5 minute read
A writer’s perspective on poetry and its power to fight for social justice
THE POWER OF POETRY:
Spoken word fuels movements, past and present
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by Tara Davoodi
On Jan. 20, we watched as 22-year-old poet Amanda Gorman effortlessly painted a picture of a hopeful, though still fractured, America. Much of the country, we later found, had clung to her every word as she spoke of unity and division, justice and violence. We watched and rewatched, read and reread her poem “The Hill We Climb,” which expressed a collective vision of America and perfectly captured the painful emotions of the past four years.
Gorman’s job was no easy task. First Lady Jill Biden asked her to write and perform a poem for the 2021 inauguration, a White House tradition that began in 1961 when Robert Frost spoke at the inauguration of John F. Kennedy. Gorman also had to contend with the deep wounds of a country still reeling from four years of divisive knowledging its racist roots.
Poetry has always been a part of social and political movements. Whether it was delivering the surging modernist school of thought in the 1920s or the revolutionary remained a means of documenting history and providing words of encouragement, criticism or wisdom.
In my own experiences with poetry, I’ve learned that the spoken word does more than simply create an outlet for the poet; it I signed up to take a virtual poetry class with the Bethesda Writer’s Center. I’ve always loved reading and writing poetry, and I thought the class would shake up my monotonous quarantine routine. er asked us to bring a poem to share with the group. I selected Elizabeth Alexander’s “Praise Song for the Day,” which was writ-
praise song for walking forward in that light.so many inventions and cool things in today’s society ten for the 2008 inauguration of President Obama. To me, the poem represented a tionships and, in my case, social justice. urban areas in the North during the 1920s. The poetry and literary works from that penew age, looking to the future while still ly-conscious poems in elementary school. In acknowledging the work of previous gener- fourth grade, I was immediately captivated and also created an invaluable lens through ations. I hoped that by enrolling in the class when my class read “Harlem” by Langston which Americans viewed social progress in and modeling my work after that poem, I Hughes. The illustrative words and similes, the 21st century. could better translate my own passion for I remember, initially drew my attention, but In that same decade, the rule-breaking social justice into powerful words. I soon came to realize that the poem had of modernism highlighted the era’s rapid Over the course of six weeks, I wrote, more depth. Hughes asks the reader what industrialization and transition from old to drafted, edited, read and reread my own po- happens when dreams are “deferred,” subtly new ideas through works such as T.S. Elems and the poems of the other, all adult, weaving in themes of our country’s lack of iot’s lengthy poem “The Waste Land” and students. We started small; one prompt instructed us to sit outside for twenty minutes - “Praise Song for the Day” by Elizabeth Alexanderprogress in racial equality. I was struck by the fact that not only was the poem lyrical William Carlos Williams’ one-sentence poem “The Red Wheelbarrow.” Later, and write down everything we observed. and beautiful to read, but it was also a les- during the civil rights movement, poets like Another was to write an acrostic — a poem son in history. As a 10-year-old, I had never Gwendolyn Brooks and Nikki Giovanni read anything like it. emerged as powerful voices by encouraging out a word — centered around the places we Hughes was one of the leading voices protesters, chronicling demonstrations and grew up. One had us write about citrus fruits of the Harlem Renaissance, a cultural move- praising leaders. And today, poets like Jerin detail. Eventually, we tackled the bigger, ment fueled by the migration of thousands icho Brown and Joy Harjo shed light on the more profound topics of loss, familial rela- of Black people from the American South to experiences and identities of marginalized
In today’s sharp sparkle, this winter air, anything can be made, any sentence begun. On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp,
praise song for walking forward in that light.
communities.
I’ve always felt a connection to poems cause they have the unique ability to create change. As a medium, poetry can use dense subject matter to create a profound, emotional impact on the reader. Hughes was able to break down a complex racial history in just a few lines, a task which might warrant a whole book for prose authors. Williams hit on themes like perception of reality and appreciation for life with only 16 words, precise language and deliberate line breaks. Poets convey universal themes and calls for change through vibrant artistic devices, presenting ideas in new ways the audience may not have considered before.
When I put pen to paper, poetry becomes more than an expression of my ciety I know. In my summer class, I found power in writing about historical and philosophical subjects like the legacy of our founding fathers as well as more local and recent topics like the formerly segregated Glen Echo Park. Often an overlooked form of expression, poetry can produce a greater effect on the reader than regular, more straightforward speech, and I found myself wielding that power.
If anything, Amanda Gorman’s viral spoken-word poem has shown us that poetry still has power. That power comes in many forms, whether it’s through the lens of inspiring social progress or simply observing the communities in which we live. The progress each historical movement saw reveals that change can often come through words, and as I’ve read and written poems, I’ve discovered the power hidden in each stanza, each line, each syllable. I hope more people tap into that power, or as Alexander puts it, “In today’s sharp sparkle, this winter air, / anything can be made, any sentence begun.”
