Someone caught the attention of the audience and the world during the inauguration of the new President of the United States. A young black lady who gave the president a poem that inspired Americans and the world as well. "The Hill We Climb," delivered by Amanda Gorman, is full of motivation and importance to nations and even the entire world that are recovering from myriad challenges and trials.
From the beginning to the end of the poem, Gorman portrays the two conflicting sides of America, those who want to divide and those who want to unify, using symbols of light and darkness, hope and fear. There are people in our country whose purpose is to sow fear and discord between us, that their source of celebration is every fall of the other side. They muddle the issues by bringing in other issues in order for people to be swayed by the current ones, forgetting what were essential to unity. This dark force continues to sow confusion among us.
The country's portrayal of Amanda is not one that has been defeated or failed, but one that is still on its way to being what its rhetoric already implies. she tries to encourage confidence that a new day is dawning and that better days are ahead.
Yes, what we're hoping are better days. Better days for us who hope that our children and grandchildren will enjoy the benefits of our sacrifices someday. The fruits of being together, mindful of everybody's welfare. The fruits of being free, free to carry up our own free will, free to express and fulfill our potential. Let's not lose hope that peace must withstand the greatest strain to be true.
In the closing sections, the poet asks us to be brave enough to "see" and "be" the light that comes. It's a high hope for everyone to take the torch that illuminates others in their direction. That, one day, at the end of a very long tunnel, we will see the light, or be the light, by holding the torch that lights the way of others. A striking appeal from a young woman, not only to her fellow youth but to us all as well.