This review is less of a recapitulation of this work and more of a persuasive piece for you to buy and read it. Through her words, Gorman shows us what it means to be an American. Through her experiences – unabashedly black, unabashedly young, and unabashedly colored by the COVID pandemic – she weaves together a script that is unabashedly American and recalls moments in our history to point the way forward.
She organizes her poems as if they played a part in a religious service or a piece of instrumental jazz. Contents include thematic sections like: Requiem, What a Piece of Wreck Is Man, Earth Eyes, Memoria, Atonement, Fury & Faith, and Resolution. Like any good poetess, she shows us our own souls, whether we are citizens of the world or citizens of America. These words contain potential to elevate our – your and my – collective rhetoric.
Each word is carefully chosen and dripping with meaning. She provides historical references to the American experience while reminding us that this American experience and aspiration is unfinished. She documents the recent pandemic while reminding us of pandemics past. She tells us of her “blackness” while reminding readers of their own uniqueness and our common humanity.
On January 20, 2021, Gorman read “The Hill We Climb” at the inauguration of Joe Biden to the US Presidency. That work closes this book. Just as when she read it in front of the Capitol, tears welled up in my eyes as I read it now. This entire collection is worthy of that performance and shows why Dr. Jill Biden recommended her to the inaugural committee to become the youngest person to recite an inaugural poem. Gorman’s words contain power to heal and to bring insight. Whether you are American or just a citizen of humanity, you ought to read them because they will inspire you.
Call Us What We Carry: Poems
By Amanda Gorman
Copyright (c) 2021
Viking
ISBN13 9780593465066
Page Count: 228
Genre: Poetry
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