On the Pulse of Morning

“The Hill We Climb” by Amanda Gorman (2021)

In this poem performed for the inauguration of Joe Biden in 2021, Amanda Gorman echoes many of the themes that Angelou explores in “On the Pulse of Morning.” She highlights the struggles and inequalities of the past and present while also focusing on the hope for the future. Gorman also encourages the need for courage in facing the future and past. One difference between Gorman’s poem and Angelou’s is that Gorman is very clear in identifying contemporary issues, such as the January 6th insurrection attempt by Trump supporters in Washington, DC. Nevertheless, the poem follows Angelou’s example of contrasting the past with the future and setting a hopeful tone for the incoming administration.

“The Gift Outright” by Robert Frost (1923)

Frost’s inauguration poem for John F. Kennedy’s 1961 inauguration is a poem he wrote decades earlier. During the inauguration, Frost was supposed to read an original poem he had written for the event but the weather made it impossible for him to read his paper, so he read “The Gift Outright” from heart. This poem contrasts Angelou’s and Gorman’s because it is almost entirely focused on the past.