The Hill We Climb

The Hill We Climb 

From yesterday Donald Trump is no longer the President of the USA. The new President is Joe Biden. When the president is inaugurated, they take an oath of office.

What exactly is an oath?

What does the oath look like?  

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

What does this mean to you?

Only four presidents have had a poet read at their inauguration: Presidents Kennedy, Clinton, Obama and Biden.

Amanda Gorman

 (ABC- news)

Who is Amanda Gorman? 

Do you know who Amanda Gorman is? After Jan. 20, many more people

 will know her name since, at 22, she is now the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history. Committed to connecting literacy to the project of democracy,

 she considers reading and writing to be instruments of social change.

Encouraged by her mother, an English teacher, Ms. Gorman began

 writing poems as a child, finding her voice as she assembled

 words on the page. Where other young poets turn inward,

 she draws inspiration from events in the news. (The New York Times, Jan 20)

Here you can find a transcription of the poem and also some words translated into Swedish (thanks to Marita Elg) The Hill We Climb - full text and vocab

The last part of the poem: 

And every corner called our country.
Our people diverse and beautiful will emerge, battered and beautiful.
When day comes, we step out of the shade of flame and unafraid, the new dawn balloons, as we free it.
For there was always light.
If only we're brave enough to see it.
If only we're brave enough to be it.

Ms Gorman's last words are now seen on pictures in social media all over the world. 

First of all, think about the questions below individually. Use the Google Meet Chat and write your answers there. 

Then you will go to breakout rooms and discuss the poem and your answers: 

In your groups talk about: 

What do you think about the poem? 

What do you think the last lines about "light" mean? 

What stands out to you? What part of the poem do you remember?

Why do you think she named the poem "The Hill We Climb"? 

Some of my students' thoughts about the poem: 

Amanda Gorman gives us hope! She is soooo brave! 

The poem was very instructive and great and she explaining very good what she want to tell the people.

You should never give up your dreams and instead look forward to a better future.

The last part of the poem is very poetic but true. There has always been light like she says, but it's only there if

you look for it and believe in it. The poem was really good and it was very brave of her to stand in front of the whole world and talk.

The poem was good and had a meaning. I think that she means that America is in

dark place but no they

as an country climed to a lighter place. Light is also a symbol of community.

The last part stands out.

I think that the poem was really great. I also think that Amanda was really brave. I don't think

that I could stand like that and speak in front of the entire world.

 

I find the poem serious and important. It was beautifully written and I loved her attitude.

About the "light" part I see the light as peace. When everyone is happy. She was brave to

stand up and talk.

I think that the poem was great because that made me realise many things, I did also think

that it was very brave of her because she is just 22 years old. The poem made me realise

that you can do what you want if you’re brave.

I thinked that she was brave to say that kinda words to the whole nation and the world

/ Sara