At only 23 years old, poet and activist Amanda Gorman has become an increasingly well-known voice in both poetry and pop culture.
On Jan. 20, 2021, Gorman shared an original poem titled “The Hill We Climb" at President Joe Biden’s inauguration. Since then, she has published three best- selling books, performed a poem at the Super Bowl and co-hosted the Met Gala. Simply put, if you aren’t familiar with Gorman’s story or work yet, you will be soon.
Gorman’s highly-anticipated first poetry collection, “Call Us What We Carry," was released in December of 2021. Her poems center around the big issues humanity has faced over the last two years. Gorman artfully and honestly writes about isolation, illness, misinformation, war, survival, hate and trauma, to name a few.
"Unprecedented" has been a word commonly used to describe 2020. In one of my personal favorite poems: “Monomyth," from the collection’s “Resolution” chapter, Gorman recounts the events of December 2019 to the present day.
The poem lists events as movie scenes and adds commentary about the hero experiencing them. A global pandemic, wildfires, a climate crisis, Black Lives Matter protests, a groundbreaking vaccine, a presidential election and an insurrection; suffering and hope is woven throughout it all.
The lengthy anthology is one of the most unique that I have ever encountered, which made it all the more captivating. Gorman utilizes concrete poems, newspaper layouts, text messages and even includes braille.
Gorman uses her sociology degree to integrate research, U.S. history and inspiration from other artists in her poems. I’ve never read a collection with such an intensive notes section, and I believe that all the research which went into this book allows readers to have a much deeper understanding of each poem. Elaborate on this and be specific. How? What's an example?
One of my favorite chapters: “Atonement," uses the technique of erasure to show parallels between historical documents and the present moment.
Through erasure, Gorman takes existing documents- many of them from the 1918 influenza pandemic- and erases words to create pieces that feel applicable to modern day. The “Atonement” chapter succeeds in creating a space where works by previously silenced voices can be shared and heard by the masses. Documents include a letter by a nurse in 1918, records from a 1918 funeral home and the diary of Corporal Plummer, a Black soldier who served in France during World War I.
“Call Us What We Carry” is a collection that symbolizes the collective experiences we have all shared over the last two years. Gorman has succeeded in creating a book that artfully captures the state of the world and shines a light on the way forward.
I suggest you read this collection, highlight it, treasure it and learn from it.