Lauren Hodes- Week 1- "In This Place" by Amanda Gorman

    In the poem, "In this Place" written by Amanda Gorman, the author discusses the beauty and triumph of America despite frequent suffering. Despite systemic poverty, racism, the immigration crisis, and religious division, there is good and "poem" in this place called America as Gorman displays. The title of the poem, "In This Place", is extremely important to the poem because Gorman is trying to show that in this place called America bad things do unfortunately happen but the goodness of America as a whole prevails in the end.While this poem was very powerful, a few lines in particular spoke to me. 

This line displays perhaps one of the most violent and horrible days in America. Alt- Right protesters and Alt- Left protesters were committing extremely violent acts against one another which ended in a tragic death. Even through tough times, of fellow American vs. American, neighbor vs. neighbor, Amanda Gorman was able to find the "poem" or hope within this dark day of history. 

There’s a poem in Charlottesville
where tiki torches string a ring of flame
tight round the wrist of night
where men so white they gleam blue—
seem like statues
where men heap that long wax burning
ever higher
where Heather Heyer
blooms forever in a meadow of resistance.

Being able to find positivity within such a tragedy and giving others the hope that Americans are stronger and can rise up from this is something that I really admire. This stanza really made me pause and think about the ability to overcome division and break down barriers through hope and positivity. In addition, the writers life relates to the poem perfectly. In fact, Amanda Gorman includes her own mothers struggles into the poem seamlessly. She writes that 

There’s a poem in Los Angeles
yawning wide as the Pacific tide
where a single mother swelters
in a windowless classroom, teaching
black and brown students in Watts
to spell out their thoughts
so her daughter might write
this poem for you. 

This stanza relates Gorman's life and hardships back to the overall message of America/Americans succeeding during hard times. The authors mother was a disadvantaged single mother teaching in a poverty stricken community. Though she was not handed the easiest life, she was able to raise the youngest inaugural poet and an incredibly successful daughter! This anecdote perfectly shows the beauty and poem within America. Gorman even goes on to beautifully write that there is "a poet in every American" referring to our ability to persevere and find hope.