Published: 2021
Author: Amanda Gorman
Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Race, Politics, Social Justice, Adult, History, Contemporary
Audience (Grade Levels): Middle School Students, Grades 7-12
Number of Stars: 5 Stars
Goodreads Link: Call Us What We Carry
Triggers: Death, illness, suffering, systemic racism, historical epidemics/pandemics
Review By: Sarah Williams
Publisher’s Summary:
Formerly titled The Hill We Climb and Other Poems, Amanda Gorman’s remarkable new collection reveals an energizing and unforgettable voice in American poetry. Call Us What We Carry is Gorman at her finest. Including “The Hill We Climb,” the stirring poem read at the inauguration of the 46th President of the United States, Joe Biden, and bursting with musical language and exploring themes of identity, grief, and memory, this lyric of hope and healing captures an important moment in our country’s consciousness while being utterly timeless.
The breakout poetry collection by #1 New York Times bestselling author and presidential inaugural poet Amanda Gorman.
Review:
This book is a collection of poems written by Gorman where she explores many different topics, from epidemics of the past century (including the Great Influenza of 1918 and the most recent COVID-19 pandemic), climate change, racism, and many other topics. In this, her debut collection, she blends her lyrical style with many different forms and structures to transmit so much meaning.
This book is unlike most books of poetry in that the reader does not only need to look at the poems, but to also consider the many other elements of the text. From the structure of the poem, including concrete poems such as “Essex I”, to the color of the pages (“Roses” is on a much darker page), to the orientation of the poems (“DC Putsch” is sideways and covers 2 pages), Gorman employs many different literary techniques and devices to convey her messages. It is a fascinating collection, one that held my interest and attention throughout. In order to make meaning for myself I had to read and reread many of the poems, but like an onion, they have many layers to peel back and consider.
Many of the poems in her collection connect to the COVID-19 pandemic, but she also has included uplifting ideas and topics based on history. The last poem in the book is “The Hill We Climb”, her inaugural poem from 2021. Watching her recite this at the ceremony was so moving, and the words have the same impact here as a hopeful conclusion to her innovative and moving series of poems. If these words are a preview to how she will write and perform in the future, I will be voting for her if she ever runs for President, something she says she may do in the future.
Classroom & Curricular Connections:
- English Language Arts (Visual & Concrete Poetry): This collection is an exceptional resource for teaching multi-modal poetic structures. Educators can use Gorman’s innovative formatting—such as the concrete shape poetry in “Essex I,” the dramatic sideways orientation in “DC Putsch,” and intentional page color variations—to demonstrate how physical text layout, negative space, and visual aesthetics alter literary meaning.
- Social Studies / Modern History: The poems interweave historical milestones with contemporary crises, comparing early 20th-century history to recent events. It pairs perfectly with units studying the global effects of pandemics, climate change evolution, and modern civil rights movements, utilizing “The Hill We Climb” to analyze the cultural and political role of inaugural poetry in American history.
Extension Activity / Library Application:
- “Layers of the Onion” Multi-Modal Poetry Workshop: Drawing from the reviewer’s analogy that Gorman’s multi-layered poems must be unpeeled to uncover meaning, have students analyze one non-traditional poem from the collection. Students will trace how structural techniques (like alignment, erasure, or shape) reinforce the written message, then write their own piece of concrete poetry reflecting a major historical or personal event.
- Inaugural Address & Performance Analysis: Organize a multimedia library seminar pairing the text of “The Hill We Climb” with the recorded video of Gorman’s live performance at the 46th Presidential Inauguration. Have students contrast the impact of reading her rhythmic language on the page versus hearing her oral delivery, focusing on vocal inflection, pacing, and somatic expression.
Diversity & Representation:
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This debut collection directly highlights diversity, equity, and inclusion through the intersectional lens of a young Black woman, feminist, and activist. Gorman acts as an essential voice for marginalized youth, weaponizing verse to dismantle systemic racism while processing collective societal grief. Her work honors historical struggles while validating the lived experiences of diverse communities during modern crises.
Readalikes:
- The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country by Amanda Gorman
- Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine
- Clarity & Connection by Yung Pueblo
