The Hill We Climb

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 2021

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Summary

Background

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Allusion/Allegory

“The Hill We Climb” is an extended allegory about the journey America is on, focusing on the movement from the country’s dark recent past to a bright future. The main element of the allegory is the hill. The allegory alludes to the historical use of the image of America as a city on a hill by former politicians; in Gorman’s version, the hill represents America’s climb to become that shining city.

Gorman utilizes a number of other allusions with long historical uses in the poem. When she describes the right of all Americans to “sit under their own vine and fig tree / and no one shall make them afraid” (Lines 44-45), Gorman is pointing a long and layered set of references. The line, which means that under God’s protection, all men can live freely without fear, comes from the Book of Micah in the Old Testament of the Bible. It was a favorite biblical quotation for George Washington, America’s first president, who used it frequently in his writings. Recently, the quotation made it into the musical Hamilton, in which a retiring President Washington invokes this image to explain his decision not to run for office again.

The poem’s other allusion to Hamilton is in the line, “history has its eyes on us” (Line 64), which also references something the play’s version of George Washington tells Alexander Hamilton, urging him to be aware that his actions will be judged by future generations. By including this line in her poem, Gorman shows the importance of understanding the historical impact of moments of profound change. Her invocation of these words echo surrounding the lines, which deal with legacy. The reference is also apt because Hamilton is a play that represents the change Gorman advocates for. It is a play about the Founding Fathers told through rap, dance, and played by a diverse cast of actors.

Rhyme/Alliteration

Two prominent poetic devices used in spoken word poetry are rhyme and alliteration. This is because rhyme and alliteration lend themselves nicely to the auditory nature of spoken word poetry. Gorman uses both poetic elements consistently. Though the poem has no set rhyme scheme, it is full of end rhymes and internal rhymes—especially when Gorman wishes to draw the audience’s attention to a specific image or line. She also uses alliteration for this same effect.

One passage in the poem that uses alliteration and rhyme to significant effect is early in the poem:

And yes we are far from polished.

Far from pristine.

But that doesn’t mean we are

striving to form a union that is perfect.

We are striving to forge a union with purpose,

to compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and

conditions of man (Lines 21-27).

The internal rhyme of “pristine” and “mean” is subtle, but it enhances the contrast Gorman builds between our expectations for the nation and our reality. The rhyme serves a rhetorical purpose as well as a melodic one.

Additionally, the passage relies on alliteration, from the repetition of p sounds to the culminating section that repeats seven c sounds in 14 words. The exaggerated repetition forces the reader’s ear to that section, and of course, that section speaks to Gorman’s messages of openness, unity, and equity. The combination of alliteration and rhyme to amplify specific lines and ideas is difficult, and it shows attention to detail and craftsmanship on the poet’s part.

Rhetorical Devices

Gorman’s poem relies heavily on various rhetorical devices, including anaphora (repetition for emphasis and parallelism), isocolon (a parallel structure composed of matching numbers of syllables), and antanaclasis (repetition of a word that uses its alternative meaning), among many others. While there is not enough space in this guide to address all of them, one of the literary references below goes into depth about all the devices in the poem.

Here is one example of Gorman building a rising movement with parallelism and repetition:

that even as we grieved, we grew,

that even as we hurt, we hoped,

that even as we tired, we tried,

that we’ll forever be tied together, victorious.

Not because we will never again know defeat,

but because we will never again sow division (Line 37-42).

Every phrase echoes the one before it, using alliteration to pair contrasting verbs that increasingly heighten the emotion. Readers feel the rhetorical rise in the list, and each line defers the expected second part of the sentence. The crescendo reaches its climax when the repeating “that even as we” switches to “that we’ll forever be,” breaking the pattern of parallel verbs to end on an adjective that cements our eventual triumph. The structure echoes the image of climbing up a hill to a glorious destination that Gorman deploys throughout the poem.

The passage ends with two lines that shift the time frame into the future: “Not because we will never … / but because we will never” (Lines 41-42). The lines again use parallel grammar to express the difference between that coming time and now: After we have successfully navigated the climb up the hill, we will have achieved a state of perfect unity through which we can face problems—and even losses—with grace and connection.