorman’s use of allusions to the past, notes of pathos, and inclusive language the impact of her words hits harder. Her long for a permanent change is much more visible. Her poem put us on a journey from looking to the past, bringing us down to the present and lifting us up to the future. A true rollercoaster. After reading Gorman’s work it’s plain to see that we are past due for a change. This is not merely a poem but a wake up call, not just to politicians but to every citizen. This poem will start the change, do the change, be the change.
Katherin May (3A) Matthew Morgan (2A)
Hello Addison and Ella! We really enjoyed reading your rhetorical analysis. For the thesis, we would give you 1/1. Your thesis was clear and you analyzed Gorman’s rhetorical choices effectively. For evidence and commentary, we would give you a 4/4. You provided sufficient proof and elaborated afterwards. We liked how you quoted parts of her speech and perfectly embedded them into your essay. Your explanation discussed many of the rhetorical choices being used, and it gave great insight on why she wrote the poem. We especially liked how you mentioned that Gorman never put the blame on anyone. For sophistication, we would give you 0/1. Your essay was great! However, we would’ve liked to see a power sandwich at the end. You both did great! It was very fun to read! You gave a great and clear rhetorical analysis, and you explained things very well. We really liked how your essay was organized. Great job! 🙂
Katherin May (3A) Matthew Morgan (2A)
January 20, a cold winter day, Amanda Gorman delivers her speech The Hill We Climb. Gorman’s speech addresses the whole nation and newly inaugurated vice president and president, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Gorman wrote the poem to bring national unity and to help look forward into the next presidency. Gorman uses many rhetorical devices to influence her effect on the audience and to further the topic at hand. She uses ethos, logos, and pathos to develop her message. Because of the rhetorical choices she makes, she can effectively connect with her audience.
One thing that shapes Gorman’s essay is her inclusivity. She addresses everyone including herself by using ‘we’ and ‘our,’ which puts the speech at a more personal and relatable position that further makes the audience feel connected to the speaker. Gorman never changes her point of view and is constant throughout the poem even while including herself and the audience in the title: “The Hill We Climb.” Gorman additionally inserts an allusion to the constitution’s preamble of ‘striving to form a union that is perfect,” which better asserts the idea of unity even dating back to the times of our founding fathers which also increases the speaker’s credibility. It also establishes a sense of nationalism in her audience, and it’s saying that we are not a perfect union yet but we are trying to go in that direction. Gorman wants to inspire change, unity, peace through her essay.
Gorman incorporates reasoning in her poem to convince the nation that to succeed at being a whole and respected and united country everyone must be on the same page. She acknowledges that ‘we are far from polished,[…] but that doesn’t mean we are striving to form a union that is perfect.’ Gorman knows that to succeed we all need to have an open mind and ‘close the divide because we know,[…], we must first put our differences aside.’ She uses cause and effect to build upon her point certain events must happen to reach the ultimate goal. For example, if ‘we merge mercy with might, and might with right,’ it will cause ‘love [to become] our legacy.’ Gorman uses logic mostly to convey to her audience that change needs to happen to be united. She acknowledges that people may have different ideals and beliefs, but it needs to be put aside to create a change. Additionally, she believes that we need to take certain steps to advance in her message because ‘the norms and notions of what just is isn’t always justice.’ Gorman encourages everyone to ‘lay down [their] arms so we can reach out our arms to one another,’ and create a unified nation.
The speaker, Amanda Gorman, brings up situations from the past that she specifically along with others can relate to. For example the emotional impacts of slavery and that still affect her future choices and dreams. Gorman speaks on “we, the successors of a country […] where a skinny black girl raised by a single mother […] dream of becoming president […] find herself reciting for one,” in first person point of view in order not only refer to herself who had this dream, but many others like her who have. By referring to “we” and not ‘I’ or ‘you,’ this brings a sense of unity between the speaker and the audience. At the very end of her poem, Gorman uses the anaphora, “We will,” which input the sense of hope and pride in the reader. Throughout the poem Gorman mentions the history of the past and “That even as we hurt, we hoped; that even as we tired, we tried; that we’ll forever be tied together, victorious,” showing that even in struggle we can unite.
A poem inspiring, as it encourages change through its rhetorical devices. Gorman’s rhetorical choices help deliver her message; Gorman’s rhetorical choices increase her credibility; Gorman’s rhetorical choices encourage change and unity; Gorman’s rhetorical choices develop her purpose. Change needs unity. Through anaphoras and alliteration and rhyme she conveys a powerful message. Like Gorman states ‘there is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.’
Katherin and Matthew,
Great job! After Tori and I read and talked about your essay we are giving yawls essay a 5/6! We are giving a one for your thesis, four for evidence, and no sophistication point. Your essay had a very clear thesis and stated that Gorman’s rhetorical devices were very effective towards her speech, which was great! Throughout your body paragraphs you provided MULTIPLE pieces of evidence and short, direct quotes from the piece that you went on to further explain and relate back to your topic sentence each tine which was great! The reason that we are not giving the sophistication point is because we think that there are a couple of areas to improve on. For example, in your thesis, instead of listing that she sued “ethos, pathos and logos” (because y’all never mentioned it in the body paragraph), maybe instead say that she used “anaphora, cause and effect, inclusivity, and reasoning” therefore your essay will be organized and the reader is prepared for what the essay will be about. Also in the second to last paragraph that was mostly based on Gorman bringing up situations from the past, Y’all mentioned the “we” not “I” statement which is what the. second paragraph covered, so we recommend putting that in the second paragraph to make it more organized! Otherwise, y’all did a great great great job!!!
Great job! After Tori and I read and talked about your essay we are giving yawls essay a 5/6! We are giving a one for your thesis, four for evidence, and no sophistication point. Your essay had a very clear thesis and stated that Gorman’s rhetorical devices were very effective towards her speech, which was great! Throughout your body paragraphs you provided MULTIPLE pieces of evidence and short, direct quotes from the piece that you went on to further explain and relate back to your topic sentence each tine which was great! The reason that we are not giving the sophistication point is because we think that there are a couple of areas to improve on. For example, in your thesis, instead of listing that she sued “ethos, pathos and logos” (because y’all never mentioned it in the body paragraph), maybe instead say that she used “anaphora, cause and effect, inclusivity, and reasoning” therefore your essay will be organized and the reader is prepared for what the essay will be about. Also in the second to last paragraph that was mostly based on Gorman bringing up situations from the past, Y’all mentioned the “we” not “I” statement which is what the. second paragraph covered, so we recommend putting that in the second paragraph to make it more organized! Otherwise, y’all did a great great great job!!!
Great job! After Tori and I read and talked about your essay we are giving yawls essay a 5/6! We are giving a one for your thesis, four for evidence, and no sophistication point. Your essay had a very clear thesis and stated that Gorman’s rhetorical devices were very effective towards her speech, which was great! Throughout your body paragraphs you provided MULTIPLE pieces of evidence and short, direct quotes from the piece that you went on to further explain and relate back to your topic sentence each tine which was great! The reason that we are not giving the sophistication point is because we think that there are a couple of areas to improve on. For example, in your thesis, instead of listing that she sued “ethos, pathos and logos” (because y’all never mentioned it in the body paragraph), maybe instead say that she used “anaphora, cause and effect, inclusivity, and reasoning” therefore your essay will be organized and the reader is prepared for what the essay will be about. Also in the second to last paragraph that was mostly based on Gorman bringing up situations from the past, Y’all mentioned the “we” not “I” statement which is what the. second paragraph covered, so we recommend putting that in the second paragraph to make it more organized! Otherwise, y’all did a great great great job!!!
Ella Arsenault (2A) and Emily Fluker (4B)
Amanda Gorman, a National Youth Poet Laureate, is the youngest inaugural poet in United States History. Performed at the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, this poem was written the night after the rioting of the Capitol building on January 6, 2021in order to directly address how our country can come together to reconcile. Gorman uses the power of language to inspire people to help rebuild our broken country by implicating inclusive language, repetition, and allusions.
Intending to reach all citizens of America, inclusive language was used repetitively to encourage everyone to rebuild a divided nation. The references to “we”, “our”, “us” throughout the entire poem emphasize that she is addressing her message to the entire country. The quote,“We are striving to forge our union with purpose” includes language that communicates to everyone. She spotlights her point that the only way we can restore unity and patriotism is by working together, putting our differences aside, and finding the light in the darkness. Hope we shall have.
Along with drawing people in through the intricate, inclusive language, Gorman also uses repetition to catch her audience’s attention. She specifically employs homonyms and assonance and alliteration throughout the piece. When declaring “we lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another” it is evident that the use of the homonym “arms” represents both weaponry and the arms of the people. By doing so, she is giving her audience the recognition that despite being the source of the problem, they are the source of the solution and the source of change. This idea follows the assonance in her sentence structure as well. Two contrasting words, “harm” and “harmony” are paired together to emphasize that it is within the power of the people in our country to make a difference. Alliteration is also strongly used in her poem. Her word choice in “to compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man” is purposeful because it is directed towards the audience, intended for the audience, and emphasizes her point to the audience. When choosing to repeat the same harsh consonant sound, Gorman catches the attention of the people around her, showing that what she has to say was so important that it was organized accordingly.
Gormans employment of allusion allows the listeners and readers to call memories or references to mind to connect personally with the audience. She states, “Scripture tells us to envision that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid. If we’re to live up to our own time, then victory won’t lie in the blade, but in all the bridges we’ve made.” This allusion makes a biblical reference and is referring to the comparison of us being independent and sheltered from the events happening in the past to creating a better world from building the bridges between those separations. This reiterates her purpose, unifying the brokenness of the union.
Gorman created a rhetorically complex piece that truly showed off her style as an individual writer and used her skill to connect with her audience by directing their focus to the issues she needed to discuss. When you analyze her implication of inclusive language to connect her audience together; when you acknowledge that repetition emphasizes the importance of her message; when you notice her reference to the Bible that ties together past, religious knowledge with current events; then you will have no option but to feel the inspiration to connect with her words. “We will rebuild.”
Tori Jones and Mia Goldammer (3B)
Ella Arsenault and Emily Fluker, wow this is an amazing essay! Mia and I think your thesis deserves a 1/1; it was clearly stated and easy for the reader to point out. We like how you make sure to list the literary elements you both were going to talk about. In your statement of case, we found it a little awkward when you added the ultra short sentence, “Hope we shall have.” Just make sure all your paragraphs flow nicely instead of just trying to fit in as many sentence requirements as you can into future essays. For your evidence and commentary, we give y’all 3 points. Your transition words to the next sentence or paragraph were a little weird. Again, remember that the flow of an essay is important. You guys stated your evidence very well! The added commentary was also good. We think you could have given us different paragraphs for each thing you were going to talk about. For Sophistication, we give y’all a 0/1. We believe your essay was really good, it’s just the prepositions and transition words that were a bit difficult to follow along with. Overall, the essay was a 4/6. Great Job!
Katherin May, Matthew Morgan
Hello Emily and Ella! Your essay was really great. Katherin and I agree that over all your essay gets a solid 4/6. You guys for sure deserve the thesis point. Your thesis statement was clearly stated and gave us an idea of what things you would be pointing out in your essay to further your claim. For the evidence and commentary, we are giving you the three points. Your evidence for the sources were very clear and related back to your thesis claim very nicely. One thing I would suggest is the organization of your paragraphs. One thing that would make it easier and pleasing for the audience to read is if your ideas flow smoothly to where you can see the connection between each idea and the overall thesis. We decided that you wouldn’t get the sophistication point because your essay was a bit choppy since there wasn’t much of a flow. Organization is key. Overall, you guys did a great job!
Maddie Jewesson (3A) and Vivian Bull (3A)
Amanda Gorman, the youth international poet laureate chosen to perform her work at President Biden’s inauguration, has written a masterpiece of a poem called “The Hill We Climb” that captures the American spirit and overcoming our differences as United States citizens to tackle societal issues. This message is conveyed through rhetorical choices that impact the audience’s perception of the poem in ways they may not even understand upon first listening to it. Amanda Gorman uses anaphora, figurative language, and refers to the audience as “we” in order to promote a message of unity and patriotism in a deeply divided country.
Gorman uses anaphora to emphasize certain phrases and preach the importance to some of her strongest points. This is exemplified in the lines “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.” The repetition of the phrase “we will” indicates that the audience and the speaker will have to unite and work together to make changes and grow stronger as a nation. This strongly communicates one of the main themes of the poem, unity. The vigorous descriptive language and action verbs that follow also paint a picture of strength that empowers the listener or reader. Another example of anaphora are the lines “that even as we grieved, we grew, that even as we hurt, we hoped, that even as we tired, we tried”. The repetition of the phrase “that even as we” shows that when one person is affected by an issue, we all are as a people. If one person is suffering, hurt or tired, it is not that person’s struggle alone, the rest of the nation, including the audience and the author are also engaged in it. This strong ties formed by being united under one country are even more clearly stated in the line that follows the anaphora, “that we’ll forever be tied together, victorious”
Gorman uses figurative language by making connections between current events and existing properties in order to provide insight into some of the struggles we have faced as a country. For example, the line “we’ve braved the belly of the beast”, is an allusion to the biblical story where Jonah is trapped in the stomach of a great fish, but is able to escape. This connection was made to symbolize how we have persevered through many pressing issues in the past year, but have managed to make it out in one piece. Similarly, the quote “somehow we’ve weathered and witnessed a nation that isn’t broken, but simply unfinished”, shares the idea that while our country has a long way to go, we have still made it out alive and might be able to live to see a land where everyone is truly equal. One of Gorman’s central themes is the idea that justice and prosperity is not out of reach, rather these things will come to us once we unite and realize our shared values. This can also be seen in the line “and yes we are far from perfect, far from pristine. But that doesn’t mean we are striving to form a union that isn’t perfect,” highlighting that same idea. In the line “A country that is bruised but whole,” Gorman chose these rhetorical devices to remind the American people that we are unified, even in times of strife. Although our country has a lot of deep rooted issues, Gorman wants to emphasize that hope is not gone, and progress is not out of reach.
Addressing the audience using the word “we” instead of the word “you” is also a strong rhetorical choice that emphasizes the message and themes of Gorman’s poem. The main theme of this poem is unity and the hope of being able to take pride in your country. The aspect of patriotism is demonstrated by the use of the pronoun “we” to refer to her audience, the citizens of America. A line like “We close the divide because we know, to put our future first” wouldn’t make as great of an impact if “we” was replaced by “I” or “you”. This is because using we promotes the idea that as a nation, our greatest problems can and should be solved together. This is even further demonstrated by the line “We must first put our differences aside. We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another.”
Gorman emcompasses all her themes and main claims, that Americans should unite in the name of patriotism and set aside our differences in order to overcome adversity and struggles presented to us, in her poem “The Hill We Climb” by making rhetorical writing choices that make the audience more susceptible to her message. These choices include using anaphora to emphasize the importance of some passages, allusions and figurative language to paint a clear picture of her hopes for the future of the nation, and use of the pronoun “we” rather than “I” or “you” in order to indicate solidarity. These choices not only make Gorman’s poem more interesting to read or listen to, they assure that any member of it’s audience will take it’s message seriously, and straight to heart.
In the poem “The Hill We Climb”, youngest inaugural poet Amanda Gorman suggests that we can grow to be better as long as we have hope. Gorman uses repetition, alliteration, and pathos in order to view the changes occurring in America in a positive light to the rest of the country, thus showing that we are all in this together.
Gorman begins with asking Americans how to find light in all of this darkness, and she uses the alliteration that we have “braved the belly of the beast.” Indicating that after all we have suffered from Trump’s presidency and a global pandemic, there must be a way to fight for the better. She says that as one united country, we will do exactly that. Now that first major change has occurred we will start to see more of it. Gorman assures us that we have reached the light at the end of the tunnel.
Gorman goes on to say that even though we have seen all the worst that could happen we strive to see the bright light at the end. Implicating for us to keep our determination and keep fighting for the change. She utilizes repetition of the phrase “that even as we…” to show the audience that although we have struggled, we grew from what we had gone through. All just coming to a conclusion that what we want to see happen for the better we must do what we need to succeed and strive for the best.
To close out her piece, we see Gorman use repetition once again, this time with the phrase “we will rise” concluding on her stance that even though we have scars, we can grow from them and make them worth it. Her use of this repetition and alliteration on phrases such as “forefathers first realized revolution” and “rebuild, reconcile, and recover” tells us that we can bring change, and we will bring change no matter what it takes. As well, using both devices from her beginning and middle completes her ideas of growth and unity.
In her poem “The Hill We Climb”, Gorman shows us through repetition, alliteration, and pathos that we as a country have the ability to strive and make the difference. Her uses of repetition makes the audience feel assured that our future will be better when we unite and work for it. The use of alliteration shows the determination we have as Americans, that if we put our minds to it we will get it done. The use of pathos helps show the audience that some change has already been made. All of these devices were effective in portraying the Gorman’s thoughts. Throughout this piece, she conveys to Americans and the world that we can be the change we want to see “if only we are brave enough to be it.”.
Barrera,Angelica Gonzalez,Mariana
Hi Margot and JP, after reading this essay I would give it a final score of 3. The essay was short and got straight to the point, explaining the techniques of Gorman’s writing. I gave you guys the first point because you guys do have a thesis, “Gorman uses repetition, alliteration, and pathos in order to view the changes occurring in America in a positive light to the rest of the country, thus showing that we are all in this together.”. It has 3 claims and explains how those are used throughout the poem. It was clear and direct. I believe it is a well put together thesis. For the 2nd section (Evidence and Commentary), I gave you guys 2 points, you provided 3 sources however I feel like you could have provided more examples. However for the ones you did provide, you guys did do a great job in explaining how she used them and what she meant by them, as well as how they were effective. It was relevant evidence that supported your claim. For the last section, I did not give you guys the point. I didn’t see the use of Ms.Townsel’s writing elements which I know aren’t required , but they definitely will heighten your essay and possibly earn you that sophistication point. I also feel the language throughout the essay could have been complex, if that makes sense. The writing could have consisted of more intricate diction and a better line of reasoning. I’d like to also add that the I did see some parts of the Aristotelian Argument, but in the last paragraph, it felt rushed and there’s. no call to action. Also towards the beginning, I feel you could have given more insight to what you were going to be talking about, rather than jumping right in.Three things I would say you guys did good would be, grammar, displaying and clear connection between your evidence and claim, and breaking down the poem and it’s true meanings. It shows that you truly understood what the poem “The Hill We Climbs” was about.
This essay was good, but I know with more information and commentary it will be BETTER! Good job!
Claire Taylor, Amira Wiliams
Hi Margot and JP, it’s Claire and Amira from 4th period! After some deliberation we have decided to score your essay at a strong 3. I enjoyed how you both got straight to the point and explained your ideas clearly and without added fluff, so kudos to you.
Moving to the first score we gave you a 1 for the thesis portion because you have a clear and easy to find thesis statement. I shared your three main points that you would be talking about later in the essay.
During the evidence and commentary section we gave you a both 2 points. You used a few quotes and when the were used you put little detail supporting why this was important in Gorman’s poem. The commentary was minimal but was still there in a couple of cases, which is were you earned your points. When you wrote “Gorman begins with asking Americans how to find light in all of this darkness, and she uses the alliteration that we have “braved the belly of the beast.” which we thought was wrote well and explained the point that you wanted to get across beautifully.
The last section of sophistication we did not end up giving you this one extra point. There was not all fo the required writing elements which really could have helped bring your essay to the next level, by gaining you more points in your final score. Like we said in the beginning your main points were presented well in this and got straight to the chase. i applaud you for taking time and writing this essay. It only gets better from here! GOOD JOB GUYS!
Anna Andrade & Mara Sandberg
Gorman Rhetorical Analysis Essay
On the dawn of a new age of America, Amanda Gorman ushers in a new leader and a new future for America and the American people with her inaugural poem “The Hill We Climb.” Spoken two weeks after a violent right-wing mob stormed the capitol to halt the certification of the election and in the midst of a global pandemic that has taken hundreds of thousands American lives, Amanda Gorman stands before a country divided with an opportunity to bridge the divide and commence a new dawn. Through powerful imagery created by allusion and rhythmic language, Gorman conveys a message of unity and change to a country divided.
Gorman is a master of rhythmic language and utilizes it beautifully to illustrate powerful imagery and keep the listener hooked on every word. Throughout her poem, Gorman uses literary devices like alliteration, anaphora, and enjambment. “The Hill We Climb” is written in free verse, however, it is characterized by its use of rhyme, even employing half-rhyme with “trust” and “us.” What makes this poem even more powerful is its use of historical allusion and context to mark and inspire a turning point in American history and in the American people. In conjunction with her rhythmic language and historical allusion, Gorman invites her audience to unite together in composing a new country, a new future, and a new hope.
Throughout the “The Hill We Climb,” Gorman employs rhythmic language, like alliteration and anaphora, to create a beautiful flow that grasps the audience and leaves her words lingering in their ears long after she steps off the stage. The poem starts by highlighting and alluding to past conflict, such as the former Trump administration, racial issues, and the on-going Covid-19 pandemic, and shifts to discuss the dawn before us. The poem almost seems to follow a pattern of discussing the past, the present, and the possible future. Using imagery of light and darkness, “[finding] the light in this never-ending shade,” Gorman illustrates that there is hope in these dark times, a light at the end of the tunnel, and that we are approaching the light and finding our new dawn. The shift being this very moment as she speaks before the inauguration of a new president, commencing a new chapter of American history. Gorman acknowledges that this path will not be easy, that change does not happen overnight, but that this change is necessary and she uses her language to paint an image of the country we must build together. She describes her vision for the nation as one that is dedicated to “all cultures, colors, characters, and conditions of man,” this alliteration emphasizes her goal and invites the listener to focus on these words and imagine a new future. Gorman uses wordplay masterfully to compose an image of the future of America, incorporating different definitions of the same word when she asks the American people to “lay down [their] arms so we can reach out our arms to one another.” At first, arms means weapons, alluding to the tense divide between the American people over the election and racial issues, and then shifts to meaning the arms on the human body being used to reach out to one another. Gorman utilizes the same word but with two different meanings, similar to how the American people are all different but one in the same. Gorman continues this message of moving past division to a peaceful unity with wordplay when she describes a country where “we seek to harm none and harmony for all,” reminding us that true equality and peace is accomplished when every American life is respected. Following the same theme and wordplay, Gorman reminds the audience that “what [is] just isn’t always justice,” alluding to inequality in laws on a racial, economic, and religious level. She acknowledges the sins of the past that still remain in the present, that America is “far from polished” and that we should not strive “to form a perfect union,” but one “with purpose” and that it can only be achieved united and not divided.
Gorman’s alluding to our past does not stop as recent as the Trump administration. Her call to “form a more perfect union” alludes to the preamble of the Constitution, our country’s first call to be united. Now more than ever we need to remember our predecessors’ dream of one country united by its people. Gorman’s poem, as a whole, couldn’t have been better for the occasion. Gorman crafted every word, every phrase, every metaphor with a purpose to ignite change in our hearts and did so spectacularly. “The Hill We Climb,” despite the clear intent and reasoning, means something different for every person which is truly remarkable in our divided times. Amanda Gorman has written a true masterpiece that will be relevant for many years to come.
Nickija Alexander (1a) Juliana Acosta (2a)
Great job, you two! For thesis we give you a 1/1, as you clearly highlighted Ms. Gorman’s rhetorical choices and clarified her goal right from the start. For evidence and commentary, we give you a 4/4, as for every rhetorical device you discovered, you had very clear textual evidence to back you up. For sophistication, we gave you a 1/1 as well, as your writing was very consistent and seemed like you put genuine thought into it. You again looked very closely through Gormans rhetorical appeals and made it clear why/how they were effective.
We loved how you two didn’t sound repetitive throughout all your writing. Every claim had a different explanation and introduction and it was quite refreshing! Again, you had good connections and evidence for your claims, like how you connected Gorman’s writing with Trump’s presidency and then to racial tensions. We also loved the language you used. It felt as though not a single word was wasted or misplaced. Everything flowed like butter and served to enhance your argument.
Something we would change about your essay is that’s quite simple is the spacing. It was kind of hard for us to read with the spacing on the blog, just try to space each paragraph out. This would not only help with making it look cleaner, but it would also help us separate your claims. On the subject of claims, we felt that at times it was hard to discern what your claims were. Try leading into them more clearly (idk if that makes sense) It was hard to tell if you had a clear closing to your essay. Yes, you had a nice ending, but it just was hard to find. I think separating it from the claims and spacing once again would help with this. Overall your essay was such a pleasure to read! There were only small things like the things we said that could be changed to make it better, so yall did a great job!
January 20th, 2021 was a very hopeful day for many Americans and even people across the globe. As Trump’s presidency has come to an end, people rejoice and welcome Joe Biden as the new leader of the United States. The time had come for the inaugural performances to start. Amanda Gorman approached the podium with a huge and welcoming warm smile, which sparked engagement and hope in the audience. Amanda Gorman, the youngest poet to write and recite a piece at the presidential inauguration, spoke at President Joe Biden’s inauguration, reciting “The Hill We Climb,” a poem Gorman finished right after the domestic terrorist attack on the Capital. Gorman created a powerful, determined case for the new future that we can create after experiencing many tragic events and hardships together as a country by employing meticulous word play, repetition, rhyme, clever personification, and creating a connection to the audience through allusion and imagery.
Gorman’s use of repetition and word play and rhyme, appeals to the ears of listeners and readers by creating a rhythm and sound in the poem that pulls the audience in to her message. When Gorman repeated “if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it” at the end of the poem, she emphasized what she wanted us to take away, creating a new found hope and determination in her audience to be brave enough to see and be the light in this new dawn. Gorman’s choice to use word play when stating “we’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace, and the norms and notions of what just is isn’t always just-ice” refers back to the events that have happened over the summer regarding social justice for people of color. She brings awareness to this issue, causing the audience to think about now and what should and can be. The use of rhyme in Gorman’s “The Hill We Climb” when stating “then victory won’t lie in the blade. But in all the bridges we’ve made, that is the promise to glade” establishes a cadence in the poem that captures the audience into a space where the sound is rapidly traveling, pulling the audience in to understand her message: victory is not going to happen through “fighting” each other, but rather in coming together creating “bridges” with one another.
Throughout the poem Gorman employs the literary device personification to convey concepts to listeners and readers in a relatable way, demonstrating the importance of this new “season” we have entered as well as our role. Gorman implements personification when addressing that “while we have our eyes on the future, history has its eyes on us.” This choice to personify history stresses how we are making history by inaugurating the first female, who is also a person of color, Vice President. Gorman later goes on to assert that “ we will not be turned around or interrupted by intimidation…our inaction and inertia will be the inheritance of the next generation.” By doing this, Gorman is voicing that we won’t be silenced by being intimidated by people who are against, conveying the message that we are the shapers of the nation. What we do or don’t do is what is left behind for the next generation to carry and go through.
While listening/reading “The Hill We Climb,” it is very evident that Gorman’s use of imagery and allusion places readers in the setting described by Gorman, allowing readers to visualize the new hopeful possibility of us, Americans, coming together. When Gorman detailed that “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,” she is using this imagery to convey that together, no matter where we are, we, Americans, are all connected and are going to rise from the past to create a new future together. She also created an allusion when referencing the forefathers, the revolution, the south, causing the audience to refer back and reflect on our history. In the poem, Gorman also includes a biblical allusion when claiming that “scripture tells us to envision that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree.” This quote/allusion is alluding to the verse Micah 4:4, the vine and the fig tree indicative of peace, security, and rural comfort. She is using this verse as an ideal for America, that we can fulfill this promise of peace and will not be subject to internal pressures. An ideal this verse is.
With all of these literary devices being used – word play, personification, and imagery – we can really understand the meaning behind Gorman’s words. She upwells emotion of action in the audience to see and be the light with her word play. Using personification she asserts that history has been made at the 2021 inauguration, the inauguration of Vice President Kamala Harris. Lastly, Gorman’s use of imagery allows the audience to feel hope that we will leave the past and mold together a better future.
By the end of the poem, it’s transparent that her utilization of rhetorical devices causes the audience to be moved by her poem to enact real change. As this country was broken from all of the events that unfolded in 2020, the audience gains a hopeful and optimistic view for the future to together create real change. If united, we, Americans, can make a real change.“The Hill We Climb,” is Amanda Gorman’s occasional poem, a poem made for the 2021 inauguration, a poem that invokes hope for the future by uniting together and being brave enough to be and see the light in the shade after the devastating, unending events of 2020. If you are able to identify the rhetorical choices and literary devices Gorman invokes; if you are able to grasp the message Gorman is asserting; if you imagine the situations she details; then you will understand that Gorman has created a hopeful possibility for the future using word play, repetition, rhyme, clever personification, allusion, and imagery to connect with and invoke action within the audience.
Pace Maxwell (2a), Finlay gaskins (3b), Alanah Martinez (3b)
Hi Kristi and Nora,
we agreed that you guys had a clear stance in your essay and a defensible thesis, so thesis 1/1
you also used many relevant sources and had specific evidence to back it up, like the verse from the bible, so evidence and commentary 4/4
You guys used a plethora of imagery in your essay, you used all the writing elements, and had a consistent writing style, so sophistication 1/1
The day of January 20th, 2021 will be one for the record books, not just because of the inauguration of our 46th president, Dr. Joe Biden, but because history was made when the youngest inaugural poet, Amanda Gorman, stepped up to the podium in front of the White House. This wasn’t the only thing that took place at the White House in the month of january, the 6th of the month the unthinkable happened. A pro-Trump mob breached the capital breaking down doors and shattering windows, sparking a focus of Gormans poem presented to the world. Amanda Gorman, a beautifully spoken poet, delivered a poem at the 2021 presidential inauguration with the message of forming unity after a deep divide, building togetherness after tragic times, and giving hope to the people of the world.
Gorman utilizes anaphora throughout her poem, especially with the phrases “we will” and “we”. Gormans decision to do this, paired with the decision to address the audience as “we”, creates a feeling of unity among the audience. She wants the audience to relate and project themselves onto her captivating, beautiful, throughout sentences. “We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another.” She wants us to reunite.
Gorman’s goal with her poem is to rebuild the togetherness that was lost during the Trump administration and the rioting that occurred at the Capital. Throughout her poem Gorman remarks on the divide that has separated our country. “We will not march back to what was” and “We will not be turned around or interrupted by intimidation” display how Gorman is calling for us to come together and move past that hate that has plagued our country for so long.
Gorman takes time to focus on the future and what has yet to come. She builds a sense of pride and hope not just Americans, but to the people of the world. Gorman asks rhetorical questions, pushing her audience to ask themselves how they plan to move forward into the future. She wants everyone to know that though “we have our eyes on the future, history has its eyes on us.” We are responsible for implementing change and moving past the hate and into a new legacy of love.
Throughout her poem Gorman calls for unity and togetherness after a time of deep divide. She wants her audience to bring feelings of hope and excitement and determination into the future. She uplifts us through her brilliant sentences, “We will not march back to what was…We will not be turned around or interrupted by intimidation…If we merge mercy with might, and might with right, then love becomes our legacy”. She is preparing us for what is to come and inspiring her audience to become her words.
The world coming as one, through horrific times, is one thing that Amanda Gorman presses in her poem. When will we form unity in our broken world; when will we the people come together for a common goal; when will we live up to our full potential as a country; when will we finally let go of our opinions and look at a different perspective of life; when will we change for the better. We have the potential to be great!
Hey Ava and Makaylee! You earned the thesis point because your thesis was clear and evident in the introductory paragraph and posed the basis for all of your claims. As for evidence you earned a 3 because although you provided 3+ pieces of evidence, we think you could have added more. Not only this, but we think that you could have beefed up your body paragraphs with more commentary because right now the quotes take up nearly half the size of various body paragraphs and that isn’t good. Just add more of your own though that adds support to your thesis and or explain the effectiveness of the quotes in more length. We did not give you the sophistication point because we feel as though you could have added more information regarding each of your claims and there are multiple spelling and grammatical errors as well. despite that, we appreciate your use of multiple required writing elements and your essay was enjoyable to read!
Hi Ava and Makaylee! good job on finishing your essay together! Alexis and I enjoyed reading your essay. For the thesis we would give you guys 1 point. Overall the thesis is very clear and straight forward. For Evidence/Commentary we would give you guys 3 points. We could see the the use of your evidence and the multiple claims but it is missing a clear connection to your thesis. We think you can make your body paragraphs longer and to make your evidence support your thesis a little bit more. The Introduction paragraph is great, just add more text to really hold your thesis together. We did not give you guys a sophistication point because we do feel that you guys can spice up the language and the use of rhetorical choices to really bring the essay to another level. we did find some grammar mistakes, we think if you guys just find different ways to enhance your essay and fix the body paragraphs and have your thesis be supported all throughout the essay you guys will be fantastic! Good Job! 4/6
“The Hill We Climb” was written and performed by Amanda Gorman to commemorate the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States on January 20th, 2021. The poem acknowledges the U.S. not as a “perfect union,” but as a country that has struggled with a plethora of problems in this recent period, and it served as a cogent and touching piece for all who watched and listened. Amanda Gorman’s poem spread an effective and impactful message shedding light upon the unifying of our distressed and divided nation, passionately inspiring the audience with empowering words of hope, and preaching patriotism, whilst still posing criticism against our nation’s recent mistakes.
A recurring message through Gorman’s poem is the importance of unification and cooperation amongst people who are as polarized as we are now. In her poem, Gorman uses the imagery of light and darkness, as well as hope and fear to represent the two opposing sides of America: those who want to divide and those who want to unify. The very first line Gorman says, directly addresses the audience. Gorman announces, “Mr.President, Dr.Biden, Madam Vice President, Mr. Emhoff, Americans, and the world.” From her words, we understand that she is directing the people of our nation as a whole, in hopes of reaching the ears of each one of divided America’s citizens. By using the term “we” repeatedly throughout her poem, Gorman instills a feeling of unity and that we, as Americans, need to be conjoined in the attempt to fix the nation to truly be unified once more. Allusion is one of the most important rhetorical devices used in the poem, and in the phrase, “That we’ll forever be tied together,” Gorman alludes to the difficulties of 2020 and the suffering we have endured, and how the shared suffering should serve as communal ground, a bonding agent for people worldwide. She says, “We are striving to forge our union with purpose, To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters, and conditions of man.” Gorman speaks of unity and equality. Togetherness. Working as a nation to reach a union where everyone can be equal. She empowers minorities and minority advocates with her words of hope that it is possible to reach a future where our nation is no longer divided.
Not only does Gorman emphasize unity, but she passionately inspires the audience with heartening words of hope. Gorman says, “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. We’ve braved the belly of the beast. We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace.” The people of this nation share the history of this nation, no matter how dirty or unjustifiable, it is shared and it is true. Gorman continues with, “In the norms and notions of what just is isn’t always justice. And yet, the dawn is ours before we know it. Somehow, we do it.” This quote reinforces her message of, although there have been trials and hardships, some of which may still remain, we, as a nation, still make it to the next day. That is something that unites us. Not only does Gorman promote a sense of unity, as presented in the first paragraph, this sense of unity also invokes hope. These quotes invoke an overwhelming sense of patriotism and motivation to allow us as a nation to face our hardships head-on. Gorman’s ability to connect the nation in regards to overcoming years and years of obstacles, really inspires her audience and creates a sort of pride and hope amongst the people.
In her poem, Gorman supplicates a sense of patriotism while also addressing the wrong-doings and shameful past and present that we hold as a nation. A sort of patriotism occurs in this piece where Gorman alludes to the struggles America, and the world, faced in 2020, as well as the broader issues associated with Donald Trump’s presidency. Gorman uses repetition in saying, “That even as we hurt, we hoped; that even as we tired, we tried; that we’ll forever be tied together, victorious.” Her words reiterate her message of holding an air of dignity towards our nation in the fact that we fought, we overcame, and we made it to the next day. History, she notes, has its “eyes on us”. Out of the darkness of recent years, brought in by activists, creators, and young citizens, the “new hour” she speaks of has now risen. Along with several others, these communities bring an end to Trump’s reign and pave a new path to the election of Joe Biden. This new chapter offers hope for days ahead that this nation is going to keep living, keep pushing through. She raises rhetorical questions that indicate that there was no possibility that the nation would ever be governed by “catastrophe.” The sense of patriotism in the United States has been dwindling more quickly as catastrophic and sickening events have been terrorizing the nation. Gorman, however, was able to ignite a new sense of national pride by acknowledging the recent faults our country has harboured, but still reminding us that it’s our duty, “To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man.”
“We close the divide because we know, to put our future first, we must first put our differences aside. We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another. We seek harm to none and harmony for all.” Gorman’s words make apparent her aspirations of unifying our perturbed and parted nation, passionately inspiring the audience with empowering words of hope, and encouraging patriotism despite the rough history and current state of the nation. And as we assess Amanda Gorman’s emotion-evoking poem of strength and power, we understand that she used her platform and her unparalleled skill with literature to try and raise the idea of harmony and accord amongst such a divided people. She stressed to remain hopeful and share words of aspiration to a better world and incite patriotism with words of overcoming and prevailing despite the bloody history that America holds. With her deliberate words, it is made clear the powerful and direct message that Gorman hopes not only the American nation digests, but the entire world as well.
From Joe Adkins and Aleks Sorokina
(2A)
we’re going to give it a 5/6
1/1 thesis
3/4 evidence and commentary
1/1 sophistication
We liked your word choice a lot. There were a plethora of uncommon adjectives and verbs we just didn’t see coming that were very effectively used. We liked the how the introduction outlined the context and exigence of the piece.
The biggest issue is sort of how disconnected the paragraphs are from each other, and how each piece of rhetorical analysis doesn’t really lead into the next. The paragraphs are great as self-contained little bits, but together, they don’t work very well. You can really tell that two people worked on this, down to little things like the same quote being used twice.
Bowen Mosman
Ella McGovern
Sonny Jordan
In this year’s presidential inauguration, Amanda Gorman had the opportunity to convey the importance of unity to the American people during these very divided times. In a decade of pronounced racial injustice, Ms. Gorman has had the opportunity to witness some ground-breaking historical events, especially within the past year. As a global pandemic takes the nation by storm and sends folks into their homes, many were left with few choices but to reflect upon the deep political division that plagues this country. No matter where you stand politically, it is undeniable that Ms. Gorman’s use of unity in the inaugural poem “The Hill We Climb”, effectively reaches out to the audience in a very convincing and emotional way. Through powerful rhyme schemes and linguistic devices, Ms. Gorman’s poem is the epitome of union.
Not even four words into the poem, the purpose of this piece is communicated. Ms. Gorman’s frequent use of the word “we” is incredibly tactical and tricks the audience into identifying with what she says. Referring to her audience as “we” inherently integrates them into her perspective. It’s incredibly effective in getting the audience to sympathize with what she says. Pair this with such widespread national distress, and what you’re left with is a poem that doesn’t let you walk away without relating.
Another way in which Ms. Gorman reiterates the concept of unification is through repetition. Using alliteration is not only a great way to catch the audience’s attention, but it’s a great method of communication. When Ms. Gorman says “…to compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters, and conditions of man”, the audience is suddenly much more tuned in to what she’s saying.
Finally, the biggest and most obvious form of linguistic unification: Rhyming. While it may seem simple on the surface, rhyming is one of the most unifying aspects of writing out there. To create a similarity in sound between words with completely different meanings is, in a way, its own form of unity. Seeing through the inherent difference in spelling, definition, and origin is rather emblematic of what Amanda Gorman’s “The Hill We Climb” is all about. It is both a very obvious rhythmic tool that keeps the audience tuned into what she’s saying, and a subtle thematic tool to reinstate the purpose of the speech.
Amanda Gormund used many different methods to effectively convey a theme of unity to her audience at the presidential inauguration. Her use of inclusive language such as “we” and the repetition of this throughout the poem helped emphasize her overall message. Additionally, her use of rhythm both in her deliverance and in her word choice added a level of complexity to the poem, making it seem more cohesive while effectively grabbing the attention of the audience. It is clear to see that she is both an impeccable writer and an inspiring soul. No matter what your race is, no matter who you voted for, and no matter what end of the political spectrum you call home, this poem is truly something we can all appreciate.
Hey Bowen, Sonny, and Ella!
You included an obvious and well-structured thesis statement in your essay, so you earned 1 point for the thesis. For claims and evidence, you had 3 distinct claims that were all well-supported with ample quotes and thoughtful commentary, so you earned 4 points for claims and evidence. The overall structure really helped the flow of your essay and created a clear and natural train of thought. We decided to give your essay a 5 because of how well structured and thoughtful it was, but had you diversified your syntax and vocabulary or even acknowledged the limits of your argument, then you would have gotten a 6.
Over all, this is a great essay! Well done!
Peer Review: Hey Bowen, Ella and Sonny!
Thesis: 1/1
You have created a thesis that is defensible and responds to the prompt.
Evidence & Commentary: 2/4
There is little to no evidence to support each claim and the commentary doesn’t connect to what your thesis is trying to say.
Sophistication: 0/1
I think that if you utilized all of the required writing elements (not including the power sandwich and inverted syntax) as well as found a way to analyze not only her choices, but the impact of her message you would get this point.
Hi Sonny, Ella and Bowen, I’d give your essay an overall score of 5\6. Your thesis was a clear and had a stance. With evidence you had 3 claims that had support and related to your thesis. Along with ideas that expanded clearly beyond the evidence gives 4/4 points. For sophistication, I feel you clearly stated ideas in variable ways and wide vocabulary use.
Amanda Gorman, a National Youth Poet Laureate, recently spoke at the president inauguration with her speak ‘’The Hill We climb.’’ This speech was heartwarming to a lot of people because it brought awareness to the people and she moved people in a separated nation. Throughout the speech, Goreman continues to use repetition to touch the hearts of people and inform them how important it is to stay together as a nation and to have courage. She also continues to use examples from history connecting the references to the present.
Gormans use of symbolism throughout her speech helps explain what she is trying to convey to the audience about the actions that need to be taken for us to come together as a nation. In lines one through four Gorman talks about how she understands the peoples struggles including herself have been through many difficulties this year.In these lines she says “We’ve braved the belly of the peace, and “We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace.She informs us how we have to make a move about what is happening in our world instead of staying quiet, she claims we need to work all together in order to grow and succeed as a nation. As I mentioned,‘’Quiet isn’t always peace,’’ it reflects on our nation and the last two years because of everything that’s happened. All of the deaths, the black lives matter protest, and even the presentational elections were all things not to keep quiet about. Staying quiet isn’t always a good thing because sometimes people need to hear our voice in things. Keeping quiet can keep away important things that our nation might need to stay encouraged and to stay unified.
Throughout Gormans poem she uses literary devices to captivate the audience’s attention.She mainly uses repetition, alliteration, and anaphora throughout the poem.An example of Alliteration is,”We will rebuild, reconcile, and recover in every known nook of our nation and every corner called our country, our people will diverse and beautiful will emerge, battered and beautiful.”In these specific lines she mention “rebuild, reconcile, and recover”, which are the most important words from these lines.Gorman used these words in her speech because she wants to inform us what we must do to better our country and be united.As she keeps speaking about this subject our country can see how important it is for us to come together and take action in order to succeed as a nation.An example of repetition would be,”For there is always light, If only we’re brave enough to see it,If only we’re brave enough to see it.”I believe she repeatedly says this because she wants to capture our attention on why these words are so important to her.What she is trying to say in these lines is that If we don’t stand up for ourselves and our nation, our nation will continue to be broken and people will become more ignorant instead of coming together as a whole.
Goreman’s rhetorical choice of words like” us” and “we” is beginning a sense of being together in one and in unity. She also encourages the audience to be together as well. She often encourages the audience to come together during her speech with her choice of words. She often reframes from using words like ” I “and “me” because she wants the audience to know how important it is for the nation to come as one. Even though it’ll take time for our country to recoup from the wounds that our past president has taken us through, we can do it! Goreman’s speech encouraged the audience to not depend on themselves for change, but to have courage and bravery to come together.
Goreman has a good way of pulling people’s attention and their emotions in. She uses repetition and rhetorical choices to express her way of thinking and to tell the people about the broken nation. Her speech was to heal a hurt and damaged nation. Her speech spoke truth whether the people wanted to hear it or not. Unity and courage is important for the nation in the end.
Hi Kamaria and Isabel!
We think y’all did a great job with organizing the structure for yall’s argument, however, work on being effective with the argument.For the thesis point, we will score you 1/1 but we think y’all could have worded it differently in order to captivate the argument.For the evidence and commentary you scored 2/4. We think y’all embed too many quotes, so it didn’t feel like your own words.Also, we liked the ideas and evidence y’all had but next time work on diction and hitting the required elements, with that it would have scored you higher.For the sophistication we scored you a 0/1. In the argument, there were many ineffective sentences that made the essay a bit complicated to understand.But overall good job!
Vivian Bull (3A), Maddie Jewesson (3A)
“The Hill We Climb” Rhetorical Choices Essay
Amanda Gorman, the youth international poet laureate chosen to perform her work at President Biden’s inauguration, has written a masterpiece of a poem called “The Hill We Climb” that captures the American spirit and overcoming our differences as United States citizens to tackle societal issues. This message is conveyed through rhetorical choices that impact the audience’s perception of the poem in ways they may not even understand upon first listening to it. Amanda Gorman uses anaphora, figurative language, and refers to the audience as “we” in order to promote a message of unity and patriotism in a deeply divided country.
Gorman uses anaphora to emphasize certain phrases and preach the importance to some of her strongest points. This is exemplified in the lines “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.” The repetition of the phrase “we will” indicates that the audience and the speaker will have to unite and work together to make changes and grow stronger as a nation. This strongly communicates one of the main themes of the poem, unity. The vigorous descriptive language and action verbs that follow also paint a picture of strength that empowers the listener or reader. Another example of anaphora are the lines “that even as we grieved, we grew, that even as we hurt, we hoped, that even as we tired, we tried”. The repetition of the phrase “that even as we” shows that when one person is affected by an issue, we all are as a people. If one person is suffering, hurt or tired, it is not that person’s struggle alone, the rest of the nation, including the audience and the author are also engaged in it. This strong ties formed by being united under one country are even more clearly stated in the line that follows the anaphora, “that we’ll forever be tied together, victorious”
Gorman uses figurative language by making connections between current events and existing properties in order to provide insight into some of the struggles we have faced as a country. For example, the line “we’ve braved the belly of the beast”, is an allusion to the biblical story where Jonah is trapped in the stomach of a great fish, but is able to escape. This connection was made to symbolize how we have persevered through many pressing issues in the past year, but have managed to make it out in one piece. Similarly, the quote “somehow we’ve weathered and witnessed a nation that isn’t broken, but simply unfinished”, shares the idea that while our country has a long way to go, we have still made it out alive and might be able to live to see a land where everyone is truly equal. One of Gorman’s central themes is the idea that justice and prosperity is not out of reach, rather these things will come to us once we unite and realize our shared values. This can also be seen in the line “and yes we are far from perfect, far from pristine. But that doesn’t mean we are striving to form a union that isn’t perfect,” highlighting that same idea. In the line “A country that is bruised but whole,” Gorman chose these rhetorical devices to remind the American people that we are unified, even in times of strife. Although our country has a lot of deep rooted issues, Gorman wants to emphasize that hope is not gone, and progress is not out of reach.
Addressing the audience using the word “we” instead of the word “you” is also a strong rhetorical choice that emphasizes the message and themes of Gorman’s poem. The main theme of this poem is unity and the hope of being able to take pride in your country. The aspect of patriotism is demonstrated by the use of the pronoun “we” to refer to her audience, the citizens of America. A line like “We close the divide because we know, to put our future first” wouldn’t make as great of an impact if “we” was replaced by “I” or “you”. This is because using we promotes the idea that as a nation, our greatest problems can and should be solved together. This is even further demonstrated by the line “We must first put our differences aside. We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another.”
Gorman emcompasses all her themes and main claims, that Americans should unite in the name of patriotism and set aside our differences in order to overcome adversity and struggles presented to us, in her poem “The Hill We Climb” by making rhetorical writing choices that make the audience more susceptible to her message. These choices include using anaphora to emphasize the importance of some passages, allusions and figurative language to paint a clear picture of her hopes for the future of the nation, and use of the pronoun “we” rather than “I” or “you” in order to indicate solidarity. These choices not only make Gorman’s poem more interesting to read or listen to, they assure that any member of it’s audience will take it’s message seriously, and straight to heart.
Hey Vivian and Maddie!
You had a clear and distinct thesis statement that clearly laid out your argument for the rest of your essay, so you earned 1 point for the thesis. For claims and evidence, we thought you earned 3 points because while you did have 3 claims, each well-supported and sourced, we thought that your anaphora and figurative language claims were a bit too similar to be distinct enough for 4 points. Your commentary on each claim was great and thorough though, so if you added another claim and combined anaphora and figurative language, we think your essay would improve substantially. We didn’t give you the sophistication point because we thought that there were opportunities to switch up and diversify your vocabulary and syntax. We also noticed that some of your quotes could have been embedded more seamlessly or naturally.
Overall, you earned a 4 for this essay, so if you worked on your claims, quotes, and sentence structure, then your essay would be even better than it is now.
Hey Vivian and Maddie!
You had a clear and distinct thesis statement that clearly included your claims and set up your argument for the rest of your essay, so you earned 1 point for the thesis. For claims and evidence, you earned 3 points because while you had 3 claims, we thought that your anaphora and figurative language were too similar to be distinct enough to earn 4 points. If you added another claim and combined anaphora and figurative language, your essay would improve substantially. However, each claim was very well supported and included ample commentary. We didn’t give you the sophistication point because we thought that there were opportunities to diversify your syntax and vocabulary. We also noticed that you could have embedded your quotes more seamlessly and naturally.
Overall, we think you earned a 4 for this essay. You had great style, support and commentary, but we think that if you improved your claims, syntax, and quotes, your essay would be even better than it is now. Well done!
sorry I thought I messed up in submitting our first reply!! ignore the second one even though It says the same thing
From Joe Adkins and Aleks Sorokina
(2A)
we’re going to give it a 5/6
1/1 thesis
3/4 evidence and commentary
1/1 sophistication
We found your essay to be very profoundly written, by using sophisticated and beautiful vocabulary you were able to capture our attention throughout the whole read! Your essay goes in great depths analyzing the true meaning behind this complex poem. The only reason you scored a 5 instead of a 6, in our opinion, is because your claims didn’t seem very connected or easy to follow. We had trouble finding line of reasoning that would smoothly transition one claim into another. Perhaps it happened due to the amount of quotes you chose to analyze, maybe focusing on less would make it easier to tie them all together. Regardless of our humble criticism we would like to finish of by saying that your essay was very lovely!
Gonzalez,Mariana (3b) and Angelica Barrera (2a)
2020 was a year like no other,full of catastrophes,severance,and discomfort. It challenged our nation’s limits and adversities were thrown at us from left to right, but now with people like Amanda Gorman we have a new sense of hope and light to our dark shade. “The Hill We Climb”, a captivating and coherent poem written and recited by Amanda Gorman was given at the 2021 presidential inauguration. Gorman serves a conscientious poem that utilizes melodic sounds, political rhetoric, and inclusive language in hopes to bring the nation together.
It is no secret that Ms.Gorman’s poem left an unremarkable impression upon citizens who are seeking change. Her way with words created a persuasive and appealing approach to a better future for our country and future posterity. Ms.Gorman, a young woman of the age of 22, is a symbolic figure for America as she emphasizes the idea that the youth is becoming the new voice of our nation. In her poem, Gorman includes the many people of America as she references historical figures and religious scriptures as a way to unify a diverse audience.
When hearing her speech, many might believe her words rhyme when in doubt the cohesion of words creates a melodic rhythm. For example, in the first four lines her choice of alliterative one-syllable words like “light” and “loss” and the rhyme between “shade” and “wade” creates harmonic resonance. “ We know it…we do it.” This word play is another example of the inclusive language but also a repetition of the “it” word. “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”, the use of “I” allows the audience to follow the rhythmic pattern, making them want to continue listening to what Ms.Gorman has to say. This is a good ethos example because Gorman serves a mix of speech and poetry because it is a skill many successful poets have.
Gorman makes multiple political and historical references displaying her knowledge in U.S. history and understanding the influence that governmental officials have upon her audience. Taking in consideration that this poem was recited at the inauguration of Joe Biden, where millions of people tuned into CNN to watch one of the most important events that takes place every 4 years. Ms. Gorman deliberately delivered her poem,however, what really captivated her argument was her use of evidence that made her sound as a credible source whom America can look up to. “ The hill we climb” is a great example of a metaphor that also references the bible in which Moses is on the mountain looking towards promised land.Which serves as a powerful vision of this idea of being at the top. Also, it was very clever of Ms.Gorman to mention the founding fathers who have given our nation the many opportunities that have helped us prosper and rise. She seeks for better change and perfection for this country, so in order for her argument to reach her audience she too embraces the individuals of the United States.
We will become a prosperous country, we will integrate new adaptations, we will seek for change, we will go through it together, we will. America, a diverse country, is an opportunity for many people of different kinds, shapes,and cultures. Ms.Gorman’s speech really captivated the integration or the acknowledgement of the diversity in her poem.For example, she mentions in one of her lines: “We will rebuild… beautiful will emerge” , which puts emphasis on the people of our nation. In other words ,the repetition of the “we” throughout her disquisition focuses on the inclusion of all forms of people. Also, she makes a reference to January 6, the day of the capitol attack in which “We’ve seen a force…shatter.” She deliberately brings light into the horrible catastrophe, allowing us to understand that though we were faced with a new challenge, it was a way for us to learn how to contend and push onward as a whole . Her inclusive language too relates to some historical events such as the Enlightenment and the Declaration of Independence. It’s the idea behind what America stands for; “We the people.”
It is clear to see that this profound poem is an instant classic. It will be studied in classrooms for years to come,and with very good reason.Amanda Gorman has this great talent to create impactful art. Her way with words and use of rhetorical devices,imagery, and connecting her message to current relevant events happening in our country today, makes her a great artist and writer.She has already positively impacted millions of people worldwide and will continue to do as such until our country has justice.
Hey Mariana and Angelica!
Great job on your essay! For your thesis, we awarded you a 1/1, as it was clear and defensible, and well-supported by your evidence and commentary. For your body paragraphs, you had a sufficient amount of sources, and your evidence and commentary was analyzed in a way that was relevant and supportive of the thesis. For the line of reasoning, we felt you could’ve connected your claims and integrated them in a way that would help with the flow of your essay, so we gave you a 3/4. For sophistication, we did not award you the point, because we felt you could’ve more clearly restated your thesis in your last paragraph, and your sentence structure was not as efficient and mature as we feel you are capable of. Overall, great job!
I think your essay earns a 6/6
Your thesis is very strong and clear and sets up the rest of the essay, so I gave you 1 point.
You provided commentary on the texts and expanded on top of your sources that you 3 times, so i gave you 4 points.
I gave you 1 point for sophistication because your use of vocabulary and complex sentences elevated your essay to the next level.
Zoe Pulido and Cameron Locke 4(B)
21 year old, Amanda Gorman, the youngest inaugural poet in history, recited her original poem “The Hill We Climb” at the 2021 inauguration of President Joe Biden. Amanda Gorman’s occasional poem, “The Hill We Climb,” forces the audience to look back into the past and gaze into the future by employing inclusive language, political and biblical references, and powerful visual imagery to convey her message of maturation from division into unity.
To enforce her idea of togetherness, Gorman starts the poem with inclusive language by addressing the President, Vice President, and the citizens of the United States. She says, “Mr. President, Dr. Biden, Madam Vice President, Mr. Emhoff, Americans and the world:” By using this type of inclusive language throughout the poem not only captures the audience’s attention, it helps them receive the message she’s trying to convey effectively. By including the general public, it reaches out and opens their minds to her message of “we”. In doing so, she forced the audience to acknowledge that they are included in the start of a shift into the direction of peace during the new term of presidency.
She uses political and biblical references to emphasize the hardships and the hope that American citizens can see in the future, a future of new aspirations and metamorphosis.
Midway through the poem, Gorman starts to use political references to show how the past of the country was bleak and almost hopeless. She illustrates her use of political references to show the dreary past of the United States with her line, “So while once we asked, how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe?”, alluding to the previous presidency where tension arose and climaxed within the political setting. In contrast, the biblical references signify the hope that the country holds. She looks into a future of victories built upon bridges the country has constructed throughout the various hardships. She states,“Scripture tells us to envision that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree and no one shall make them afraid.” We can interpret this in numerous ways but based on the tone and setting of the poem, the meaning of this verse conveys that everyone will be free to embrace their own culture without interference from others, without the fear of persecution, and without judgement. Gorman states that America has evolved into a country of not being deterred by catastrophe but overcoming it even through its darkest times.
Throughout the poem, Gordon’s use of visual imagery is undeniably pivotal to gaining the audience’s interest. Guiding the audience through the poem peaks the interest of every single demographic of the audience, it reverts us into a childlike state, almost like she’s reading a fantastical story. As she verbally crafts an enticing portrait made solely of words, she speaks, “We will rise from the wind-swept 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.”. This perfectly reawakens the suppressed patriotism deep within the subconscious mind. She brings us back to the times we were proud to be American; the times we were proud to wave the flag; the times we were all united even with our political differences.
“The Hill We Climb” embodies a future of unity and reawakened patriotism. Her masterful use of rhetorical devices ushers us into a new age of unity through acceptance, hard work, and perseverance. Amanda Gorman’s “The Hill We Climb” is a sophisticated, eloquently phrased, a poem so broad yet streamlined that advances us forward as a unit. From the cadence; from the phrasing; from the allusions to the illusions of rhymes; from beginning to end the poem evoked hope from every single listener. Together we stand.
Hey Zoe and Cameron!
Great Job! We gave you a 1/1 for your thesis, as it was clearly stated and straightforward, and you continuously supported it throughout your essay with the evidence and commentary in your body paragraphs. For the evidence and commentary, we gave you a 4/4 because of the sufficient use of evidence/sources and your well-organized line of reasoning. Lastly, we awarded you the sophistication point, as you had a mature and consistent writing style, and your thesis was supported throughout your essay.
ps. in your fourth paragraph you said Gordon lol 🙂
Thesis 1/1
Your thesis was very strong. You got right to the point, and didn’t make it too wordy. I did start to lose your thesis as the essay went on, however, but that was more of a line of reasoning issue.
Evidence and Commentary 2/4
You’re mainly losing points due to a faulty line of reasoning and poor implementation of evidence. You also spend way too much time praising Gorman’s writing instead of explaining how her choices serve her greater argument. If you cut out all the fat of your commentary, you’ll be able to see what you’ll need add and change to be true to the prompt and make a more persuasive argument.
Sophistication 0/1
There are a lot of strong sections of this essay, but more frequently then not I was left scratching my head from your use of language. You guys could definitely benefit from some re-writes.
Hey Zoe and Cameron, for you thesis, we give you guys a 1/1. It is very clear and understandable. For your evidence and commentary, we will give you guys 3/4. The evidence provided supported you claim well and It is well organized, but you guys spend more time praising Gorman’s work instead of explain why she make certain choices in this piece. For your sophistication, we will give you guys a 1/1. This perfectly wraps up you essay and we like the very last sentence you guys wrote. You guys did an amazing job on this essay. Keep up the good work !! ＼(≧▽≦)／
On January 20th, 2021 Amanda Gorman made history as the youngest poet to speak at a presidential inauguration; expressing her vision of a country in which we, as Americans, can not only come together and heal, but also progress as a society, in her poem “The Hill We Climb.” Her hopeful outlook on America’s future as well as her call to arms of the American people resonated with her viewers no matter their opinion or background or political standing. Thus enabling Gorman to connect with her audience through immersive imagery, inclusive language, and alliteration.
Many authors and writers will often utilize fanciful and descriptive wording to get their point across, and Amanda Gorman is no exception. In fact, throughout her speech, she employs multiple different descriptors that conjure imagery, some of which include “Wind-swept Northeast..lake-rimmed cities of the Midwestern state..[and] sunbaked South” (Line 29) as well as “We will rise from the gold-limned hills of the West”(Line 28). Through these lines, Gorman is able to create a mental image for her listeners and readers that allows them to imagine the hypothetical path that we, as a nation, must take to progress and improve the society that we live in. By painting a picture through her use of imagery, not only does Amanda Gorman convey her point, but she provides the reader with a mental visual that will resonate with them long after the speech has concluded.
Gorman’s address not only uses imagery to help strengthen her message but inclusive language that enhances her hope for unity. “We [will] forever be tied… We will never again sow division… We will rebuild, reconcile, and recover…” (lines 15,16, & 30) are only a few of the many examples she uses. In line 15 she talks about how we, America, will be forever tied, a unified nation ready to make amends and correct our flaws. If we were to all be separate, our path to reconciliation would be one shaded by darkness, lacking light, our guide to a better future. At one point in her poem, she talks about it as “How could we possibly prevail over catastrophe” and then “How could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?” As a unified front, calamities can not only seem less threatening but are easier to prevail over in a coalesced fashion.
Moreover, Gorman is also able to drive home her cry for unity and change as well as make her overall argument more interesting through her use of alliteration. This can be seen in “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” (Line 25). Here she uses the repetition of the letter “i” and the prefix “in” to not only develop a rhythmic scheme but also to highlight how not doing anything will affect the next generation. Additionally, through the inclusion of alliteration, Amanda Gorman creates a sort of pacing rhythm to her lines that wouldn’t have been there without its inclusion. By using this device, Gorman not only highlights her major issues, but gives the listener, or reader, a more interesting lyrical rhythm that makes her words linger.
Amanda Gorman was able to create a poem full of rhythmic language, imagery blooming with color, and words that can’t help but unify millions. Even those who might not have agreed with her message couldn’t help but feel swayed by the rhythm she weaved into words, a true art form. Words are a powerful tool, an essential form of self-expression, in which Gorman was able to capture and use to spread her hope of unification and understanding across the world.
There is no denying that as of last year our nation is left in a depression that has deeply affected and continues affects our everyday lives. Gorman leaves us with the call to action for us americans to have an effect and say in our future. In Gormans poem it is evident that through perseverance, harmony, and taking pride as Americans that we can fix our country’s deep sorrow.
A poetic genius, Gorman uses her ethnicity and sexuality to show her audience that anything is possible. That an african american female ,who has hopes to be the president , is now doing the unthinkable by speaking at the president’s inauguration. Which is amazing especially in this day and age considering how undermined females,and the african american race is perceived. This very same perseverance is what is inspiring to hear and result in inspiring me as an american to rise up and be better. Better for myself, better for my family and friends, better for my community, better for my city, better for my country.
Gorman states that in order for change it will take efforts from all of us. This means the karens and brads and chads and juans and tyrones , EVERYONE. United we stand tall , but divided we all fall. Same thing as sticks, one stick alone can break easily whereas many stickys together take more effort to defeat. Same thing goes for us, in the poem it is stated that we must put our differences aside in order to put our future first. In layman’s terms if we don’t look past our disputes, there wont be any disputes to be had for there will be no more America.
What does it even mean to be an American? The obvious answer is to live in america, but Gorman feels as if it is standing up in the face of fear and uncertainty and standing up for what’s right. Not only that, but to recognize and celebrate all cultures, colors, anc characteristics of man. As we recognize our past problems not to criticize , but to repair it because “ being american is more than the pride we inherit”.
Gormans words of inspiration have left me and many others with hope in our future, because with a positive mindset ; together we can move past America’s wounds in efforts to repair them. After all this is indeed the land of the free and the home of the brave!
Hey! Amelia and I would overall score your essay 3/6. Your thesis statement was identifiable and supported your claim, which gives you 1 point. While there is commentary, there is not a sufficient amount of references to Gorman’s text, giving you only 2 points. There is a lack of sophistication throughout your essay, but y’all can eventually earn the point by employing the required writing elements. Good job!
1/1 Thesis
Your thesis was very easy to identify and made a solid argument.
2/4 Evidence and Commentary
Your evidence was shaped to defend your thesis and assist it in the right way. Although, I feel as if it could’ve been stronger and more passionate given the subject.
0/1 Sophistication
There was no sophistication to your writing. It felt kind of rushed and clumped together.
Total 3
The Hill We Climb
Rosie Huntley – 3A, Mika Eppstein – 1A
The feeling of being understood, the feeling of being seen, the feeling of being heard, is something that is naturally craved by so many. Amanda Gorman’s famous poem, “The Hill We Climb”, brought those exact feelings to hundreds and thousands and millions of people all around the nation and the world. Amanda Gorman, named the youngest inaugural poet in American history, delivered a beautiful poem with a powerful message during the Presidential Inauguration on January 20th of 2021. Gorman being an activist, alongside being a poet, speaks upon oppression issues, gender inequality issues, racism issues, and more. Gorman’s “The Hill We Climb”, provides a realistic picture of how America is needing a sense of healing, unity, and pride, as the nation is deeply divided and is in a desperate need of change. Employing rhetorical devices and choices such as allusions, imagery, metaphors, alliterations, and other figures of speech, Gorman was able to create an inclusive atmosphere where her audience was able to relate to her greatly.
Gorman uses a lot of imagery, metaphors, and allusions in her poem in order to communicate her message in an engaging and interesting way. One allusion that she used, a quote from the Hebrew scriptures, is a quote George Washington referenced almost 50 times throughout his lifetime. Says Gorman, “Scripture tells us to envision that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree and no one shall make them afraid.” This means that everyone should have the right to live a life without living in fear due to another person or group of people. As the allusion perfectly captures the essence and image of peace, it creates the room to inspire her audience to start their healing process, just as it has done for George Washington all throughout his lifetime. Gorman uses this metaphor, “where can we find light in this never-ending shade? The loss we carry, a sea we must wade.” to describe the hardships the nation had faced. The metaphor helps emphasize one of the main points of her poem, which is America’s desperate need to take action, and to heal our deeply divided nation.
The usage of alliterations, rhymes and rhythms scattered within the poem helps to emphasize and highlight Gorman’s message, being brave enough to unite and to make changes for a better future. Describing the ways in which our nation needs to change, she uses alliteration and says, “To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man.” The use of alliteration helps in hooking the audience’s attention, as the emphasis on the “c” sound and the flowing of her word choices is undeniably beautiful and straightforward. America needs to embrace and respect the diversity and differences between everyone, and bring a sense of equality and equity as well. Gorman demonstrates what she expects to happen if and when we unite by saying, “If we merge mercy with might, and might with right, then love becomes our legacy, and change our children’s birthright.” The use of anadiplosis helps support Gorman’s use of alliteration, rhyme, and rhythm, also hooking the audience in. Gorman is successfully bringing attention to what a country should be composed of in an interesting yet simplistic manner.
In her poem, Gorman speaks to all of America and the world; describing issues which everyone has witnessed or can relate to, and encouraging everyone to be a part of the needed change in our nation, by being extremely inclusive with her deliverance and word choice. She boldly opens her poem by addressing her audience, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Doug Emhoff, and then to “Americans and the world”. By including everyone, she makes it clear that not only is the future of our nation in the hands of the authorities in office, but of every single person in the United States. Gorman implies that having pride in our country means taking responsibility for it’s past. She states that “being American is more than a pride we inherit, it’s the past we step into, and how we repair it.” By referencing the past and the steps needed to be taken in order to “repair it”, she appeals to kairos and ethos. She redefines what having pride in your country truly means by saying that it’s caring for, and participating in efforts of progression and healing in order to make it a safe and an inclusive place for all.
In conclusion, the image depicted through Gorman’s employment of rhetorical devices, choices, and other figures of speech, allows for “The Hill We Climb”, to bring a stronger and clearer message to the American people and to the world. The message to invite over the sense of healing, unity, and pride into the United States, after dark and troubling times that had caused a deep divide within the country. Her purpose is to encourage every individual to make a change, to take action, to step up and speak out. After hearing Gorman’s powerful tone; after seeing her brilliant use of rhetorical devices; after analyzing the ways in which she utilized rhetorical appeals to hook her audience; it’s clear the impact her powerful words have made on all the people of our nation and the world. Be the light.
(Marin Tisdale and Zoe Born period 4 (Sophomore Class))
Hello Rosie and Mika!
Thesis: 1/1:
For your thesis, we would give you a 1/1 because it answered the prompt and was defensible. Although, we think you could have been a bit clearer with your wording because even though you present your 3 main points up front, they tend to become an issue later on in the evidence and commentary.
Evidence and Commentary 2/4:
For your evidence and commentary we gave you a 2/4 because while you did have 3 pieces of sufficient evidence, your third paragraph didn’t fit with your thesis. For example, even though you talked about her using inclusive language in your thesis statement, you didn’t really make a point out of it later in your essay. As a whole, we think that you could have set it up more efficiently.
Sophistication 0/1:
For sophistication, we would give you a 0/1. We would give you this, because we feel that you used too many words to convey your point at multiple instances in your essay, but specifically in paragraph one. We also noticed that some of your word choices were repetitive, making your essay seem more choppy. Though we feel that fixing these things would easily help you to get your point across.
Overall Score: 3/6
Your essay was able to expertly follow the theme as well as introduce and include your evidence in a way that it didn’t overshadow the ideas that you wanted to convey. Additionally, we enjoyed the last line of your essay, “be the light”, because it helped to round off your writing.
We think you could have summed up your first points into figurative language, which would leave inclusivity and one other topic as your three main points. Moreover, to us at least, it seemed like you were trying to stretch out one point, by turning it into two.
Amanda Gorman is an African-American poet who presented her poem, “The Hill We Climb,” at Joe Biden’s inauguration. Her poems usually focus on the main issues of social injustice that the United States is facing today, such as racism, feminism, African diaspora, etc. “The Hill we Climb” portrayed a patriotic passage using rhetorical choice, imagery, special weight and word prominence, in which enhanced the overall essence of the poem and instilled a sense of nationalism.
Gorman’s rhetorical choices were applied sophisticatedly and efficiently, which made the poem lyrical. For example, mostly every sentence in the poem was rhymed with another. “This is the era of just redemption we feared at its inception.” On the basis of fluent sentences and refined wordings, Gorman paired up the rhyme schemes, which added cadences that made the poem flow. Another example is repetition. “If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.” The accentuation she made to her ending was also a highlight of her work. Gorman also spiced up her poem with alliteration. “We are striving to forge a union with purpose, to compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man.” In her speech, Gorman emphasized the beginnings of each word that started with “c,” in turn made her poem memorable, and painted the patterns and images to her audiences’ minds.
Furthermore, Gorman’s use of vivid mental images bestows a very compelling and up roaring sense of emotions, as provided by Gorman’s 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.” By Gorman giving us, the listeners and readers, the exhaustive iconography of a “skinny black girl,” it maintains to push the narrative of the minority.
Gorman’s emphasis on words up-scales the intensity and importance of her word play. Coupled with the breaths, pressure, and climaxes brought by her desire to build a better America. An America that isn’t burning bridges, but building them by the bare hands of our people. “If we’re to live up to our own time then victory won’t lie in the blade, but in all the bridges we’ve made.” Another instance occurs when Gorman recites,”We’ve braved the belly of the beast.” When listening to her speech she provided a change of vocal tone, contributing an additional amount of weight to the word” brave” and elongating the “a” voal. Bringing a major significance to the line, signifying the amount of pain, mistakes, and history America and endured as a whole.
“The Hill We Climb” is a powerful poem that unites people together, no matter what ethnicity, what color, what gender. It also yields the desire, the strength, ambition, and plants a new hope for building a better America, “If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.”
Christina Wang(Period 4)
Amanda Gorman is an African-American poet who presented her poem, “The Hill We Climb,” at Joe Biden’s inauguration. Her poems usually focus on the main issues of social injustice that the United States is facing today, such as racism, feminism, African diaspora, etc. “The Hill we Climb” portrayed a patriotic passage using rhetorical choice, imagery, special weight and word prominence, in which enhanced the overall essence of the poem and instilled a sense of nationalism.
Gorman’s rhetorical choices were applied sophisticatedly and efficiently, which made the poem lyrical. For example, mostly every sentence in the poem was rhymed with another. “This is the era of just redemption we feared at its inception.” On the basis of fluent sentences and refined wordings, Gorman paired up the rhyme schemes, which added cadences that made the poem flow. Another example is repetition. “If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.” The accentuation she made to her ending was also a highlight of her work. Gorman also spiced up her poem with alliteration. “We are striving to forge a union with purpose, to compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man.” In her speech, Gorman emphasized the beginnings of each word that started with “c,” in turn made her poem memorable, and painted the patterns and images to her audiences’ minds.
Furthermore, Gorman’s use of vivid mental images bestows a very compelling and up roaring sense of emotions, as provided by Gorman’s 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.” By Gorman giving us, the listeners and readers, the exhaustive iconography of a “skinny black girl,” it maintains to push the narrative of the minority.
Gorman’s emphasis on words up-scales the intensity and importance of her word play. Coupled with the breaths, pressure, and climaxes brought by her desire to build a better America. An America that isn’t burning bridges, but building them by the bare hands of our people. “If we’re to live up to our own time then victory won’t lie in the blade, but in all the bridges we’ve made.” Another instance occurs when Gorman recites,”We’ve braved the belly of the beast.” When listening to her speech she provided a change of vocal tone, contributing an additional amount of weight to the word” brave” and elongating the “a” vowel. Bringing a major significance to the line, signifying the amount of pain, mistakes, and history America and endured as a whole.
“The Hill We Climb” is a powerful poem that unites people together, no matter what ethnicity, what color, what gender. It also yields the desire, the strength, ambition, and plants a new hope for building a better America, “If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.”
Amanda Gorman is the first national youth poet laureate. She is the youngest inaugural poet in history; she is an aspiring poet and activist who focuses on important issues within our country; she is the epitome of hard work, natural talent, and overall success. On President Biden’s inauguration day, she delivered her poem The Hill We Climb to the entire country. Her poem involved many themes such as change, unity, troublesome times, hope, and many more. Amanda Gorman’s The Hill We Climb connects with the audience on a deep level. She uses rhetorical elements such as repetition to solidify her points, word play to give her words and phrases different meanings, and rhyming to display cleverness and to keep her audience engaged and attentive.
Ms. Gorman’s use of repetition helps drive home her points. She repeats words to make certain important phrases and sentences really stick with her audience. She uses the word ‘we’ multiple times throughout her poem, almost in every line, to describe her audience as a whole to further connect us in our divided and unfinished nation. Her powerful line, “we’ve braved the belly of the beast, we’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace,” uses the word ‘we’ to connect with the audience on a personal level. With this, she effectively drives home her point that change must still come, and that quietness does not mean that our country is at peace. With her repetitions, she makes certain parts of her poem much more memorable.
Word play plays an important role in Ms. Gorman’s poem. She does a particularly amazing job at playing with her words to give her language new meanings. She creates a very interesting phrase with, “in the norms and notions of what just is isn’t always justice” to add flavor to her poem. This powerful line carries her continuing message of breaking the status quo and always striving for change. Her word play makes her language interesting and helps her points stick with the audience.
Ms. Gorman uses rhyming to cleverly keep her audience engaged. She makes what could be forgettable lines into flowing poetic phrases that resonate with her audience. She inspires the listener, saying, “if we’re to live up to our own time, then victory won’t lie in the blade, but in all the bridges we’ve made.” using rhyming to make this a very memorable line that carries a message of hope. This line holds tremendous weight as it puts in perspective the pivotal time America finds itself in at the moment. Her fantastic use of rhyming creates unforgettable lines with important messages behind them.
Amanda Gorman used her words of wisdom and rhetorical devices as she took center stage at the inauguration to discuss the ideas of unity and change for America. Her message calls not to change each other, but to change the ways of our country. She spoke in a way that made us feel connected and comfortable as we were listening to her encouraging and motivating words, allowing her poetry to seep into us without the feeling of enforcement. Her ability to capture our looming and recurring struggles as a nation, while also proposing the effort to divert our current attention to fixing the stability of our nation rather than dividing it, shows her true nature and power as a 21st century poet.
Hi Pace, Alanah, and Finlay! You all wrote a great essay! Christian and I feel that overall your essay would score a 5/6.
We gave you 1 point for your thesis because it was very clear and impactful. Your thesis summarized and explained the stance you were taking on Ms. Gorman’s poem. We also thought your introductory sentences were great.
For Evidence and Commentary we gave you 3 points because you had two clear body paragraphs instead of three. As we were reading we did find your three example from the text, but two of them were in one paragraph and one was in a separate paragraph. Your writing was good, but at times a little bit unclear.
We also gave you 1 point for sophistication because overall your essay was very well written and you elaborated nicely on your examples from the text. Your conclusion was also well thought out and restated and supported your thesis. In all just make sure to be super clear with what you are saying and tie your examples back to the message!
Great job!!
Nicole Anderson, Elizabeth Moss, Kordni Smith 4(B)
When Amanda Gorman eloquently stated that America has “braved the belly of the beast” she gives her audience, the American people, a visual image to equate to the chaos of the past few years. Gorman’s rhetorical usage of analogies, alliteration, and specific diction successfully portrays her message of inspiring hope to the American people through the new presidential administration.
Gorman’s use of rhetorical devices elevates her words, from a simple analogy like the “belly of the beast” to complex alliteration and elegant word choices, her message is one of beauty. The metanoia of not “striving to form a union that is perfect.” but one that has “purpose” corrects itself by slightly nudging the words to form a more powerful message. By covering the old ways with a new meaning, Gorman shows her audience that the world is about to change. Within the next line, Gorman clarifies what change she is implying. The change of the country to support people of “all cultures, colors, characters, and conditions of man.”
In order to add some familiarity to her words, Gorman alludes to Hebrew scripture often quoted by George Washington, using the well-known phrase “that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree and no one shall make them afraid.” This contextualizes her ideas to the audience as one of inspiration and peace. She continues with lines of vivid imagery as her analogies give her words life. She brings America’s past actions into a physical scape, as with “all the bridges we’ve made, that is the promise to glade, the hill we climb.” finally reaching a climactic moment as the audience finally gets context for the title “The Hill We Climb”. Comparing the country to a peaceful nature scape, rather than a chaotic one as others have referred it to, as it’s not the place, it’s the people.
Relating back to her message of change, Gorman initiates her call to action with a metaphor stating “history has its eyes on us.” affecting her audience by urging them to not recreate past troubles. Continuing acknowledging the past, Gorman clarifies the audience needs to “leave behind a country better than the one [they] were left with.” This strengthens her message by using it as leverage for the audience to understand her reasons for writing the poem. It also gives them something to take away, as Gorman hammers her message into the hearts of her audience.
Gorman successfully uses rhetorical devices to convey her message in a meaningful way that leaves her audience with a new perspective about the future. Her colorful analogies and allusions bring hope to her words and work towards her message of positive change. She brings power to the country rising from ash and learning from our mistakes. With the new administration, “the new dawn blooms as we free it.”, and the country will build a legacy of purpose.
For y’alls thesis we would give you the point. You have a clear thesis that is easily identifiable and defensible. For the evidence and commentary section we give you 4/4. All of your “sources” and clear and relate to the text. You did a very good job for blending them into the rest of the text. For the sophistication point we don’t think you earned this point. While the essay was well written, there are some things you could’ve improved on. You could’ve had cleaner transitions, added more articulate vocabulary, and more intensive paragraphs. 3 things you did really well was your thesis statement, your conclusion, and your sources.
Sonny Jordan and Bowen Mosman
Thesis: 1/1
Very clearly defined, if it were any less subtle it would run me over like an 18 wheeler.
Arguments: 4/4
Every source is cited, every line contributes to strengthening the foundation of your argument, and all commentary is delivered so eloquently that I would think a professional top-grade AI wrote it.
Sophistication: 1/1
Do we need to even say anything here? This essay has sophistication in spades. Sentences are formed with grace and manage to be so digestible in their complexity. This is for real some college level sh*t.
Overall: 6/6.
I implore you to not make a single revision, as I fear it may only bring the score down. If it ain’t broke (and it ain’t) don’t fix it.
Alexa Ortiz (2A) and Ria Marsh (2A)
Amanda Gorman made history as the first ever youth poet laureate during the 2021 presidential inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Goreman uses a steady rhyme scheme, patriotic imagery, and an inspirational tone to make “The Hill We Climb,” one of our generation’s most significant poems and poets. In this political climate, this poem is the exact one we needed.
Through the entire speech, Amanda Gorman uses a very strong, wise and educational tone. You see that tone when she says “ it’s because being American is more than a pride we inherit, it’s the past we step into and how we repair it.” This is a wise sentence that she has said, how she mentioned our troubled history and how we have to face it in order to fix the problems that we have created. The way that she created the sentence was very strong, she was not mentioning past problems or saying any new problems, she was saying that in general we need to fix the problems that we create. Throughout this entire speech you can hear that she is very confident in what she is saying and she is saying it strongly because we all need to hear it. Especially when she says “ For there is always light, if only we were brave enough to see it. If only we were brave enough to be it.” This is another sentence where her tone is strong and educational, you can tell by how at the end she is telling us in order to face out past we have to be willing to learn from it and be brave enough to face it in order to fix it.
Amanda Gorman’s poem that was said at the Inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris could not be said at a better time. So many events had happened just the week before the inauguration. Through her entire poem, you can see that she is not afraid to bring up past events and how we need to fix it so our future doesn’t crumble. Hearing this poem at this time was very moving, after having protests, deaths and the Capitol building riot we really needed to hear that we have had similar problems in America and how we are not perfect but we need to get as close as possible in order for things to change.
One of Goreman’s most notable rhetorical devoices is the rhyme schemes she uses throughout the poem. The rhyme scheme in a structured poem is usually the first thing a reader notices. Goreman uses the very first lines in her poem to hook the audience using the conventional ABAB rhyme scheme within the lines “When day… ourselves, where can… ending shade? The loss we carry, the sea we must wade.” She doesn’t use this rhyme scheme throughout the entire poem though. My favorite two lines, the ending lines, use an AA scheme. “If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.” Not only do these two lines rhyme, but it’s also a wonderful use of anaphora- creating a breathtaking end to a breathtaking poem.
While Goreman’s rhyming was exceptional throughout this poem, the imagery within her words really made this poem shine. Gore used the kind of imagery to inspire a crowd of anxious Americans by showing us all how beautiful America can be. I haven’t been hopeful about America’s state in years, but hearing Goreman relate back to herself in the lines “…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.” moved me deeply. Hearing her speak so fondly of the “gold-limbed hills of the west…” or the “sunbaked south…” made me feel a sense of unity in this brave new America she spoke of. In a time of extreme political upheaval and unrest and uncertaintly, this truly was needed.
The many different ways that Amanda Gorman has used tone, rhyme and imagery has made the message of this poem incredibly strong and moving. The message of the poem has greater meaning in this time right now, it has shown us that in order to make America perfect or at least semi perfect is that we need to take responsibility for our actions and we need to be strong enough to say that we were wrong and that we need to fix this We need to make this a better place for the future generation. You can tell that she gets that thought across through the alliteration and Patriotic imagery that she uses. Her tone makes us want to hear what she has to say and how we need to change in order to make this country better.
Juliana Acosta (2a), Nickija Alexander (1a)
As we turn towards a new chapter in American history following the Trump presidency, we find ourselves looking for new hope, reassurance, a voice to call out and lift us from the shadows of the past pulling us toward a brighter future. 22 year old American poet, Amanda Gormon, does just this in her presidential inauguration speech entitled “The Hill We Climb”. By looking back to the past, defining the present, and highlighting the importance of creating a better future as a country, Gormon uses her powerful voice to unify and encourage us to rise despite these hardships.
Through her inclusive language, Gormon illustrates the connection that all Americans share, especially in times of struggle. Gormon alludes to Trump’s presidency as “a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it”, as the delay of democracy was apparent during the past president’s term. Tensions grew as our nation continued to divide. In one particularly moving line of the poem, Gorman states that “We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another.”. By referencing two different forms of arms in a metaphor, Gormon draws a connection between arms in terms of weaponry, as the issue of gun control is still ever apparent in today’s media, and the arms of the people, which welcome and invite. Through this, she encourages us to leave behind the violence and division in the past and enter a new era of uplifting one another, reminding us that we’ve all been forced to brave the same terrifying unknown, and it was because of this shared experience that we were able to prevail.
Connections between the past, present, and future are drawn in places all throughout the piece. As we turn towards a new chapter in American History, Amanda Gormon sets a goal for Americans to learn from their experiences and step confidently towards a new day. She illustrates the importance of our actions today, as what we do or do not do now will be the “inheritance of the next generation”. What has happened in the past cannot be changed, but it can be learned from and repaired; this is a time of healing and redemption according to Gormon. Gormon calls for us to focus not on “what stands between us, But [on] what stands before us.” By taking elements from the past present and future and incorporating them into her text, Gormon Further highlights the importance of “[putting] our future first”, moving forward as a nation in order to achieve unity and prevent further division.
In her piece, Gorman recognizes that now more than ever, there is a need for change. Gorman further emphasizes that the public is obligated to take steps to make our country better for the next generation by using the rhetorical appeal of kairos to incite the audience to act. The line “And yet, the dawn is ours before we knew it. Somehow, we do it.” creates an inspiring tone that indicates that the only way we can move forward is by putting aside our differences and working together. Gorman also informs the audience that we are “striving to forge a union with purpose,” enforcing the idea that our goal isn’t to become perfect, but to become better together as a whole.
Gorman’s poem is undeniably a powerful piece that portrays a meaningful and exhilarating message that encourages the American people to not forget the past, but rather use it to learn from mistakes and move forward together as a country towards a more promising future.
I think your essay earns a 6/6
Your thesis is very clear and is supported by you claims, so I gave you 1 point.
You quoted the text 3 times and provided a reasonable amount of commentary, so i gave you 4 points.
Because of use of vocabulary and complex sentences, I gave you 1 point for sophistication.
Bowen Mosman 4A Ella nicgovern 4A Sonny Jordan2A
In this year’s presidential inauguration, Amanda Gorman had the opportunity to convey the importance of unity to the American people during these very divided times. In a decade of pronounced racial injustice, Ms. Gorman has had the opportunity to witness some ground-breaking historical events, especially within the past year. As a global pandemic takes the nation by storm and sends folks into their homes, many were left with few choices but to reflect upon the deep political division that plagues this country. No matter where you stand politically, it is undeniable that Ms. Gorman’s use of unity in the inaugural poem “The Hill We Climb”, effectively reaches out to the audience in a very convincing and emotional way. Through powerful rhyme schemes and linguistic devices, Ms. Gorman’s poem is the epitome of union.
Not even four words into the poem, the purpose of this piece is communicated. Ms. Gorman’s frequent use of the word “we” is incredibly tactical and tricks the audience into identifying with what she says. Referring to her audience as “we” inherently integrates them into her perspective. It’s incredibly effective in getting the audience to sympathize with what she says. Pair this with such widespread national distress, and what you’re left with is a poem that doesn’t let you walk away without relating.
Another way in which Ms. Gorman reiterates the concept of unification is through repetition. Using alliteration is not only a great way to catch the audience’s attention, but it’s a great method of communication. When Ms. Gorman says “…to compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters, and conditions of man”, the audience is suddenly much more tuned in to what she’s saying.
Finally, the biggest and most obvious form of linguistic unification: Rhyming. While it may seem simple on the surface, rhyming is one of the most unifying aspects of writing out there. To create a similarity in sound between words with completely different meanings is, in a way, its own form of unity. Seeing through the inherent difference in spelling, definition, and origin is rather emblematic of what Amanda Gorman’s “The Hill We Climb” is all about. It is both a very obvious rhythmic tool that keeps the audience tuned into what she’s saying, and a subtle thematic tool to reinstate the purpose of the speech.
Amanda Gormund used many different methods to effectively convey a theme of unity to her audience at the presidential inauguration. Her use of inclusive language such as “we” and the repetition of this throughout the poem helped emphasize her overall message. Additionally, her use of rhythm both in her deliverance and in her word choice added a level of complexity to the poem, making it seem more cohesive while effectively grabbing the attention of the audience. It is clear to see that she is both an impeccable writer and an inspiring soul. No matter what your race is, no matter who you voted for, and no matter what end of the political spectrum you call home, this poem is truly something we can all appreciate.
I think your essay earns a 5/6
Your thesis is clearly recognizable and supports your claim, so I gave you 1 point.
You quoted the text twice and provided a reasonable amount of commentary, so i gave you 3 points.
Because of use of vocabulary and complex sentences, I gave you 1 point for sophistication.
Paige Simpson & Amelia McAnear
All attention is held by 22 year old poet, Amanda Gorman, at the inauguration of President Biden on January 20th. Gorman speaks deeply and powerfully, primarily through metaphors, rhyme and “word magic”, to a new America. Hope ignites in all generations after hearing her faith in humanity, and America and our new President. Gorman’s alluring poem invokes change with the message of hope for the future, unity of citizens, and a fight for peace.
Amanda Gorman inspires Americans, in only 6 minutes and 19 seconds, to change the world for the better by including the audience as a part of her fight. She begs and yearns for unity, she begs for “harm to none”, she begs for “harmony for all.” Gorman plays on words and uses analogies, imagery, rhyme and alliteration throughout this inspiring poem. It’s incredibly well done.
National Youth Poet Laureate, Gorman, uses inclusive imagery to keep the audience engaged in the message of the piece. Gorman talks about lifting our gazes to “what stands before us.” Through powerful imagery, this reminds the audience that we are working to work forward to the future of our nation. Fostered is hope. Gorman also states that “to put our future first, we must first put our differences aside.” Acceptance is necessary to move forward, hope is necessary to move forward, change is necessary to move forward. This use of imagery and inclusion of the audience aids Gorman in developing her poem and message.
As the poem progresses, author Gorman continues to use figurative language and clever syntax. She exclaims that “being American is more than a pride we inherit; it’s the past we step into and how we repair it.” This statement uses rhyme and metaphor to explain how being American is more than just being a citizen. It provokes the thought that unity is important for the country to improve its current state. How patriotic! This also supports the fact that the United States is always evolving, and needs to keep changing for the better of our people.
Gorman appeals to ethos and pathos throughout her poem. She appeals to ethos when mentioning the Bible, quoting how everyone should be treated equally. This emphasizes her argument that we must fight for equality and peace. Gorman appeals to pathos when alluding to Hamilton in saying, “for while we have our eyes on the future, history has its eyes on us.” The use of rhyme also brings attention to the way every generation looks to the next to better and save our country. Citizens, the heart of change, must unite and fight for peace in order to help the future. Gorman makes her message clear while delivering her poem, with the help of important devices such as rhyme, alliteration, and play on words.
After letting the depth of Gorman’s poem settle into our minds, after processing it all, the impact of her words is unquestionably powerful. We do need to put our future first, to move forward by inviting in change, by igniting hope and acceptance; we need to unite, to come together as one, and fight for peace in America: it’s essential to our wellbeing as a country. Amanda Gorman did a perfect job, she spoke beautifully, performed truthfully and created a little more unity.
Hey guys!
We think your essay earns a 4/6!
Your thesis is clearly recognizable and supports your claim, giving you 1 point!
You quoted the text twice and provided a reasonable amount of commentary, giving you a 3.
For sophistication, we give you 0 points. With clearer writing elements, your sophistication points would go up!
Overall, great job! Keep up the good work 🙂
Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman’s Poem, “The Hill We Climb’’
The transfer of power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden was controversial and unparalleled. Just a week before the inauguration, violent Trump supporters fought against our democracy and stormed the nation’s capitol building. In that very location, one week later, we saw Amanda Gorman, youngest national poet laureate, speak her breathtaking poem, The Hill We Climb. Amanda Gorman uses strong literary and rhetorical devices such as contrast phrases, rhetorical questions, and declarative statements to unify and redeem our nation from previous insurrection.
Gorman successfully captures the audience’s attention with her strong use of contrast phrases. By comparing light to dark, and hope to fear. Asking the audience rhetorical questions to provoke thought, assists her to reference Trump’s term as president. Using her powerful writing technique of strong declarative phrases, Gorman is able to clearly identify how to unify America once again.
“The hill we climb” is nearly completely filled with declarative statements. Amanda uses this technique sparingly but it’s very powerful when she does. “We will rise(x2).”the use of “we” pronoun engages us into the protagonist of her speech ; us , as Americans and as a nation, so , when Gorman does address us with a powerful literary device a connection is drawn. Enticing the audience to resonate. Gorman will state a phrase that represents the mindset she would want us as Americans to stray from, “being american is more than a pride we inherit”, this line suggests what the poet wants us to abandon as a nation. Whereas the line after that states a second mindset , one gorman would like us to adopt. “It’s the past we step into and how we repair it.” Using this technique Amanda Gorman is asking the protagonist which mindset will we grow towards? Scarcity and fear, or abundance and light. The way the poet executed this technique is subtle but sits throughout her piece Gorman uses her cadence to conquer your attention. Drawing in the audiences perusal and curiosity .Gorman is an alluring speaker and writer who inspires contemplation and courage to anyone listening.
With a poem as moving as, The Hill We Climb, it is difficult to not stimulate change.With contrast phrases, rhetorical questions, and declarative statements, Gorman presents the nation with a new administration to guide us out of darkness and fear, and into light and change. As Gorman says, “For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it If only we’re brave enough to be it”.
Amanda Gormans is a strong example of an influential writer and speaker, dominating each device she suggests, and leaving a lasting resonance along the audience, like a thick fog of inspiration and unity for all to breathe in.
Contrast phrases
Rhetorical phrases
Declarative statements.
Amanda Gorman, the National Youth Poet Laureate at the 46th presidential inauguration, recited a powerful message for all of America to see. Unite, change, hope, inspire. Amanda Gorman wants to ignite a flame in American citizens to change issues that have plagued the country for centuries. Gorman doesn’t fail to remind the American people that we always have been and always will be united. Gorman uses articulate language to deliver a statement of unity, change, and hope to a broken democracy.
This reminder of unity that Gorman issues gives people a sense of comfort and trust in their fellow Americans. The desire for change is urgent due to the fact that if we don’t make a change now, there may not be a chance to change in the future. Gorman’s wise words can’t help but inspire and ignite hope in the American people that need a better future.
Gorman creates unity with her words by wanting to “raise this wounded world” and make it become “a wondrous one”. Her words are full of truth because our world has become wounded and damaged because of injustices that have been around for centuries. If we work to make things more equal, our world can become a thing of imagination. Gorman strives for change by claiming that “we step out of the shade” because the American people “will emerge, battered and beautiful” if we work together to solve problems that face our country. Gorman insinuates the only way things can change is if we all work together. She does this by starting most sentences with the word “we” and never “I” or “you”. Gorman inspires hope by saying “We close the divide because we know, to put our future first we must first but our differences aside”. By saying this, she is saying that there is hope for a better tomorrow and we all must work towards it together.
Gormans strong and inspiring message about unity, change, and hope surely touched hearts all over the world. She delivered the message that the world so desperately needed. Gormans words will inspire the next generation to act on issues that could end our world. She brought the average Americans attention to the issues that we need to focus on to truly make this country a better place. She highlights the importance of putting our differences aside and acting as one nation. Only then will we truly be a united nation ready to make change. Some of the solutions she proposed was to start participating in their communities and influence other people to do the same. The act of standing up for justice needs to be a domino affect, going from one person to the next. Americans will see their fellow citizens making a change and see the good it does. She never once failed to remind the American people that we are stronger together. Gorman made sure to spark and ignite hope in the American people that are hoping for change.
I liked this, I would give this a 1/1 for the thesis, and 4/4 for the points, and a 0/1 for sophistication. While reading through this, I noticed a lack of awareness of the argument given, along with more complex processes to in the work. Though I came close to it, I decided not to give that point.
On January 20, 2021 Ms.Amanda Gorman presented a remarkable poem called “The Hill We Climb”. Ms.Gorman utilized her words to imagine a manner by which our nation can in any case use to recuperate from the last four years.Her words counterpointed by her spinning hands,and which the guiltlessness of a systematized advantage so significant and sweeping that it is the imperceptible underestimated system called white privilege. The departure of our President is one greater freedom to defy our bigot citizens at various times.Throughout the poem Gorman decides to pull out an enthusiastic response from inside the crowd, incorporate recorded references, and use interfacing words for the general reason for evoking solidarity among a messed up country, an injured country, an absolutely isolated country.Gorman’s sonet carried comfort into the circumstance by ingraining 2021. Her poem brought Americans from different races,beliefs,and genders together indeed, by helping them to remember the past and the potential for what’s to come.For example when Ms.Gorman stated that ”In this truth, in this faith we trust, for while we have our eyes on the future, history has its eyes on us” she uses repetition to stress that this time in America’s set of experiences will be one that is absolutely critical. History has its “eyes on us,” she says. The “new hour” she talks about has emerged from the dimness of the new years, conveyed in by activists, specialists, and obviously youngsters, the future.While Amanda Gorman’s message of solidarity and fellowship is underlined all through the sonnet, her confident and helpful tone is elevated significantly more towards the end, zeroing in on subjects of persistence and strength. In the poem she explains that “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 we’re brave enough to see it.”the closing phrase and perhaps the most paramount expressions, guaranteeing those tuning in to be “adequately bold” to “see” and “be” the light that the country needs in this new day break.The people of the country, “diverse and beautiful,” will rise up and be at the forefront of the future and be the change we need.Gorman used colorful language and exceptional metaphors to grasp the attention of her audience, and express the wrongs that we need to right as a country. For example “we have our eyes on the future, history has its eyes on us, this is the era of just redemption we feared in its inception we did not feel prepared to be the heirs of such a terrifying hour but within it we found the power to author a new chapter, to offer hope and laughter to ourselves, so while once we asked how can we possibly prevail over catastrophe, now we assert how could catastrophe possibly prevail over us.” . Here Gorman discusses the storming and rioting on Capitol Hill on January 6th, 2021. It was an event in which white radicals broke into and vandalized the Capitol and put many lives of legal workers and senators in danger. In fine, Ms.Amanda Gorman enlightened the nation with her wise words and her perspective on these past few years and the events that occurred. She spoke of how the current generation should work hard to fix this broken down system so that the new generation of young people won’t have to undergo these same issues we live with currently. She’s telling us how we can be the change for a better future for those around us, to be the stepping stones on our way to preeminence. What Gorman wants us to take away from this is that our living circumstances will never get better until we take responsibility for our actions, and look into the perspectives of others. We have to put our pride aside and take the step towards bettering ourselves. Nothing will change until we do. This includes the struggle for and against equal rights for all people, this includes the events that took place in the United States over the previous four years, this includes the murder of George Floyd, and other police murders throughout the last years and decades in the country’s history, the insurrection at Capitol Hill, and so much more.
Amanda Gorman, a renowned poet and youngest ever inaugural poet in U.S. History drove a heartfelt message of hope and prosperity with her poem “The Hill We Climb” to America in the wake of a new president-elect. With the reflection over the country’s past and division, with events like the recent attack on the U.S. Capitol, Amanda Gorman, pushes the message of unity over the division of the country in the use of rhetorical devices. Through rhetorical choices of allusion, inclusive language, and anaphora, Gorman reaches her audience about the past and hope for the future.
Used throughout Gorman’s poem, allusion is the most used element in Gorman’s poem, displaying her message towards the audience of the drive for unity and growth and the importance. She connects to the audience by touching on the challenges brought in the previous years and the president. Gorman uses “When the day comes we ask ourselves, where can we find light in this never-ending shade? The loss we carry, a sea we must wade.” as an allusion with light and shade to portray the pursuit of truth and good in our country. As well as relates the weight of our past to a sea we must cross. In using allusion, Gorman is free to create connections in her ideas and words to push her message across in many different ways. Another method of allusion Gorman uses is the connection of new beginnings in the wake of a new presidency.
Gorman relates and connects with the audience through the constant inclusive language to help push her message of unification. Fully submerging her audience to move forward in unity and overcome past and current struggles together. Directly mentioning her audience in the first lines with “Americans and the world” and later states the unity between us with inclusive language that shows what depth of diversity is held in the country in “To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters, and conditions of man.” In lines 4-9, Gorman also uses repetition in coordination with inclusive language to constantly relate towards the audience in the struggles of the past and need to overcome. Through targeting her audience, Gorman is capable of touching and spreading her message towards the people, nation, and world.
Anaphora is the main device of Gorman’s in which allows repeated ideas and messages through different interpretations. Giving the audience the power to imply her message to different themes and the political environment of the world. In lines, 13-15 and 21-25, express the same idea of an unsettling past still having hope to become better for the future. Throughout her poem, anaphora is an important device used that can represent the struggles of the world and further push her message.
Gorman successfully utilizes allusion, inclusive language, and anaphora to present a message of hope and growth in the wake of a new presidency. “The Hill We Climb” pushes us towards change for the future despite the divide between us. In the use of her rhetorical devices, Gorman successfully reaches her audience with her message and in her words “We will rebuild.”
Alexis Hawkins (1A), Christian Burse (3B)
Amanda Gorman, the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, performed her poem “The Hill We Climb” at President Biden’s 2021 Inauguration. Gorman’s poem calls for unity amongst Americans following the rigorous struggles that have occurred in the past months. Amanda Gorman breaks barriers and uses the power of language to speak on how we the people must preserve through hardships to find peace, work on a better brighter future, and seek community with one another. Throughout “The Hill We Climb” Ms. Gorman uses rhetorical devices such as alliteration, repetition, anaphora, metaphor, rhyme, homonyms, and epistrophe to help unite the American people.
Amanda Gorman uses metaphors, rhymes, and anaphora in different areas of her speech to relay the message that we are all experiencing unfortunate events together and how we still have further to go to reach peace. One example from the speech is when Gorman says “When day comes we ask ourselves, where can we find light in this never-ending shade?” and right after says, “The loss we carry, a sea we must wade.” This demonstrates two metaphors and a rhyme. “The loss we carry” and “a sea we must wade” are both metaphors. These metaphors are there to symbolize the daily struggles Americans encounter. These quotes also empower the audience to continue to move forward through the possibly difficult months to come. A rhyme can also be found between the words “wade” and “shade”. The rhyme scheme helps her speech flow and ties the ends of the sentences together. Another powerful piece of Gorman’s speech is when she says, “We’ve braved the belly of the beast. We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace.” This example displays a metaphor, a rhyme, and an anaphora. The metaphor, “belly of the beast”, is meant to reference Jonah when he is trapped inside of a large fish and experienced strenuous trials that were difficult to overcome. This is intended to empower the audience to persevere. There is also a rhyme between “beast” and “peace” which is very interesting because the words have very opposite meanings and yet the way they rhyme has a positive impact on the audience. The anaphora can also be found with the word “We’ve”. The repetition of “We’ve” helps punctuate the beginning of the two sentences and the emphasis makes it clear to the audience that it is an important statement. Overall, Ms. Gorman’s use of metaphor, rhymes, and anaphora in her poem supports the message that working through difficult problems is essential if we ever want to establish peace.
Amanda Gorman’s use of epistrophe and alliteration in the text is very efficient and helps emphasize her point about creating a better future. She is adept at placing emphasis on certain words to display their importance. These two rhetorical devices are easy to hear and very impactful on the audience because they connect a string of words together which makes them seem more significant. One example from the text is when Gorman states, “And so, we lift our gazes not to what stands between us, but what stands before us.” The use of epistrophe in this sentence is effective because it connects the end of two phrases together. The word “us” is repeated twice. The first time Gorman says “between us” and the second time she says “before us”. This use of the word “us” gives the audience a sense of unity and helps listeners better understand the importance of working as a community to pave the way for a successful future. Amanda Gorman also says, “To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man.” This phrase is beautifully filled with alliteration. Amanda Gorman uses seven words beginning with the consonant “C” in this sentence. Each word builds upon the last. Instead of being just a normal saying about race and acceptance, the alliteration has turned this sentence in to something that a wider range of audience members are likely to pay attention to. Overall, Amanda Gorman’s use of alliteration and epistrophe within her text strengthens her words and inspires her audience to work on finding a better and brighter future so that the world is less broken for generations to come.
The way Amanda Gordon uses homonyms on multiple occasions during her speech is incredibly impactful as she speaks about community and the strength of our nation. The homonyms create very simple sentences with an immense amount of meaning. They are very thought provoking for audience members and resonate deeply. Every time a homonym appears in Amanda Gorman’s speech is a stroke of pure genius. One quality example is when Amanda Gorman says, “We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another.” In this phrase, Gorman uses arms twice. This word represents different meanings. The first “arms” describes the use of weapons, “we lay down our weapons” meaning we stop fighting, hurting and hating each other. The second “arms” represents limbs. The purpose of the second “arms” is to empower the audience to unite and help each other instead of fighting against one another. Amanda Gorman was able to construct a play of words to display an effective message that all of America needs to hear. Overall, Gorman’s use of homonyms throughout her poem empowers the audience to create a sense of community amongst one another and helps the listener understand the value of the wellbeing of the nation.
In all, Amanda Gorman clearly and poetically explains through her poem “The Hill We Climb” that, as a country, we the people must come together united as one to further empower our nation to no longer be divided, but to be whole. Gorman definitely succeeded in relaying her message because each word seems meticulously placed, but also raw and from the heart. She instilled in the American people a true feeling of hope and resilience. She encouraged everyone to pursue community and unite for future endeavors. “That even as we hurt, we hoped; that even as we tired, we tried; that we’ll forever be tied together, victorious. Not because we will never again know defeat, but because we will never again sow division.”
Amanda Gorman, a renowned poet and youngest ever inaugural poet in U.S. History drove a heartfelt message of hope and prosperity with her poem “The Hill We Climb” to America in the wake of a new president-elect. With the reflection over the country’s past and division, with events like the recent attack on the U.S. Capitol, Amanda Gorman, pushes the message of unity over the division of the country in the use of rhetorical devices. Through rhetorical choices of allusion, inclusive language, and anaphora, Gorman reaches her audience about the past and hope for the future.
Used throughout Gorman’s poem, allusion is the most used element in Gorman’s poem, displaying her message towards the audience of the drive for unity and growth and the importance. She connects to the audience by touching on the challenges brought in the previous years and the president. Gorman uses “When the day comes we ask ourselves, where can we find light in this never-ending shade? The loss we carry, a sea we must wade.” as an allusion with light and shade to portray the pursuit of truth and good in our country. As well as relates the weight of our past to a sea we must cross. In using allusion, Gorman is free to create connections in her ideas and words to push her message across in many different ways. Another method of allusion Gorman uses is the connection of new beginnings in the wake of a new presidency.
Gorman relates and connects with the audience through the constant inclusive language to help push her message of unification. Fully submerging her audience to move forward in unity and overcome past and current struggles together. Directly mentioning her audience in the first lines with “Americans and the world” and later states the unity between us with inclusive language that shows what depth of diversity is held in the country in “To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters, and conditions of man.” In lines 4-9, Gorman also uses repetition in coordination with inclusive language to constantly relate towards the audience in the struggles of the past and need to overcome. Through targeting her audience, Gorman is capable of touching and spreading her message towards the people, nation, and world.
Anaphora is the main device of Gorman’s in which allows repeated ideas and messages through different interpretations. Giving the audience the power to imply her message to different themes and the political environment of the world. In lines, 13-15 and 21-25, express the same idea of an unsettling past still having hope to become better for the future. Throughout her poem, anaphora is an important device used that can represent the struggles of the world and further push her message.
Gorman successfully utilizes allusion, inclusive language, and anaphora to present a message of hope and growth in the wake of a new presidency. “The Hill We Climb” pushes us towards change for the future despite the divide between us. In the use of her rhetorical devices, Gorman successfully reaches her audience with her message and in her words “We will rebuild.”
(exor.Sophie)Donald Trump’s transition of power to Joe Biden was divisive and unmatched.Only a week before the inauguration, militant supporters of Trump fought against our government and stormed the capitol. Coincidentally, the magnificent poem, The Hill We Climb, was spoken by Amanda Gorman, the youngest national poet laureate, as well as being the youngest poet yet to present her work at a presidential inauguration, and she is far from done building up her credentials. Gorman has experienced an abundant amount of adversity, all which contributed to the moving piece of poetry as listened to by the country on Inauguration Day. As a minority both culturally and additionally in the sense of disability and gender, her message gives representation to and is inclusive of millions of citizens of minority statuses. Additionally, by introducing diversity and inclusion particularly by all inclusive pronoun use, Gorman was able to adequately pass on a message of working towards a bright future to the viewers.
(Nar. rose) This past year was like a big mercury retrograde in america where critical issues where being shed to light. Not only did we get impacted by a pandemic that we are still battling through to this present day but also major issues where being discussed all over the country from BLM protest , Anti-maskers protest to systemic racism . In “The hill we climb” stated by Amanda Gorman , She highlights all of the matters that our country is still facing and has been battling through for many decades . Although , america has so much to work through the young poet , Amanda Gorman made sure to convey a very powerful message to it’s audience where se says “ It’s because being American is more than a pride we inherit. It’s the past we step into and repair it” and that speaks for itself.
(Sophie, s.o.c) In order to unify and rescue our country from past as well as recent uprisings, Amanda Gorman uses effective literary and rhetorical instruments such as contrast phrases, rhetorical questions, declarative statements, and use of imagery. The technique of imagery by Gorman conveys a loyal and harmonious tone, and her use of American symbolism ignites in the listeners a general spirit of nationalism. In order to accentuate the importance of pursuing a strong country, she chooses to use bold statements. When Gorman states “lift our gazes not to what stands between us, but what stands before us.”; She utilizes an authoritative delivery yet also resonates emotionally with her audience.
(Rose, Partition): “The hill we climb” was an exceptionally powerful poem alone with just the meaning behind it and by her adding rhetorical devices and effective literacy including imagery , rhetorical questions, contrast phrases and more. she made this to where you can’t really even debate her words because she made sure to say though an american and human point of view and that is very significant because we are all human therefore this message is not only for a certain group or groups but for al. Gorman made sure to have the right moments of pause and that await that made everyone so intrigued and intune to what else she had to say . She kept us all at our feet consistently which I believe as the audience receiving it to be very important.
(sophie, con.) It seems safe to assume that any average person would be able to recognize the abundance of declarative statements in “The hill we climb”. Amanda infrequently uses this technique, but when she does, it is very effective. “We will rise.” The use of the pronoun “we” engaged all of us as Americans, because it directly includes each individual and unites us as one. So a bond is established when she does address us with the influential literary devices. Gorman would describe a term that illustrates the mentality that the author would like us to withdraw from as Americans, “being American is more than a pride we inherit,” this line indicates what the poet wants us to leave behind us as a country. In a contrasting manner, the author then goes on to mention a second mentality after the line after that, one gorman encourages us to follow. “It’s the past we step into and how we repair it. Using this approach, Gorman questions us all, asking which behavior we will choose to develop towards? Inefficiency and uncertainty, or prosperity and hope.
(rose, summ.):
(Sophie, paro.) Amanda Gorman is certainly a remarkable representation of a discreet yet influential poet and presenter, who will continue to ignite a deep level of thought from the audience with every device she proposes.
As we turn towards a new chapter in American history following the Trump presidency, we find ourselves looking for new hope, reassurance, a voice to call out and lift us from the shadows of the past pulling us toward a brighter future. 22 year old American poet, Amanda Gormon, does just this in her presidential inauguration speech entitled “The Hill We Climb”. By looking back to the past, defining the present, and highlighting the importance of creating a better future as a country, Gormon uses her powerful voice to unify and encourage us to rise despite these hardships.
Through her inclusive language, Gormon illustrates the connection that all Americans share, especially in times of struggle. Gormon alludes to Trump’s presidency as “a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it”, as the delay of democracy was apparent during the past president’s term. Tensions grew as our nation continued to divide. In one particularly moving line of the poem, Gorman states that “We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another.”. By referencing two different forms of arms in a metaphor, Gormon draws a connection between arms in terms of weaponry, as the issue of gun control is still ever apparent in today’s media, and the arms of the people, which welcome and invite. Through this, she encourages us to leave behind the violence and division in the past and enter a new era of uplifting one another, reminding us that we’ve all been forced to brave the same terrifying unknown, and it was because of this shared experience that we were able to prevail.
Connections between the past, present, and future are drawn in places all throughout the piece. As we turn towards a new chapter in American History, Amanda Gormon sets a goal for Americans to learn from their experiences and step confidently towards a new day. She illustrates the importance of our actions today, as what we do or do not do now will be the “inheritance of the next generation”. What has happened in the past cannot be changed, but it can be learned from and repaired; this is a time of healing and redemption according to Gormon. Gormon calls for us to focus not on “what stands between us, But [on] what stands before us.” By taking elements from the past present and future and incorporating them into her text, Gormon Further highlights the importance of “[putting] our future first”, moving forward as a nation in order to achieve unity and prevent further division.
Now more than ever, there is a need for action; Gorman recognizes that in her piece. Gorman further emphasizes that the public is responsible for taking the proper steps to make our country better for the next generation by using the rhetorical appeal of kairos to inspire the audience to act. The line “And yet, the dawn is ours before we knew it. Somehow, we do it.” creates a tone that indicates that the only way we can move forward is by putting aside our differences and working together. Gorman also informs the audience that we are “striving to forge a union with purpose,” enforcing the idea that our goal isn’t to become perfect, but to become better together as a whole.
Gorman’s poem is undeniably a powerful piece that portrays a meaningful and exhilarating message that encourages the American people to not forget the past, but rather use it to learn from mistakes and move forward together as a country towards a more promising future.
Daisy Hoffman and Riley Robinson (2)
EXORDIUM:
Misinformation, division, injustice. Speakers representing the ideals of the Biden administration called upon their audience at the Inauguration to speak on these struggles that all Americans face. In the words of the recently-elected president, “To overcome these challenges – to restore the soul and to secure the future of America – requires more than words. It requires the most elusive of things in a democracy: Unity. Unity.” The repetition of the word “Unity” was consistently spoken throughout, and was used to showcase the incoming administration’s priority to patch together our incredibly divided nation. Standing out among the many people who spoke was Amanda Gordon, the 20 year-old presidential poet. The poem that Amanda Gorman recited during the inauguration was one that discusses what her interpretation of the word “Unity” is, and how she invisions the theme within the U.S. post-Trump Administration.
NARRATION:
The state of America within the chaotic January 2021 is one that must be noted to fully understand the choices that the impactful poem had made: Just a few days prior, a deadly insurrection occurred at the United States Capitol. This occured after months of our former president injecting lies directly into the brain of his followers. Those who rioted already had a sense of mistrust within the government, and the insurrection was the accumulation of what had been built up for years. Along with the misinformation, a chaotic, out of control pandemic sweeps our nation, the chaos in part due to the decisions made by the previous administration’s incompetence and delayed response. Gorman displayed her feelings towards what had happened, how we can prevent something as horrible as the insurrection from occuring again, and the state of America as it is today within her poem.
STATEMENT OF CASE:
Gorman’s poem delivers a powerful message of struggle and endurance and revitalization to a people living on stolen people, land, and ideas. She alludes the the idea that America is supposed to be something greater, and (ADD MORE MEAT HERE)
PARTITION:
A common claim throughout Gorman’s poem is that Americans have always lived in a nation that has struggled, and yet endures on. Americans are the strongest and most powerful when we persist together, when we can work together to fight the oppression in the world, when we can thrive and fix the systems that are flawed within our country.
CONFIRMATION OF CASE:
From the very beginning of the poem, Gorman uses the word “we”. “We” is a powerful word, and she uses it very effectively to consistently remind us of the fact that we are together in this, that we are the people. Also from the beginning, she sets a dark tone for the poem, with the word “shade”. It is also very interesting that Gorman uses the word “shade” instead of “darkness”, as this implies that these times are temporary, that they will be over in time, that we can rise from them. She lets us know that although we have “braved the belly of the beast”, we aren’t done yet. Gorman notes the ever-lasting strength of the people who struggled here, those who “weathered and witnessed a nation that isn’t broken, but simply unfinished.”
One of the strongest lines in the whole piece is: “We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace”. With this one line, she summarizes all of the various human rights and activist groups that have fought in this country for years and years, and continue to fight today. In the next few lines, she explains that traditions aren’t always the best way of doing things, highlighting a key American pillar of being free and being brave. Gorman admonishes the idea of a perfect nation, stating that “We are striving to forge a union with purpose, to compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man.” She encourages the ideas of peace between people, saying to lay down your arms, look forward, and strive for “harm to none and harmony for all.” Near the end of the poem, Gorman rallies us all together for one final message. She says that from every corner of the nation, from every “known nook of our nation”, we will rise. We will rise from the gold-limbed hills of the west; we will rise from the windswept northeast; we will rise from the sunbaked south; we will rebuild, reconcile and recover; we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one. Our people, diverse and beautiful, will rise. Our diversity is what makes us unique. Our diversity is what makes us beautiful. We will step out of the shade and into the light. “If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.”
SUMMATION:
Gorman’s poem is a fantastic summary of everything America has been through, what America stands for, what America is. Every word she says has clear intent, and every letter engulfs you in its power. This poem is chock full of imagery and figurative language, and each sentence is a crushing blow of a sensation that floods your mind. It’s beautiful the way she speaks about struggle, hardship, loss, realization, rebirth, revitalization. The words flow effortlessly, and there is nothing superfluous to fill time. Gorman needed to make every moment count, she needed to make sure her message resounded throughout the hearts of everyone who hears it. And she did. Her words shone through the Inauguration, her name showed up on social media feeds throughout the world. Headlines, calls, texts, profiles, all fascinated, amazed, impacted by Gordon’s communication through language.
PERORATION:
After analyzing and interpreting Gordon’s poem, one important element that stands out is how unity and struggle relate to each other in America and American history, especially the struggles of those who are oppressed. The goal to be the perfect, ideal nation, it is one that is so constant with how America functions at its core. It is broken. Gorman’s poem recognises this, and speaks of how unity is what is needed in response to the suffering that we may endure.
Joe Adkins and Aleks Sorokina
(2A)
In The Hill We Climb, Gorman makes use of powerful, inclusive, vivid language to deliver an historically potent, immediately important message of growth and healing. To accomplish this, more specifically, Gorman uses the future tense, the word “we,” connections between historical events and texts to today, alliteration, assonance, and rhyme.
The Hill We Climb was written and performed for the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden in January. It was, and still is, a time of great division and inequality in America and the world, made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic and the insurrection at the capitol. The piece was written to address the painful past, underwhelming present, and the hopeful future.
To illustrate these divides, Gorman uses homophones, rhymes, and similar-sounding words to connect ideas that are at odds with each other, or directly contradictory. “We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another,” is just one example. At almost every turn, you can find rhetorical devices. Gorman is able to highlight many of these divisions just like this one, that are just as effective. While generally making the language sound better to the ear, it also shows how two seemingly similar concepts can be in such stark contrast from each other to the point that equating them is extremely harmful, both to us as individuals, and to our society at large. It surprises us. When we process the sound of a word before its meaning, we find that we can’t trust the sound to dictate the meaning.
Alliteration is another very auditory effect, that is often used to the same end of the previously mentioned homophones, rhymes, and similar-sounding words. Comparing between and before, hurt and hoped, etc. But alliteration isn’t always used to that end. For example this quote: “To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man,” has almost the opposite effect. It connects concepts which are similar in meaning. It unites them. It sounds even more pleasing to the ear when you realize what the words represent is also pleasing to the heart. It’s almost a breath of fresh air for the audience, a rhetorical device that matches the tone of its subject matter.
Repetition is often used in poetry to make a message more memorable and bold. By employing repetition of “we will” in the stanza that reads, “We will rise from the wind-swept 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.” Gorman emphasizes her call to action, encouraging the audience to “rise” and fight for change. By repeating this phrase at the beginning of every sentence, she adds to the power of persuasion, influencing people to stand up. In addition to understanding why Gorman chose to use repetition, it is also essential to examine the specific rhetoric she decided to recur in that stanza that made her delivery so effective. Her choice of the pronoun “we,” instead of “you” or “me,” was selected to unite the citizens of the United States as well as indicate that she is also a part of the movement. Gorman is not commanding anyone; instead, her goal is to inspire.
One of the most critical metaphors Gorman employs in her writing is found in the stanza, “That is the promise to glade, the hill we climb if only we dare it. Because being American is more than a pride we inherit; it’s the past we step into and how we repair it.” The hill we climb, a metaphor, also the name of this poem, refers to American citizens’ struggle to achieve the deserved justice. The poem was performed at the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden to address the capital insurrection and inspire fellow Americans to get on the path of growth and healing. It’s a heavy and seldom depressing “climb” up the “hill” of equity, a climb that takes patience and endurance.
The Hill We Climb reminds us that the U.S. is not yet a “perfect union” and that to achieve such an ideal environment, we still need to fight for justice and strive for change. The piece was written during the attack on the capital and performed during the Presidential inauguration. In this piece, Gorman’s intention is to shine a light on the issues that have been happening in the past couple of years and encourage people to fight for change. To achieve her goal, she uses a lot of alliteration and rhymes throughout the essay in order to create a more cohesive piece and build up a harmonious flow. She also frequently employs repetition and Anaphora to emphasize her message and strengthen her case.
Amanda Gorman’s Inauguration Day poem, “The Hill We Climb,” is a powerful call to action focusing on themes of hope, unity, healing, and resilience. Through elegantly written words and thoughtfully arranged rhetoric, she’s been able to both shine a light on the world’s problems and its solutions.
Hi there. I’d give the work above a 4/6, 1/1 for the thesis, 3/4 for the points, and 0/1 for the sophistication. While I feel like the work confronts the subject matter well, I feel like it could be expanded upon much more. With your points, I think a slight more amount of detail is needed in order to give more life into it.
On Wednesday, January 20, 2021 the inauguration of 46th President Joe Biden took place. During the celebration a talented and passionate young woman by the name Amanda Gorman took to the stage to perform her very own poem “The Hill We Climb”. The poem illustrates the U.S. not as a “perfect union,” but as a country that has the grit to struggle with it’s all-too-real problems. This young, black and astounding poet uses imagery, similes, along with metaphors to capture her audience and build a strong case for Americans to realize change is sometimes a slow and painful “climb” up the “hill” of justice, so we should put aside our differences and unite as one nation.
During 2020 people were faced with all kinds of hardships and setbacks. A worldwide pandemic contributed to the many hearts of people to be crushed. During the pandemic, a tremendous amount of issues transpired. Tens of millions of people were at risk of falling into poverty. People’s mental health has also become a topic of concern. This could be the case because of us being locked down, quarantined for so many months. Some people might think it’s safe because we are inside and nothing can harm us, but it does interfere with our minds wandering into different thoughts because of the feeling of being trapped at home. One of the biggest problems that is taking a stand is racial injustice. Racial injustice is a very real and serious issue that not only people of color deal with but other minorities as well. There has been an uprise against racism and police brutality that lead to deeply rooted tensions concerning power and injustice that erupted into protests, riot, and mass destruction of property. In lines 22-29, she explains how she knows that we are not perfect, but she hopes to form a union, all together no matter the color or culture, with purpose.
Gorman’s choice of rhetoric allows for her to reach each individual in a certain way. There is at least one part of Gorman’s poem that each of us can relate to either personally or mutually. Whether that is, “…where a skinny black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother,” or “….we lift our gazes not to what stands between us, but what stands before us,” all recited beautifully from her poem. Everyone no matter what ethnic or racial background they came from were brought together by Miss Gorman’s poem by acknowledging the people as “we”. She uses a ton of alliteration that helps develop its themes of unity and struggle. For example, in lines 33-35, she talks about how this isn’t about standing alone, it’s about standing together not for us but for our future. She’s saying there are things we all don’t agree on, different characteristics that we don’t like about each other, but we need to put that aside so we can make our future better. Amanda Gorman reflects on the past year and emphasizes with us to let us know we are not alone. Many people were lost due to covid-19 and she grieves with us during her poem and her most recognizable metaphor resembles a “climb” up the hill towards progress. In lines 1- 4, Miss Gorman takes time to inform her audience that she recognizes their struggle and understands the weight they have carried throughout the year of 2020.
Amanda Gorman spoke words of wisdom and encouragement. She sought to enlighten those who heard her. Being American isn’t just about being patriotic but acknowledging our past troubles and addressing the problems rather than turning a blind eye, and doing something to fix them. In line 27, she states that America is far from perfect but once we choose to acknowledge our past, we can focus on what progress we’ve made no matter how big or small. Of course progress doesn’t happen overnight like we wish it would, but with sticking together in unity progress will surely be improving as we keep striving to do better. Gorman states that if we (Americans) put aside our differences whether they be political, financial, or cultural we can rise above it all and fight to unify our country. One common belief could potentially motivate others to rise.
Abby Chapman and Lauren Watkins
On January 20th, 2021, 22-year old Amanda Gorman gave a speech that awed the entire nation, that shocked the entire nation, that motivated the entire nation. Amanda Gorman addresses the nation through her poem titled “The Hill We Climb”, through her usage of inclusive language, contrasting ideas, and historical vs. present day references.
Throughout the poem, Gorman uses inclusive language to draw in her audience. In her line where she states, “We’ve braved the belly of the beast”, the word “we” forms a personal connection with the listener and Gorman. This appeals to pathos because of the emotions that are brought up, a strong feeling of unity, of being part of something. Gorman uses this language to motivate her audience and initiate change in the people listening. We are her audience, we are her target, we are the change. Gorman also implements a chiasmus while including inclusive verbs, “How could we possibly prevail over catastrophe? Now we assert, How could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?”. By simply changing the order of the words, Gorman created a completely different meaning. She turned a negative outlook into a positive one.
The idea of contrasting ideas is also very prominent throughout “The Hill We Climb”. In the line, “Where can we find light in this never-ending shade?”, Gorman contrasts light and shade through a metaphor. She is comparing shade to the dark times our country has been facing, and she’s comparing the light to the hope and the good that’s in store for us. Throughout this idea, Gorman acknowledges limitations, whether it be in our country, ourselves, others. In the final lines, she changes the meaning behind her references to light. Gorman says that no matter how difficult or taxing our lives become, the light is still somewhere to be found because “There is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it.”
By using historical references along with contrasting them with current events, Gorman boosted her ethos. For instance, Gorman decided to quote George Washington, a revered figure in American history. She also mentioned Trump’s presidency by stating “We’ve seen a force that would rather shatter a nation than share it”, then compared it to the present and the newfound hope that many are experiencing. Gorman compared her childhood “where a skinny black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother can dream of becoming president”, to present day as her dreams are coming true as she “find[s] herself reciting for one” By using past references; by using present day scenarios; by implementing her own experiences, Gorman gains credibility and paints herself as someone a lot of people today can relate to.
In this poem, Gorman makes particular diction choices to get her exact message across. She invokes feelinging in the listener, and uses logistics and credible sources to tell her story. She makes the call to action for everyone to think positively because change is coming and we just have to “be brave enough to see it.”
Throughout the entirety of the poem, we can see that Gorman is intentional. The youngest inaugural poet, Gorman uses her intelligence and insightfulness to reach an audience of all different ages, backgrounds, all people with a different story to tell. Yet she is able to connect with them all, because what she is saying resonates with an entire country and that is a skill like no other. She connects her personal experiences with new ideas in hopes of uniting her audience. In closing, Gorman states, “The new dawn blooms as we free it.” She calls upon her listeners to support those around them while welcoming change into their lives.
Great essay guys!
Thesis: 1/1
Solid thesis that can be supported.
Evidence/Commentary: 4/4
You guys used over 3 sources/textual evidence and provided thorough and consistent explanations and commentary for each of them. Good job!
Sophistication: 1/1
The writing elements were used, and it was a great analysis.
Overall: 6/6 🙂
Claire Taylor, Amira Williams, Elora Parr (4B)
Amanda Gorman, a Black woman, delivered a powerful and astonishing piece of poetry on the inauguration day of our new president, Joe Biden. This poem, “The Hill We Climb”, left many Americans shocked at the language and use of rhythm that also happened to encase the divide and current state of our country. Throughout the poem Gorman uses inclusive language to draw the audience in, allude to past and present events, and uses rhetorical devices such as alliteration and rhyme to represent America’s divide, but also its unity and hope for a brighter future.
It may be for the occasion, since this is an occasional poem, or just the genius of Gorman, but the use of the word “we” throughout the poem makes the audience, the American people, feel included and spoken to. To elaborate, the use of inclusive language leads the audience on the journey and emotion and trials as well as the speaker. For example, the line “We are striving to forge a union with purpose” and the line “That even as we grieved, we grew” show a sense of self awareness and unity. Gorman’s use of the pronoun “we” captivated the audience listening, and the reaction was just that with thousands of people listening. The speaker acknowledges that even though “we” can be the cause of some of this hurt “we” can also come together to value unity, care about unity, and focus our nation towards unity. Gorman’s use of “we” drives this poem into our hearts.
Gormans use of rhetorical devices, such as imagery and allusions, paint a patriotic picture of America of the past, present and future. The line “We braved the belly of the beast” and other lines such as” Somehow we weathered and witnessed a nation that isn’t broken, but simply unfinished”, represents the struggles of the America we recently went through as a country. Other lines such as “We will not march back to what was, but move to what shall be” represent recent events such as the black lives matter movement of 2020 as well as the civil rights movement of the 1960s. The end of the line “…but move to what shall be” represents the future of our nation, the end of the line represents how we should focus on what’s to come, the end of the line shows the guarantee of a brighter future. Amanda also alludes to scripture a strong part of American history in the lines, “…everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid.” Gorman continues to use strong imagery to describe each region of the U.S. and how we can all come together. United.
The alliteration, rhyme, anaphora, and other literary devices included in Gormans work allow for the audience to clearly follow her rhythm and main message of her poem. The rhyming of the line, “But within it we found the power to author a new chapter, to offer hope and laughter to ourselves.” allows Gorman to express that even through the bad we were able to write our new chapter and offer our nation a sense of hope and relief. The rhyme and rhythm, used in the delivery of the poem, allows for a clear picture of what Gorman is trying to portrait. The alliteration used gives the same effect. The use of alliteration in lines such as, “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…”, and the use of anaphora in lines such as, “ That even as we grieved, we grew. That even as we hurt, we hoped. That even as we tired, we tried.” lets Gorman really drive the point in the disconnect and need to push through the challenges we face as a nation.
Gormans flawless shifts in tone, wonderful imagery and allusions to past, present, and future events all contributed to this moving and eye opening poem. When we come together and take Gormans words seriously; when we take a step back and realize the nobility of Gorman’s poem in America today; when noticing Gorman’s literary technique of including so many types of devices into her speech, we can fully understand the beauty and meaning of the hope of a new president taking office. Gorman filled her poem with new ideas hoping to shed light on how to lead the nation moving forward.
Millions of Americans are forced to stay in their homes in fear of spreading the pandemic. The only information we receive is through our TVs, so one can imagine the fear of watching rioters attack the U.S Capitol on January 6th. In the following weeks America watched the inauguration of the 46th president on January 20th. Because of this, Amanda Gorman speaking at Joe Biden’s inauguration was a true breath of fresh air. Amanda Gorman conveys her belief that we can close the divide between parties to improve from our mistakes by employing a strong use of pathos, plentiful inclusive language, and the large significance of her race.
Amanda Gorman appeals to pathos constantly throughout her poem. She uses words with a large emotional impact, such as in the line “where can we find light in this never-ending shade?” The word light has positive emotional connotations, such as hope, purity, and goodness, whereas shade has connotations linked to evil, corruption, and despair. Amanda Gorman knows this, and she uses words that have these strong emotional connections consistently throughout her poem. She uses these words to bring attention to the fact that we are all suffering, but to also tell us that there is still hope.
Another technique that Amanda Gorman does well is her use of inclusive language. When spreading a message of unity, you have to be deliberate in your word choices to not turn your message to “us v. them.” As you can see very clearly in the line, “We close the divide because we know, to put our future first, we must first put our differences aside,” Amanda is not trying to put blame on either side or make one side seem better than the other. As she says, we all have to work together to fix the problem and blaming people is not the way to do that.
Amanda Gorman bringing attention to her race, though it may seem like a small choice, is a very impactful part of this piece. A line that often draws attention from her poem is “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.” Being black in America is to this day incredibly hard. Black people to this day remain underpaid, disproportionately killed by police, and underrepresented in the media. However, instead of focusing on just the hardships, Amanda draws attention to the progress we’ve made while also acknowledging we have a ways to go. She is showing that we need to keep making progress while not forgetting our past.
All in all the poem was a change in pace from the chaos that America has ensued by spreading a message of peace and unity, something we hadn’t heard in a political setting for a while. By using emotional appeals, inclusive language, and highlighting race in a positive light, Amanda Gorman furthers her message of unity. We encourage you to read her poem and spread her message for generations, just as she wished.
Amira Williams, Elora Parr, Claire Taylor (4B)
Hi Lily and Kate 🙂
We are giving your overall essay a 5/6 🙂
For your thesis we are giving you a 1/1. Your thesis was very clear and layed out a strong plan for what you were going to be elaborating on in your essay. One thing to work on is your intro paragraph.
For evidence and commentary we are giving giving you a 3/4. Specifically, in your paragraph about the inclusive language you write about how the inclusive language shows a unity, but how does the inclusive language also make the audience feel? These minor details like that throughout could bring this to a 4/4. Overall, you had a clear flow and you stuck to your thesis throughout. We also think that you guys did a nice job of comparing and contrasting and seeing both sides to Gormans words.
For sophistication we are giving you guys a 1/1. Your tone and language stayed consistent throughout. Although there is a lack of writing elements we think the cohesiveness of your essay made up for the lack of complex or stand out sentences.
Lilly and Kate
Thesis: For your thesis, I would give you the point because you made a defensible thesis that would examine the writer’s rhetorical choices.
Evidence & Commentary: For this category, I would give you all four points because you used specific evidence from the text, with an explanation of the line of reasoning discussion of various rhetorical choices.
Sophistication: For sophistication, I would give you the point because you showed a mature writing style the addresses the passage’s complexities and a generally good choice of words
Total: 6/6
I really don’t know what to say, this was a very good essay. If you could change anything, a very minor thing I would change is the length of some of the paragraphs.
The inauguration of Joe Biden, the 46th president, is an event that everyone across the globe is aware of, so speaking at this event is a huge deal and millions of people will see it. This is where Amanda Gorman recited her poem “The Hill We Climb”, where she artfully discussed the issues of America, including capital riots, history, division. Her rhetorical choices made her poem impactful to Americans, and helped her message stick with them. Gorman supports her idea of reuniting Americans and fixing division through her use of alliteration, anaphora, repetition, and assonance.
Gorman’s use of alliteration, a form of repetition, makes the poem significantly easier for the audience to focus on the overall message, and it highlights certain sections of the poem that are important. The use of the anaphora used by Gorman adds an artistic element to the poem and appeals to people’s emotions, which helps to motivate the listener to want to further engage, want to continue to work towards change, and want to take action. Finally, the use of the rhetorical device assonance is to create rhythm within the poem and to emphasize the chosen vowel sounds.
Assonance is defined as the repetition of a sound or a vowel to create the illusion of a rhyme by stressing certain syllables. Assonance is used by Gorman in the poem to help develop a steady rhythm to keep the audience entertained and emphasize the vowels that are being concentrated on. It helps keep the poem flowing whist creating a catchy beat for readers to tune in on. Assonance, a clever play on words, helps convey a writer’s main point. Gorman says, “We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace, and the norms and notions of what just is isn’t always just-ice.” She uses assonance by pairing the words “just is “ and “justice” to help emphasize the lack of fairness that the US has provided the black community with, which paves the road to the overall powerful message of her speech. Having the steady rhythm that assonance provides makes her words seem more entertaining and intense, which helps her audience keep up with her main ideas. Her use of assonance to describe how she has not yet been met with justice is very strategic because it helps the audience understand her thoughts and feelings about this very significant issue that black Americans face on a daily basis. She wants the audience to understand that the lack of justice given to her can not, will not, and should not be forgotten or masked by America.
Anaphoras are commonly used in poetry to an artistic and motivational element to the speaker’s words. Gorman uses anaphoras to engage her audience, but also appeals to trigger people to feel motivated and reflect on the past issues of America. “For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.” is an example of how Gorman uses the inspirational power of anaphoras to convey that she has hope that America can truly become a better, more united nation. A total mess, America needs to reflect on what freedom really means. Because anaphoras are so motivational, they make for the perfect way to incite the audience to take action on a writer’s critical implications. Anaphoras have the enthusiasm of a hummingbird, with an abundance of motivation and drive that can encourage readers to do anything. For they will incline an audience to take action; for they will give a poem an artistic and sophisticated feel; for they will convey a writer’s subject matter in a meaningful and worthwhile way; for they sincerely moved an audience and convinced them that america needs to heal from the hardships of the past, but never forget; for they gave Gorman all of the motivational tools she needed to shift the thinking of her listeners. Motivation prompts change.
Gorman also uses the repetition of words and phrases, mostly the rhetorical device alliteration, in her poem to grasp attention and focus on the issues at hand. Because alliteration is a type of repetition, with repeating consonant sounds at the beginning of words, both repetitive phrases and the rhetorical device have the same impact: engaging and holding listeners attention and highlighting certain points. Alliteration can also have particular connotations that affect the tone of the writing or section. The line “A country that is bruised but whole, benevolent but bold, fierce and free.” in The Hill We Climb is a very clear example of alliteration and how those recurring sounds can change the tone and impact the audience. While it may not be easily seen when reading, hearing the word “bold” and “benevolent”, two of the words in this quote, both of which have a lot of harsh consonant sounds, causes the audience to become engaged and become passionate about the issues Gorman discusses. It helps the listener feel Gorman’s passion and understand the good and the bad of America. Diction is important and Gorman chose every word for a reason. There are various other examples of alliteration in this poem, including “We are striving to forge a union with purpose, to compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man”, which clearly has very different sounds and connotations than the previous quote, but that simply shows both the importance of alliteration, as well as how it is used to emphasize her goals for the future of America. Alliteration is important.
As you can see, Gorman strategically uses alliteration, anaphora, repetition, and assonance to convey her idea of a more united America. These elements are the key to creating more moving and meaningful content. Without them, Gorman’s inauguration speech would not have the same power and significance on the American people as it did. A speech Gorman gave that uplifted millions of everyday americans. As Gorman wraps up this poem, it is clear to see her intentions of reuniting America and her distaste for the hate and discrimination that has occured in the past. She wanted to help Americans envision a better, more healed America, without erasing the hash truths of the past. It is time to fix our country. Americans can finally begin to heal from the hardships of the past because of the heartening words of the poem recited by Amanda Gorman, and the powerful use of her strategic literary terms.
This essay was written by Abe Randle, Jack Freedman, and Cathal Mayfield
January 21, 2021; people gathered in front of their televisions to witness the inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris into the White House. Many things took place that day, speeches by people of high power, performances by the U.S. Marine Band along with famous singers, and most notably, a poet. Enter Amanda Gorman, a young black woman from the greater Los Angeles area. For many people, this was their first exposure to her and her work; but by only a matter of minutes, the audience was hooked. With Gorman’s way of presenting the topic to the audience, the way she went from rhetorical device to another, and by including recent events in her poem The Hill We Climb, Amanda Gorman was able to impact the crowd and cement herself in American history.
The way that almost everybody has viewed this poem was either through watching the poem or listening to an audio recording of it. Gorman was expressive with not only arm movements but inflections that made her poem stand out, almost more than some of the speeches and performances. Along with pauses and other vocal effects, Amanda Gorman took advantage of her format of presentation and made her performance stand out. All in all, Gormans’ patterns in this poem are elaborate, which you will see more of very soon.
At many points during the poem, Gorman goes from one rhetorical analysis to another rapidly, changing the way that we hear the poem. For example, in Gorman’s poem, she states: “In the norms and notions of what just isn’t always justice.” She cleverly uses world play here, as “just is” sounds similar to “justice”, but they have different meanings. Another example of this is when Gorman says “we seek harm to none and harmony for all.” as in harm sounds similar to harmony, though they have different meanings. Even after those examples, there are tons more different rhetorical strategies. This strategy keeps the audience paying attention to her words, and at the same time digest her work easier because it is said so eloquently.
We can see Gorman placing messages of unity, togetherness, and patriotism in various parts of the poem, and this helps especially with this critical time in history. The week leading up to the inauguration was a tense one in the United States, as sides of the political spectrum fought back and forth; it seemed that both sides wanted to end each other, This was made very apparent on January 6th, 2021, when members of the far-right stormed the Capitol to halt the counting of the electoral votes, which was that that time, leaning towards Biden winning. Amanda Gorman knew that she could take advantage of this event by saying quotes like, “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.” This climate of political polarization makes it perfect for her poem, for it addressed what the audience was feeling like going into the inauguration, and used it to further her message of promoting unity in this “greatly torn nation”.
By listening or seeing Amanda Gorman perform her poem, it is apparent that she uses great ways of presenting the audience with the subject matter of it. Not only this, but she makes sure to use clever uses of language and use relatable recent events that are important to us, making her points more impactful. Through speaking to that audience, she made an extremely memorable experience, one I hope all the people close to me see.
(Marin Tisdale and Zoe Born period 4 (Sophomore Class))
Hello Jack, Cathal, and Abe!
Thesis: 1/1
For your thesis, we would give you a 1/1 because we believe that you were able to establish a clear and defensible position. Moreover, your thesis was more than just a restatement of the prompt and helped the reader to visualize your essay’s message.
Evidence and Commentary: 3/4
For your evidence and commentary, we would give you a 3/4 because you not only had sufficient evidence, but it was also able to relate to your claim. Additionally, you tied your paragraphs back to your thesis, which helped to strengthen your overall argument as well as add to the clarity of your essay.
Sophistication: 0/1
For sophistication, we would give a 0/1 because while your thesis and evidence were well written, you had consistent punctuational errors throughout your essay. Your word choice was also a bit repetitive, which can be seen in the line “The way that almost everybody has viewed this poem was either through watching the poem or listening to an audio recording of it.”
Overall Score: 4/6
Your essay was really enjoyable to read, the first paragraph was able to draw us in and your writing style was able to hold our attention, despite some minor errors. The transition from your evidence to your commentary was also smooth and your connections back to your main points were seamless.
Although your essay as a whole was really well written, we believe that you could have improved upon the sophistication of your word choice, as well as the spacing of your evidence, and your punctuation. Although this didn’t affect how enjoyable your essay was, it was a detail that didn’t go unnoticed.
(Marin Tisdale and Zoe Born period 4 (Sophomore Class))
Hello Jack, Cathal, and Abe!
Thesis: 1/1
For your thesis, we would give you a 1/1 because we believe that you were able to establish a clear and defensible position. Moreover, your thesis was more than just a restatement of the prompt and helped the reader to visualize your essay’s message.
Evidence and Commentary: 3/4
For your evidence and commentary, we would give you a 3/4 because you not only had sufficient evidence, but it was also able to relate to your claim. Additionally, you tied your paragraphs back to your thesis, which helped to strengthen your overall argument as well as add to the clarity of your essay.
Sophistication: 0/1
For sophistication, we would give a 0/1 because while your thesis and evidence were well written, you had consistent punctuational errors throughout your essay. Your word choice was also a bit repetitive, which can be seen in the line “The way that almost everybody has viewed this poem was either through watching the poem or listening to an audio recording of it.”
Overall Score: 4/6
Your essay was really enjoyable to read, the first paragraph was able to draw us in and your writing style was able to hold our attention, despite some minor errors. The transition from your evidence to your commentary was also smooth and your connections back to your main points were seamless.
Although your essay as a whole was really well written, we believe that you could have improved upon the sophistication of your word choice, as well as the spacing of your evidence, and your punctuation. Although this didn’t affect how enjoyable your essay was, it was a detail that didn’t go unnoticed.
As enraged Trump supporters storm the capitol building, destroying windows and breaking doors, many Americans sit on their couches, watching the TV screen in horror as history is being written. As our country seems to be falling apart, Amanda Gorman begins to write a poem that inspires unity throughout our nation. This poem, called “The Hill We Climb”, was read at Joe Biden’s Presidential Inauguration. In her poem, Amanda Gorman uses alliteration, hopeful tone, and collective language to make her inspiring case for unity in America.
Gorman first uses alliteration in order to appeal to more listeners, allowing a larger number of people to be convinced by using it as a way to engage the audience. The line from the poem, “We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation, rather than share it,” uses alliteration between the words shatter and share. This alliteration makes the difference between these words seem a lot bigger than just the words on their own. Even though the words sound very similar, their meanings are completely different.
Amanda Gorman’s use of a hopeful tone illustrates, though there will be tough roads ahead, we should take them with optimism. Because of the tone Gorman sets, we can tell that things will get better and, if we keep our eyes on the future, we’re all going to be just fine. This hopeful tone is demonstrated in the line from the poem, “We will not march back to what was,
but move to what shall be.”
The use of collective language creates a sense of unity, which allows more and more people to feel like they’re all on the same team. She states that, even if we have different views on how to accomplish them, we all have the same goal for our country, which is to grow and progress. She reminds us to “close the divide because we know, to put our future first, we must first put our differences aside.”
After the events of the pro-Trump raid of the capitol building, “The Hill We Climb,” a poem written by Amanda Gorman, inspires a case for unity in America. She uses alliteration, a hopeful tone, and a collective language in an attempt to bring back peace to American citizens. As the audience reads the poem, the impact they feel causes them to want to better our country, even if that means putting aside our different opinions and personal beliefs.
Thesis: 1/1
We decided to give you the thesis point because you have a clear, defensible thesis. Not much more to say.
Evidence/Commentary: 3/4
We gave you this score because you had 3 solid pieces of evidence but weak commentary. You definitely could have gone in to further detail about each quote than you did, but commentary was still there so you get some points for that.
Sophistication: 0/1
You didn’t use any of the writing elements, so we can’t give you the sophistication point.
Overall: 4/6. Good job!
What a year we had faced in 2020. It was filled with so much agginay that we couldn’t wait for 2021 to arrive, but just as 2021 arrived we were faced with horrifying footage of many angry Americans breaching and vandalizing the capital. Thankfully two weeks later we were captivated with Amanda Gorman and her inspiring, well developed, touching and powerful poem, “The Hill We Climb”. Gorman’s poem was focused on the struggles American has and unity.
Gorman knew exactly what to do to catch the attention of the country while composing this well written poem. From the very beginning she spoke to the country as one when she used the words “us”, “our”, and “we” to get the message across that we are one, “We will not be turned around
or interrupted by intimidation[…]” the United States of America. We may be faced with struggle and it may be intimidating because we don’t know what to do but we should have one another’s back, because this is our country and we should fight for what is ours and not let us be the struggle we face. We should not allow for something to split us when we should come together and stand as a unit.
Not only did Gorman use unity and patriotism by the repetitions of certain words, but she uses the next generation to touch the hearts of the adults and make her point of how much power each generation holds to mold the world for the next generation. She states, “Our blunders become their burdens. […] If we merge mercy with might, […] then love becomes our legacy, and change our children’s birthright.” This statement shows that what we do now affects the future and the future of our offspring. This generation now holds everything secret and every step a piece of the next generation so we need to make it our priority to change for the better of our future and their future. Change starts now.
Gorman employed touching and empowering allusions when she said, “We will rise from the sunbaked south. We will rebuild, reconcile and recover.” to allow readers to feel a sense of hope and happiness in our country’s future. She gives off this warmness in her speech because it’s not talking down or targeting anyone but simply resonating with everyone because she is no different from anyone sitting at home listening to or reading her poem, we are all in this together.
Not only did Gorman create a well developed masterpiece that showed off her amazing writing and style capabilities but she used these God given talents to touch the hearts and lives of the people of not only our country but the world. When you dig deeper she’s a young woman looking to inspire, touch and make a difference to seek what she knows can be a beautiful, brave and powerful united nation, “If only we’re brave enough to be it.”
In The Hill We Climb, Gorman employs solid, inclusive, and vibrant language to communicate a historically significant message of growth and healing. Gorman does this by using the future tense, the word ‘we,’ parallels between historical events and current records, alliteration, assonance, and rhyme.
The Hill We Climb was written and performed in January for Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration. It was, and continues to be, a time of tremendous division and injustice in America and around the world, intensified by the Covid-19 pandemic and the Capitol rebellion. The piece was written to discuss the tragic past, bleak present, and bright future.
Gorman connects thoughts that are at odds with each other or clearly contradictory using homophones, rhymes, and similar-sounding terms to explain these divides. One example is when “we lay down our arms so that we can stretch out our arms to one another.” Rhetorical instruments can be found almost everywhere. Gorman is able to draw attention to all of these divisions. While this enhances the overall sound of the language, it also illustrates how two seemingly identical ideas can be so different that equating them is extremely harmful, both to us as individuals and to our society as a whole. It astounds us. When we process a word’s sound before its meaning, we discover that we can’t trust the sound to tell us what it means.
Alliteration is a very auditory effect that is often used in the same way that homophones, rhymes, and similar-sounding words are. Comparing and comparing, hurt and hope, and so on. However, alliteration isn’t necessarily used in this way. This quote, for example, has almost the opposite effect: “To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters, and conditions of man.” It joins together concepts with similar meanings. It brings them closer. When you know what the words signify is indeed appealing to the spirit, it sounds even better to the ear. It’s a rhetorical tactic that fits the sound of the subject matter, almost like a breath of fresh air for the audience.
In poetry, repetition is often used to make a message more unforgettable and bold. In the stanza that reads, “We will rise from the wind-swept Northeast where our forefathers first realized revolution,” the word “we will” is repeated twice. We would grow from the Midwestern states’ lake-rimmed cities. From the sun-baked South, we will rise.” encouraging the audience to “rise” and fight for change. She increases the power of persuasion by repeating this term at the beginning of each sentence, causing people to stand up. It’s important to understand why Gorman chose repetition, but it’s also important to look at the particular rhetoric she chose to repeat in that stanza that made her delivery so strong. Her use of the pronoun “we” rather than “you” or “me” was meant to unite American citizens while also implying that she is a member of the movement. Gorman doesn’t want to order anyone; instead, she wants to empower them.
In the stanza, “That is the promise to glade, the hill we climb if only we dare it,” Gorman uses one of the most important metaphors in her prose. Since becoming an American is about more than inheriting a sense of pride; it’s about stepping into the past and restoring it. The title of the poem, The Hill We Climb, is a metaphor for American citizens’ fight to achieve the justice they deserve. To counter the capital uprising and inspire fellow Americans to get on the road of development and healing, the poem was performed at Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration. It’s a long and sometimes depressing “climb” up the “hill” of equity, one that demands patience.
The Hill We Climb reminds us that the United States is far from being a “perfect union,” and that we must continue to work for justice and progress in order to create such an ideal climate. The piece was composed during the assault on the capital and was performed at the inauguration of the new president. Gorman’s aim in writing this piece is to draw attention to the problems that have arisen in recent years and to inspire people to fight for change. She uses a lot of alliteration and rhymes in the essay to achieve her goal of creating a more coherent piece with a smooth flow. She also uses a lot of repetition and anaphora to reinforce her point and make her case.
Amanda Gorman’s Inauguration Day poem, “The Hill We Climb,” is a powerful call to action that reflects on themes of optimism, solidarity, healing, and resilience. She’s been able to illuminate both the world’s problems and their solutions by elegantly written phrases and thoughtfully structured rhetoric.
Amanda Gorman Essay
As enraged Trump supporters storm the capitol building, destroying windows and breaking doors, all of America watches history in the making. Following the pro-Trump riot of the capitol building, Amanda Gorman wrote a poem titled, “The Hill We Cimb”. In her poem, Amanda Gorman uses alliteration, hopeful tone, and collective language to make her inspiring case for unity in America.
Amanda Gorman uses alliteration in order to appeal to more listeners, allowing a larger number of people to be convinced by using it as a sort of aural lure. This can be seen when she says that,”But while democracy can be periodically delayed, it can never be permanently defeated.” This helps her case by almost being redundant to a point where the listener feels like they are being hypnotized.
Amanda Gorman’s use of hopeful tone illustrates the tough road ahead with optimism, which helps quell skeptics by showing that it can and will get better, appealing to their desire for comfort. A good example of this is when she said,”“Somehow we’ve weathered and witnessed a nation that isn’t broken, but simply unfinished.” This implies that things are going to get better, assisting her tone.
The use of collective language creates a sense of unity, forming a broad lasso that allows her to rope in more hostile listeners by claiming they are on the same team. A good example of this is when she said,”that even as we grieved, we grew, that even as we hurt, we hoped, that even as we tired, we tried, that we’ll forever be tied together, victorious. Not because we will never again know defeat,but because we will never again sow division.” The repeated use of the word ‘we’ implies that it is a collective struggle.
After the events of the pro-Trump raid of the capitol building, Amanda Gorman writes “The hill We Climb,” which inspires a case for unity in America. She uses alliteration, a hopeful tone, and a collective language in an attempt to bring back peace to american citizens.
As the audience reads the poem, the impact they feel causes them to want to better our country, even if that means putting aside our different opinions and personal beliefs.
What a year we had faced in 2020. It was filled with so much agginay that we couldn’t wait for 2021 to arrive, but just as 2021 arrived we were faced with horrifying footage of many angry Americans breaching and vandalizing the capital. Thankfully two weeks later we were captivated with Amanda Gorman and her inspiring, well developed, touching and powerful poem, “The Hill We Climb”. Gorman’s poem was focused on the struggles American has and unity.
Gorman knew exactly what to do to catch the attention of the country while composing this well written poem. From the very beginning she spoke to the country as one when she used the words “us”, “our”, and “we” to get the message across that we are one, “We will not be turned around
or interrupted by intimidation[…]” the United States of America. We may be faced with struggle and it may be intimidating because we don’t know what to do but we should have one another’s back, because this is our country and we should fight for what is ours and not let us be the struggle we face. We should not allow for something to split us when we should come together and stand as a unit.
Not only did Gorman use unity and patriotism by the repetitions of certain words, but she uses the next generation to touch the hearts of the adults and make her point of how much power each generation holds to mold the world for the next generation. She states, “Our blunders become their burdens. […] If we merge mercy with might, […] then love becomes our legacy, and change our children’s birthright.” This statement shows that what we do now affects the future and the future of our offspring. This generation now holds everything secret and every step a piece of the next generation so we need to make it our priority to change for the better of our future and their future. Change starts now.
Gorman employed touching and empowering allusions when she said, “We will rise from the sunbaked south. We will rebuild, reconcile and recover.” to allow readers to feel a sense of hope and happiness in our country’s future. She gives off this warmness in her speech because it’s not talking down or targeting anyone but simply resonating with everyone because she is no different from anyone sitting at home listening to or reading her poem, we are all in this together.
Not only did Gorman create a well developed masterpiece that showed off her amazing writing and style capabilities but she used these God given talents to touch the hearts and lives of the people of not only our country but the world. When you dig deeper she’s a young woman looking to inspire, touch and make a difference to seek what she knows can be a beautiful, brave and powerful united nation, “If only we’re brave enough to be it.”