contents
She caused a stir at Joe Biden’s swearing-in ceremony. Now Amanda Gorman’s first volume of poetry is also published by us. What good is he?
Amanda Gorman writes forcefully and bluntly, appealing to the sensibilities and consciences of her readership. The activist, who recited her poem “The Hill We Climb” with great verve at the inauguration of US President Joe Biden, is even recognizable in the printed word.
Racism and Corona
Her poetry in the current book of poems “What we carry with us” is, as she herself writes, a wake-up call. In it, Gorman processes the last two years that were shaped by Corona and focuses on the topic of racism.
She relates epidemic experiences to racist experiences. Amanda Gorman observes that many people have only just realized what restrictions mean, while others have lived with them for centuries.
Ultimately, Suprematism means doing whatever it takes to // maintain your conceit, // even if you lose your soul in the process. // It means not wearing the face mask that could protect you // because that would mean giving up your privileges. // It means, always, choosing poisoned // Pride over protection, // Pride over nation, // Pride over anything or anything.
Equality in every respect is central to Amanda Gorman. But she also writes about the climate, how the world should be taken care of, she writes about school massacres, the suffering they bring – and again and again about America. She does this as a patriot, but she holds up a mirror to the country and politics.
Poem as an American flag
Gorman also dares to do something formally in her poems. There are some that are similar to «The Hill We Climb»: poems that deal with a specific topic, that are very musical and appellative, that come from the spoken word tradition. Other poems draw on historical sources and use the past to interpret the present.
Gorman also plays with different shapes visually: one poem has the shape of the American flag, another in the shape of a fish, a face mask or is integrated into chat messages.
“Scratches and Stripes”
Amanda Gorman works a lot with alliteration, allusions and word creations. That must have been a challenge for the two translators. Especially in light of last year’s controversial debate over who should be allowed to translate Gorman’s poem, which she read at Biden’s inauguration.
Now, with the current volume of poetry, the task has been well solved – even if the German translations often do not sound as elegant and precise as the original.
Not all of Gorman’s poetry is created equal – some seem flat or meandering. But sometimes they are great. For example, when Gorman describes the state of the USA in a nutshell: “Scars and Stripes”.