Linda Gregerson

What is the role of poetry in the world? Writers have been wrestling with that question for centuries. In 1821, Percy Bysshe Shelley said that poetry helps us strengthen the muscles of our morals, and that “poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.” Fast-forward to Joe Biden’s inauguration in January: Amanda Gorman recited her poem “The Hill We Climb,” a call not just for unity but for justice.

Speak plainly, said November to the maples, say
              what you mean now, nowthat summer’s lush declensions lie like the lies
              they were at your feet. Haven’twe praised you? Haven’t we summer after summer
              put our faith in augmentation.