The Hill We Climb

“The Hill We Climb” is very much a poem of political hope. Echoing President Biden’s campaign promises to bring the country back together after the divisions sewn by the presidency of Donald Trump, Gorman focuses on a unifying message and playing on established American tropes of freedom, hope, and the future. Gorman also uses the poem and the occasion of its reading (the election) to fight against what she perceives as destructive forces in America. Gorman does not shy away from activism in the poem, and she is clear in establishing which side of the political spectrum she supports (progressive multiculturalism) and which side she is against (conservative rightwing extremism). By writing the poem primarily in the first person plural, she groups all listeners and readers into an active, supportive political body that rejects the destructive influence of Trump’s tenure.

Gorman establishes herself as a progressive activist early in the poem with a pun on the word justice:

We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace,

and the norms and notions

of what just is

isn’t always justice (Lines 6-9).

This line echoes Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” (1963). In that letter, King identifies White moderates as the biggest obstacle to social justice: White moderates’ goal was negative peace—decreasing tension by maintaining the status quo—which is the opposite of justice. King believed justice requires change, which creates tension, which is why White moderates would never go along with true change. Here, Gorman repeats this argument, saying that the status quo (what “just is”) is not enough to create true change in society. In this way, she establishes early on that she rejects the political right. Of course, this is reinforced by the fact that she is reading this poem for Joe Biden, a Democrat, who despite his campaign rhetoric of centrism, has pushed for very progressive policy.

Gorman contrasts the darkness of Trump’s presidency and the light of Biden’s. She refers to the recent past with horror-tinged imagery, calling it “never-ending shade” (Line 2) and “the belly of the beast” (Line 4). Though she never mentions Trump or the coup attempt by name, Gorman also repeats the motif of overcoming a tremendous challenge: “Somehow we’ve weathered” (Line 14) the insurrection of Trump supporters on January 6, 2021, which was “a force that would shatter our nation” (Line 55). We achieved this because we were not willing to endure this kind of destabilizing influence: “[w]e did not feel prepared to be the heirs / of such a terrifying hour” (Lines 67-68). Here, she likens 2021 to other times of national strife, such as 1865 after the Civil War, 1945 during World War II, and 2001 after the terrorist attacks of September 11.

To further distance the values of Donald Trump, Gorman references her position as the inaugural poet with an allusion to former President Barack Obama: “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” (Lines 16-19). In his 2004 star-making keynote address to the Democratic National Convention, Obama described himself as bearing “The hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too.” Obama’s 2004 speech was all about the country coming together; he famously said there are not red or blue states, but only the United States.

By positioning her audience as on her side through the use of the first-person plural, Gorman complicates this message of a unified country: In the poem, “we” are unified partly because we are against the forces of January 6 and because we know that political differences should not defeat America’s promise and hope. This is a tricky balance to strike because Gorman is speaking during a time of great division. Yet Gorman calls upon Americans to evaluate their pride and patriotism—these are not necessarily rhyming impulses, the poem stresses, as pride is the unrealistic belief in America’s flawlessness, while patriotism is knowing the need to challenge and fix past mistakes: “being American is more than a pride we inherit, / it’s the past we step into / and how we repair it” (Lines 52-54). American greatness does not lie in blind faith; instead, it requires tremendous effort, work, and honesty.

The poem emphasizes that America cannot reach its true greatness unless it critically evaluates its past and present. To truly be exceptional, “We will not march back to what was, / but move to what shall be” (Lines 76-77). This sentiment is another reference to the difference between the political beliefs of Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Trump’s presidential slogan was “Make America Great Again,” a phrase that suggests a return to an illusory golden age. Biden and others on his side of the political spectrum believe in forward movement.

Despite Gorman’s unflinching belief in the possibilities of America, she recognizes that progress is always tough. She titles the poem “The Hill We Climb,” which signifies a struggle. While conservative icon President Ronald Reagan used the metaphor of a city on a hill to signify the hope and light of America, Gorman transforms the image: We are still ascending this mythic hill, and have not yet arrived there. She believes the path up the hill is still filled with night, but the inauguration of a President committed to democracy and progressive values is a sign that “day comes … / aflame and unafraid / the new dawn blooms as we free it” (Lines 105-107). It is up to the American people to seize the new day.