Romy Week 3 “Talking Gets Us There” by Amanda Gorman


Amanda Gorman’s poem “Talking Gets Us There” is a perfect example of what children should be learning about from a young age. The purpose of this poem is to embrace the differences between each of us, and explain the importance of standing up for equality. Instilling the value of individuality in children is imperative so that they can grow up to understand that “what makes us different is what makes each of us so special,” and that uniqueness should be celebrated. 

There is beauty in every type of face

And in every type of freckle

From the curl of your hair

To the color of your skin

No one is exactly the same, not even twins. 

This stanza displays how Gorman infuses her poem with confident affirmations to help children to feel proud to be whoever they are no matter what they look like. After she introduces the concept of individuality, she explains that these differences have been used as the source of hatred, which led to people being treated unfairly. She uses this as a turning point to introduce her passion in advocacy and how it is possible to overcome struggle by coming together and recognizing our obligation “to say enough is enough” and “speak out with our hearts” to fight against racism. 

Amanda Gorman ends her poem by acknowledging that standing up against racism is only possible when it is talked about in the first place. She stresses that learning about racism and asking questions is an essential part in making change because one must understand the issue at hand to begin with. She uses simple diction to appeal to a younger audience so that it is understandable and easy to teach to children. 

The message of this poem is extremely important for children to understand because it gives them purpose and the confidence to believe that they are capable of making change, even if it starts small. Gorman ends her poem by saying that “together, [she knows] we can tackle racism, but first we have to talk about it,” encouraging conversation and inspiring both children and adults to advocate for equality. 


Here is a link of her reading her poem for PBS kids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYAc3Zr7wFw&ab_channel=PBSKIDS 





Comments

  1. AnonymousOctober 25, 2021 at 7:01 AM

    Hi Romy, I thought this was an interesting analysis. I particularly liked your comment about the confident affirmations to help the children feel proud. Listening to the poem after your commentary on those lines made me notice it even more. Amanda Gorman is not only an excellent poet, but also a world-class presenter. However, I had mixed feelings about this poem being shown to such young children. I think it is important to educate people about racism and how to be more aware, better human beings. But at the same time, I feel like showing that to children at such a young age could even highlight the racial differences between students even more, when race isn't even something they pay attention to necessarily. Anyways, I think that the message of the poem means well regardless.

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