The Hill We Climb

“Chorus of the Captains” by Amanda Gorman (2021)

Read before Super Bowl LV, this poem honors the honorary captains of the game: a teacher, an ICU nurse, and a Marine veteran. Gorman hails the three captains as heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Chorus of the Captains” is similar in lyrical structure to “The Hill We Climb,” though is marks a less historic occasion.

“In This Place (An American Lyric)” by Amanda Gorman (2017)

Written for the Library of Congress, this poem echoes some of the themes in “The Hill We Climb,” though it is much more direct in its political position. Referencing recent events like the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Gorman defiantly urges fighting against forces of oppression and giving voice to the marginalized. She says poetry has the power to make the hateful cower, and she calls on the nation to embrace progressive change and to reject the past injustices of America.

“Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou (1977)

The work of world-renowned poet Maya Angelou expresses an unapologetic celebration of womanhood, Blackness, and the poetic spirit. “Still I Rise” elevates the poet’s identity, heritage, and individuality, calling out those who would seek to demean Angelou for being a Black woman.