Speech acts - The Hill We Climb - Amanda Gorman

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

On this Twentieth Day of January, at noon (EST), the 46th President of the United States, Joseph R. Biden, Jr., was vested with Executive Power, after he took the 35-word Oath of Office, extracted from Article II, Section 1 of the US Constitution, reciting after Chief Justice Roberts :

 I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. (National Archives, US Constitution, Sept 17, 1787)

On this memorable day, the Nation’s Youth Poet Laureate, 22-year old Amanda Gorman, was invited to compose a poem for the occasion. The YouTube video below captured the stunning words and impressive rendition of her poem, titled The hill we climb (Gorman, 2021). 

References

Gorman, A. (Sept 21, 2021) The Hill We Climb. New York, NY: Penguin/Random House. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/688816/the-hill-we-climb-by-amanda-gorman/9780593465066/

Gorman, A. (Jan 20, 2021) The hill we climb (Transcription).  https://www.rev.com/blog/transcripts/amanda-gorman-inauguration-poem-transcript-the-hill-we-climb

National Archives. The Constitution of the United States: A transcription.   https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript