Amanda Gorman painted a portrait of a country “worthy” of the “American dream” when reciting a new poem at the Democratic National Convention Wednesday night.
Despite other speakers loudly voicing support for the Harris-Walz ticket — and often voicing disdain for that of the other party — Gorman’s self-written work titled “The Scared Scene” mentioned no names or parties. Instead, the work spoke of ideals like unity, family, and love that she likened to the true “roots” of the country.
“We are one family regardless of religion, class, or color. For what defines a patriot is not just our love of liberty, but our love for one another,” the 26-year-old said. “While we all love freedom, it is love that frees us all. Empathy emancipates, making us greater than hate or vanity. That is the American promise, powerful and pure.”
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Although Gorman didn’t mention Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris by name, it’s not the first time the country’s first national youth poet laureate has shared a poem that touches on the theme of togetherness on a stage dedicated, in part, to the vice president.
More than three years ago, Gorman captivated the nation by sharing another original poem titled “The Hill We Climb” at President Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration. This cemented her as the youngest-ever inaugural poet — and cemented the president as only the fourth to have had a poem read at his inauguration.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Gorman said she had been thinking about a poem for Biden’s reelection campaign before he withdrew from the race and threw his support behind Harris. She said she then began thinking of a new poem centered on “expressing hope for what could be, especially at the idea of having a Black-Indian woman be president.”
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As for the title, the poet told the publication that it came to her after aiming to capture “what it means for people to gather together around shared values and principles,” an idea that can point to those within the “roots of who we are as human beings” or those shared within an event like the DNC.
And in her performance at the DNC, the line mentioning the poem’s title seemed to note both.
“Only now approaching this rare air are we aware that perhaps the American dream is no dream at all, but instead a dare to dream together,” Gorman said. “Like a million roots tethered, branching up humbly, making one tree, this is our country from many one, from battles won, our kingdom come has just begun. We redeem this sacred scene, ready for our journey from it together.”
To hear Gorman’s full speech, watch the video above.
