Her poems conquered America: who is Amanda Gorman, who spoke at Biden's inauguration
'23.01.2021'
Source: with the BBC
Amanda Gorman became the youngest poet to recite poetry specially written for the presidential inauguration. She is only 22 years old, and in 2017, she was awarded the title of Youth Poet Laureate for the first time in US history.
When Amanda learned that she had the privilege of reciting poetry at Joe Biden's inauguration, she "squealed and danced with joy." In an interview with the BBC the young poet said that she was overwhelmed with "delight, joy and humility", but "at the same time and horror."
In the specially written poem "The Hill We Climb", Amanda wanted to reflect as accurately as possible the difficult moment that befell America today, and emphasize that a new chapter in the history of the United States has begun, and also to remind what is most important is not to look back at the past, but to look into the future.
Amanda wrote her poems on January 6, the day supporters of the 45th president-losing president, Trump, stormed the Capitol building in Washington.
It is no coincidence that her poems speak of those who “are ready to destroy our country, just not to share it with anyone”.
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"The Hill We Climb", an excerpt from a poem
Before dawn we don't know
Can we find light when there is a solid shadow around.
Our losses are like an ocean
And we wander through them night and day.
We broke free from the belly of the beast
We realized that silence does not mean peace,
What justice does not mean is justice.
And we didn't know the dawn was so close.
We somehow got out and saw
That the first rays broke through the darkness
And so I say: our country is alive,
We have not disappeared, but the final chapter
So far it is being written ...
Yes, our union is far from perfect
But we do not need it - we need a goal,
So that we are unanimous
They strove to achieve it. For us to watch
What lies ahead. And so that we despise
All that divided us.
And for the world to recognize that in a difficult hour
We did not break down and we went forward.
Suffering has not taken away our hope
And we, as before,
They are connected with each other, and therefore victory awaits us all ...
Yes, the sun will definitely rise
Yes, light will always break through the darkness
But in order to see him,
But in order to be a part of the world,
We cannot achieve it without courage.
(translated from English by Yana Litvinova)
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Way to success
Gorman was born in Los Angeles in 1998. As a child, she suffered from a speech impediment (just like the current president Joe Biden), which largely determined her future. The fact that she had to pay close attention to the pronunciation of each word gave her a special perception of sound and rhythm of speech.
Her first collection of poems, “The One for Whom Food Is Not Enough,” was published in 2015. Gorman's illustrated book, Change Sings, was soon published.
Amanda Gorman's inaugural poem made a huge impression on the public. Less than a day after the inauguration, the number of Amanda's followers on Twitter grew from 100 thousand to 1,1 million, and on Instagram - from 206 thousand to 2,2 million.
Michelle Obama, who was present at the celebration with her husband, 44th President Barack Obama, wrote that “with these strong and piercing words, Amanda Gorman reminds us: each of us has the power to defend democracy.”
Hillary Clinton, a former counterpart in the election of 45th President Donald Trump, added: “Isn't Amanda Gorman's poem wonderful? She pledged to run for president in the 2036 elections. I can not wait!"
