On January 20th, 2021, Joe Biden was inaugurated as President of the United States. Not long before this, a series of cultural and political awakenings took place, bringing economic and social suffering to many Americans across our country. Not only were we experiencing the dangerous impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the world watched as social unrest and protests took place in response to discriminatory actions by members of police forces. And if those events weren’t enough, the shock and disgust most Americans felt by the January 6th riots was more than enough to put the pressure on this moment as a way to begin the rebuilding process. 

The entire inauguration seemed to place an emphasis on change and perseverance, however one aspect of it showed this commonplace the most. Amanda Gorman’s poem, “The Hill We Climb” used a phrase recognizable to anyone who paid at least a little attention to their fourth grade history class: “… to form a more perfect union”. With this, she expanded on the already accepted notion of American resilience and ability to build back from the trials we face. Because this was a particularly contentious and polarizing election, using a unifying and patriotic commonplace was crucial so that it could reach all members of the political spectrum. “We are striving to forge a union with purpose, to compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man.” These lines stand as a way to persuade the audience to look beyond the controversy and challenges experienced through the past months, and to instead look towards reaching a more perfect future. Gorman continued by saying “And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us, but what stands before us. We close the divide because we know, to put our future first, we must first put our differences aside.” Adding this piece directly after the union commonplace was effective in outlining what must be done as a nation to truly be a patriotic and welcoming union, as well as bounce back from the difficulties Americans had to face.