Call Us What We Carry Poems By Amanda Gorman
Viking
An Imprint of Penguin Random House LLC
New York
2021
ISBN 978-0-593-46506-6 (Hardcover)
211 pages
16 pages notes & gratitude
When this book became available, I ran to get it. This is a poetry collection by a poetess named Amanda Gorman. I am as riveted and completely blown away by this book as I was when I laid eyes on her for the first time at the 2021 presidential inauguration. There Amanda Gorman poured her soul upon anyone within earshot, as she so eloquently presented us with the poem “The Hill We Climb”. She left us breathless and with chest heaving asking for more.
Here in this book, Call Us What We Carry, again she leaves the reader asking for more but giving us collective feelings of sorrow, grief, and yet full of love and of healing. She writes us to heal. Ms. Gorman shares with us our history and a chance to feel faith and atonement, all the while embracing the memorial of a place in time.
I felt the grit and angst and I’m feeling as a reader/reviewer, that we are witnessing, at least for me, the glory of the written word; the poetic stylings of a beating heart.
This collection of poetry is about all of us. It is about our history. It is about where we have come from, it is about where we have gone and finally, it is about where we are going as a nation and as a people.
In her Faith & Fury Chapter, I’d like to point out that she gives us lines and bits & quips that fill her and us with the love of country and humanity…like
…Language matters… grief gives us gratitude…black lives are worth living; worth defending, she calls these a smart prank then there’s …scars & stripes… Benevolent but bold… and finally, fierce & free… With these parts of lines in the poetry I pulled out she lays our collective hearts on the line. Ms. Gorman continues to pull us
On page 161 “The Truth in One Nation”
…”a nation’s cold pride will kill
choke us on the very spot we shadow
this is also called Chauvin[ism]
In her Resolution Chapter on pages 203 & 204 Gorman solidifies “What We Carry”
…words matter, for
Language is an ark.
Yes.
Language is an art.
An articulate artifiact.
Language is a life craft.
Yes.
Language is a life raft.
Further on page 207 in “The Hill We Climb”
… We lay down our arms
so that we can reach our arms out to one another
We seek harm to none and harmony for all.
Lastly, I felt she’s now walked us (the reader) into the healing process after showing us our visceral, intense personalities for on page 211 she brings us…
…the new dawn blooms as we free it
for there is always light,
If only we’re brave enough to see it
If we were brave enough to be it.
I think as readers and of poetry lovers, we feel immense pride to have this newly established poetess/writer in our community. She will give strength, hope, and resolve to those that read and witness this moment in time.
I highly recommend this book and the works of Amanda Gorman. This book is 5 ***** stars.
Amanda Gorman is a true wordsmith, she is a Harvard University cum laude graduate. She is the first person to be named a National Youth Poet Laureate, has written for the New York Times, she has numerous prestigious awards and appearances including attendance at the Obama White House, and Poets & Writers and Barnes & Noble writing awards. She currently has three upcoming books with Penguin Random House.
I can’t wait for more of Amanda Gorman.
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