“Lucent” by Amanda Gorman took me numerous reads to comprehend fully. The piece presents a philosophy that humans are not defined by their living body: but rather by our shared ability to shine upon and beneath the earth. However, this is never clearly defined; her fantastical descriptions and lack of explanation of who exactly “we” is ensure this. The inclusion of analysis on the word “lumen” somehow left me more insecure in my understanding- Gorman uses the word to describe both the light that may fill us and our capacity to be filled. In addition, the beginning and end of the poem lack a clear connection, or at least one that I could pick up on easily. As the poem wraps up, the last section does a good job of grounding. Reminding the reader of their humanity after the fantasy they’ve been provided. This is done using a simple, recognizably human phrase: “Sorry, must’ve been the light.” However, Gorman immediately jumps back into her outlandish proposal, begging the question: are we the ones who are confusing to understand?

“Anonymous” by Amanda Gorman is displayed engraved within a black face mask. This silhouette, now a universally recognized icon, immediately sets the parameters for all this poem needs to tell. It’s allowed to remain the length that it does (short and sweet) because the reader is more focused on their personal relationship to that mask. Gorman uses simplistic rhymes, allowing the poem to flow quickly. Further, every line begins with a “W” sound. This is not to say it is basic by any means; strong descriptive techniques and hopes for what could have been draw the reader into an emotional connection with the piece. In general, I find this poem easy to understand for its easily relatable content and compelling repetition. 

“What We Carry” by Amanda Gorman takes on a narrative style, describing the realization that there is so much beauty in the simple. That the words we speak, no matter how basic, form who we are as people, and how we care for others. The task of existing in both joy and misery is vital in preserving the world as we know it. She speaks less so of the society of the world- but rather of the physical earth we walk upon every day. Gorman reaches out to the most basic, childlike desires of the reader. Simply sitting on the ground, taking in the lovely and disgusting parts of our surroundings. It’s entertaining, led along by a common thread. The language is not particularly demanding, nor does she delve into the deeper meanings of things. It’s meant to remain basic and be appreciated as such. 

Amanda Gorman’s background reveals itself repeatedly, in different ways, throughout her writing. One of the most interesting facts I discovered whilst researching her past was that until the age of 20, she struggled with a speech impediment, a consequence of her premature birth. Gorman declares that she learned how to speak properly through poetry, a medium that demands emphasis on syllables, sound, and pronunciation. As a Harvard graduate, her detailed understanding of language and ability to apply it to the broader concepts she constantly publicly advocates for is astonishing. Gorman became the youngest inaugural poet of all time in 2021, at 22 years old, ushering in the Biden administration. She’s repeatedly stated she plans to run for officer herself in 2036. (https://www.biography.com/writer/amanda-gorman)

Word Count: 564

Ben Lewis Giles (https://benlewisgiles.format.com/20152016#12)

Without reading a single word, Amanda Gorman captures your attention and presents her intentions with nothing but a circle. It stands out from the rest of her collection in Call Us What We Carry so blatantly. I fell in love with its simplicity after flipping through the book for some minutes, and I can personally say that my analysis of this poem was cathartic. I had the chance this summer to work with another Gorman work, her 2021 inaugural poem “The Hill We Climb”, to shape an original performance at the Alliance Theatre. Over the course of 3 weeks, along with a group of high school students, I delved into the intricacies of her poetry, and her writing will forever evoke positive memories of the place and people I worked with. This work in particular acts as a call to action. There’s a sense of desperation, more specifically from the pleads of younger generations, describing those who stand up with phrases like, “red & restless” and “wild & dying for a difference.” I feel personally connected to the artist and her highlight on children begging for adults who have the political power to use it appropriately. Our performance piece felt exactly like this; red and restless, yelling to an audience about how fed up we are with the current state of our nation, all with the inspiration of Gorman. 

The easiest piece to interpret in this poem, in my opinion, is Gorman’s description of the commodities we have to be thankful for. “Water, drinkable; our air, breathable; birds, built & blurred on a breeze; trees heaving huge sighs into the heavens; our children, giggling & gilded in grass” There’s no topic more easily relatable than the things we need to survive and the beauty of the environment we live in. She describes these things with such directness, and yet she introduces them stating there is nothing more grand than. Her alliteration makes the section not only easy to read but satisfying as well. It’s a breather after the introduction asserting that we are destroying every inch of the world that isn’t even ours to destroy. On that note, I believe the introduction is the hardest to understand. You, as the reader, are immediately thrown into the poem, as Gorman uses first-person pronouns to describe an uncomfortable physical position. “Currently our jaw is clamped down, our shoulders nailed to the ears, bones braced for brutal battle.” It just seems to come out of left-field and feels simply aggressive. On my first read, I literally raised my shoulders to my ears in an attempt to picture her description. What I found was- I felt nervous and constrained. It’s not a natural position. So, over the first run-through, the first lines of the poem feel unusual- and yet they convey exactly the feeling Gorman wants the reader to picture. 

The line I feel I understand the most, and my favorite from the whole work, is this: “Every day this very ground spoils beneath us, for we are bringing to all the ends of the Earth the end of all the Earth.” It feels so basic and yet utterly complex at the same time. Every piece of our Earth is dying, slowly, and while some areas may feel the burden the heaviest, it’s only a matter of time until we all suffer the same fate. The word “spoil” also feels so natural, as if the earth were a piece of fruit gone bad, an image that can’t help but leave a strange taste in your mouth. 

Every word of Gorman’s in “Earth Eyes” feels intentional. I adored this poem for all its aspects, especially how conflicting it is: simple yet so compound all the same. 

Word Count: 617