The Hill We Climb

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BoSoxGal
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The Hill We Climb

Post by BoSoxGal »

A lovely inaugural poem for these times.

For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan

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Sue U
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Re: The Hill We Climb

Post by Sue U »

I just came here to say OMG Amanda Gorman was fucking amazing! I am just going to put her on loop and let that play for the rest of the day. Hers was the only address that was truly inspirational and worth hearing today. She needs to address the nation every week.

ETA:

Apparently, she plans to run for President in 2036. She has my vote already.
GAH!

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Guinevere
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Re: The Hill We Climb

Post by Guinevere »

She is spectacular and part of a very thoughtful and meaningful ceremony. But she stole the show.

Below is a link to her TedTalk, about how poetry is political. More genius.

https://www.ted.com/talks/amanda_gorman ... edcomshare
“I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks.” ~ Ruth Bader Ginsburg, paraphrasing Sarah Moore Grimké

Burning Petard
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Re: The Hill We Climb

Post by Burning Petard »

Poetry is poliitical ? ! Of Course ! ! All art is political. Woody Guthrie said "This machine kills fascists" We don't need a Master of Fine Arts degree to tell which way the wind is blowing.


snailgate

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BoSoxGal
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Re: The Hill We Climb

Post by BoSoxGal »

Burning Petard wrote:
Wed Jan 20, 2021 10:55 pm
Poetry is poliitical ? ! Of Course ! ! All art is political. Woody Guthrie said "This machine kills fascists" We don't need a Master of Fine Arts degree to tell which way the wind is blowing.


snailgate
:ok
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan

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TPFKA@W
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Re: The Hill We Climb

Post by TPFKA@W »

I am not seeing the political aspect of, "There once was a girl from Venus"....

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Guinevere
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Re: The Hill We Climb

Post by Guinevere »

Burning Petard wrote:
Wed Jan 20, 2021 10:55 pm
Poetry is poliitical ? ! Of Course ! ! All art is political. Woody Guthrie said "This machine kills fascists" We don't need a Master of Fine Arts degree to tell which way the wind is blowing.


snailgate
Who said anything about a MFA? Did you listen to her TedTalk? Its under 10 mins long, and excellent.
“I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks.” ~ Ruth Bader Ginsburg, paraphrasing Sarah Moore Grimké

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BoSoxGal
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Re: The Hill We Climb

Post by BoSoxGal »

Okay, I think he’s just making a reference to popular folk art like Woody Guthrie versus poetry which is, in fact, far less mainstream in the American culture:
The National Endowment for the Arts earlier this summer announced part of the results of its 2017 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, reporting that nearly 12 percent of adults, or roughly 28 million people, read poetry in the past year.

These numbers, the highest on record in the survey's 15-year history, might seem meager in a world where a blockbuster is considered a disappointment despite amassing sales topping $100 million in its opening weekend. But in the poetry world, 28 million adult readers represents a significant uptick from the previous survey in 2012, which showed only 7 percent of the population reading poetry.
7-12% of American adults is roughly the same as the number who have obtained Master’s degrees and beyond. Coincidentally.
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan

ex-khobar Andy
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Re: The Hill We Climb

Post by ex-khobar Andy »

For whatever reason, I have to read poetry to get it. Unless it's a thumping rhythm and cadence like 'The Raven' or a song like 'Hallelujah.' So I didn't get Ms Gorman's poem at the time and thought it bland. (And, in case anyone isn't sure, I am not calling the poem bland - I am talking about my reaction to it which is undoubtedly my problem.)

I managed to find a transcript. Written as the blankest of verse with no obvious line breaks and not a lot of scansion hints, it lets you figure it out yourself. I've played with the font size a bit so that on my screen at least the line breaks are almost the same as in the printed version I found here. I don't know if the line breaks have any significance or indeed if what I found is the same as the original. I don't know if it's poetry or prose or a prose poem but the label does not matter, it's powerful whatever you call it.

“The Hill We Climb”
Amanda Gorman
When day comes we ask ourselves, where can we find light in this never-ending shade? The loss we carry, a sea we must wade. We’ve braved the belly of the beast, we’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace and the norms and notions of what just is, isn’t always justice. And yet the dawn is ours before we knew it, somehow we do it, somehow we’ve weathered and witnessed a nation that isn’t broken but simply unfinished.

We, the successors of a country and a time where a skinny black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother can dream of becoming president only to find herself reciting for one. And, yes, we are far from polished, far from pristine, but that doesn’t mean we are striving to form a union that is perfect, we are striving to forge a union with purpose, to compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man.

So we lift our gazes not to what stands between us, but what stands before us. We close the divide because we know to put our future first, we must first put our differences aside. We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another, we seek harm to none and harmony for all.

Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true: that even as we grieved, we grew, even as we hurt, we hoped, that even as we tired, we tried, that we’ll forever be tied together victorious, not because we will never again know defeat but because we will never again sow division.

Scripture tells us to envision that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree and no one should make them afraid. If we’re to live up to our own time, then victory won’t lie in the blade, but in in all of the bridges we’ve made.

That is the promise to glade, the hill we climb if only we dare it because being American is more than a pride we inherit, it’s the past we step into and how we repair it. We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it. That would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy, and this effort very nearly succeeded. But while democracy can periodically be delayed, but it can never be permanently defeated.

In this truth, in this faith, we trust, for while we have our eyes on the future, history has its eyes on us, this is the era of just redemption we feared in its inception we did not feel prepared to be the heirs of such a terrifying hour but within it we found the power to author a new chapter, to offer hope and laughter to ourselves, so while once we asked how can we possibly prevail over catastrophe, now we assert how could catastrophe possibly prevail over us.

We will not march back to what was but move to what shall be, a country that is bruised but whole, benevolent but bold, fierce and free, we will not be turned around or interrupted by intimidation because we know our inaction and inertia will be the inheritance of the next generation, our blunders become their burden. But one thing is certain: if we merge mercy with might and might with right, then love becomes our legacy and change our children’s birthright.

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BoSoxGal
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Re: The Hill We Climb

Post by BoSoxGal »

You’re missing the last verse Andy, if you want to edit.

So let us leave behind a country better than the one we were left, with every breath from my bronze, pounded chest, we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one, we will rise from the golden hills of the West, we will rise from the windswept Northeast where our forefathers first realized revolution, we will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the Midwestern states, we will rise from the sunbaked South, we will rebuild, reconcile, and recover in every known nook of our nation in every corner called our country our people diverse and beautiful will emerge battered and beautiful, when the day comes we step out of the shade aflame and unafraid, the new dawn blooms as we free it, for there is always light if only we’re brave enough to see it, if only we’re brave enough to be it.
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan

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Sue U
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Re: The Hill We Climb

Post by Sue U »

XKA: There are line breaks and there is meter and rhythm and even rhyme. Find a version that shows it. They're all over the place.
GAH!

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Econoline
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Re: The Hill We Climb

Post by Econoline »

I found this version online (appropriately enough, HERE ;) ):
When day comes we ask ourselves,
where can we find light in this never-ending shade?
The loss we carry,
a sea we must wade
We've braved the belly of the beast
We've learned that quiet isn't always peace
And the norms and notions
of what just is
Isn’t always just-ice
And yet the dawn is ours
before we knew it
Somehow we do it
Somehow we've weathered and witnessed
a nation that isn’t broken
but simply unfinished
We the successors of a country and a time
Where a skinny Black girl
descended from slaves and raised by a single mother
can dream of becoming president
only to find herself reciting for one
And yes we are far from polished
far from pristine
but that doesn’t mean we are
striving to form a union that is perfect
We are striving to forge a union with purpose
To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and
conditions of man
And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us
but what stands before us
We close the divide because we know, to put our future first,
we must first put our differences aside
We lay down our arms
so we can reach out our arms
to one another
We seek harm to none and harmony for all
Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true:
That even as we grieved, we grew
That even as we hurt, we hoped
That even as we tired, we tried
That we’ll forever be tied together, victorious
Not because we will never again know defeat
but because we will never again sow division
Scripture tells us to envision
that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree
And no one shall make them afraid
If we’re to live up to our own time
Then victory won’t lie in the blade
But in all the bridges we’ve made
That is the promise to glade
The hill we climb
If only we dare
It's because being American is more than a pride we inherit,
it’s the past we step into
and how we repair it
We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation
rather than share it
Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy
And this effort very nearly succeeded
But while democracy can be periodically delayed
it can never be permanently defeated
In this truth
in this faith we trust
For while we have our eyes on the future
history has its eyes on us
This is the era of just redemption
We feared at its inception
We did not feel prepared to be the heirs
of such a terrifying hour
but within it we found the power
to author a new chapter
To offer hope and laughter to ourselves
So while once we asked,
how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe?
Now we assert
How could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?
We will not march back to what was
but move to what shall be
A country that is bruised but whole,
benevolent but bold,
fierce and free
We will not be turned around
or interrupted by intimidation
because we know our inaction and inertia
will be the inheritance of the next generation
Our blunders become their burdens
But one thing is certain:
If we merge mercy with might,
and might with right,
then love becomes our legacy
and change our children’s birthright
So let us leave behind a country
better than the one we were left with
Every breath from my bronze-pounded chest,
we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one
We will rise from the gold-limbed hills of the west,
we will rise from the windswept northeast
where our forefathers first realized revolution
We will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the midwestern states,
we will rise from the sunbaked south
We will rebuild, reconcile and recover
and every known nook of our nation 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,
aflame and unafraid
The new dawn blooms as we free it
For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it
If only we’re brave enough to be it
I think it reads more like poetry, this way. (For one thing, there are rhyming lines at somewhat random intervals throughout, and the line breaks make those easier to spot, and to appreciate.)

ETA: cross-posted with Sue.
People who are wrong are just as sure they're right as people who are right. The only difference is, they're wrong.
God @The Tweet of God

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BoSoxGal
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Re: The Hill We Climb

Post by BoSoxGal »

Here’s another bit of contemporary poetry with a lot to say about these times.

For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan

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