NEW CPP & DEADLINE Consider the inaugural offerings of poetry from Frost to Gorman and through the lens of identity (race, age, gender, sexuality, era). Consider nuances in their respective laments and appeals. What political changes or consistencies abide within these voices and what are the implications of these changes or consistencies in America’s civil sustainability and growth?

Name: Professor: Course: Date: The Inaugural Poetry: Identity, Political Changes, and Implications of These Changes in America’s Civil Sustainability and Growth Introduction The inaugural poetries "The Hill We Climb" by Amanda Gorman, "Praise Song for the Day" by Elizabeth Alexander, "On The Pulse Of Morning" by Maya Angelou, "One Today" by Richard Blanco, "Of History and Hope" by Miller Williams and "The Gift Outright" by Robert Frost, highlights the wide spectrum of perspectives and voices, with each offering unique insights about the evolving identities and political American landscapes. Through the lenses of identity which encompass gender, race, age, and sexuality these poets collectively lament the collective consciousness of the American nation. Through these inaugural poems, it becomes evident that the voices of minorities are most often the type of voices that bring about change. This is integral to the growth of American civilization because such voices are those of people who have been marginalized, and need change. The political changes and consistencies that abide within these voices Inaugural poems often reflect on the socio-political contexts emergent at the time, addressing the major political occurrences and events. From the Civil War to the most recent war on terrorism, inaugural poems have been the mirrors of the ever-evolving landscape of American democracy and identity. When Maya Angelou orally presented her inauguration, poem dubbed “On the Pulse of Morning” in the presidential ceremony of President-elect Clinton on January 2oth 1993, her goal was not to seek redress of the historical injustices against black Americans but to remind Americans to own up of their history of slavery, genocide, environmental destruction, and colonialism. Maya took the stage to celebrate the major progress that had been made over the past few decades, particularly The Civil Rights Act of 1964 (public law 88-352) which prohibited discrimination based on color, race, sex, or nationality. With the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964, America saw the application of Jim Crow laws come to an end, a major law that had been upheld by the Supreme Court in the case Plessy v Ferguson in 1896. As stated by Maya Angelou, “History, despite its wrenching pain, / Cannot be unlived, but if faced/ With courage, need not be lived again" (II. 73-75). While Maya’s poem is forward-looking it reiterates the past injustices and calls for their recognition to move forward collectively and in unity. In her poem, she uses the Rock and the Tree as symbolism particularly where the Rock calls the audience to confront destiny and “seek no haven in [its] shadow'' (II. 11- 12), and the Tree on the other hand, used to calls for ways necessary to surpass any constraint established by the Present Order "with courage" (1. 75) and to fully commit the spirit to the doctrine for eternal life (Witmer). Through Maya’s call for unity and realization of past mistakes to have a better America, several political changes have since been affected. First, there was the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 which gave employees a right to off days to look after newborns or ill family members. Other major political changes include the Shelby County v. Holder where the US Supreme Court decides section 4 of the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional Richard Blanco's "One Today" in his critical inaugural poem reiterates the key voice of unity and communism. As narrated by Blanco, “All of us are as vital as the one light we move through, the same light on blackboards with lessons for the day: equations to solve, history to question, or atoms imagined, the “I have a dream” we keep dreaming” (lines 15-18). Blanco recognizes the shared experiences and histories and goes into detail to highlight the distinctive differences that characterize the American people. Through the distinctive differences, Blanco reiterates the beauty and complexities of the experiences faced by Americans but also offers a sense of hope under the condition of togetherness. Blanco realizes that America has long suffered due to divisions across cultures and moving forward in today’s society starts with embracing our differences and using those differences especially language and culture as a source of American identity. Like many inaugural poets, Blanco reiterates the importance of political involvement and democracy in overcoming several challenges. The effect of Blanco’s poetry is massive considering the major political changes that continue to come up. Through Blanco’s voice and other major political changes experiences over the past few years have been successful including the Lawrence v. Texas case where the Supreme Court declared that the Texas statute that criminalized same-sex activity was unconstitutional. This law among others paved the way for the acceptance of differences including differences in sexual orientation which was initially considered illegal on American soil. Other laws that align with Blanco’s’ inauguration poem of “One Today” include the Obergefell v. Hodges of 2015 which further legalized same-sex marriages across the 50 American states and the Roe vs Wade landmark decision that gave women the right to privacy and autonomy about their reproductive health. More so, Robert Frost's "The Gift Outright" reiterates the importance of patriotism during difficult times. Through the inaugural poem, Frost reiterates the need to sacrifice for one's country without expecting anything in return just like the forefathers did to see this country become what it is today. As told through the poem, the gift of the land (America) came with personal sacrifices and expenses largely because the forefathers would not have received anything had they not given it out first. He narrates: “Such as we were we gave ourselves outright, (The deed of gift was many deeds of war)” (lines 12-13). In these two lines, the message passed across is that imperfect Americans were able to give themselves out to get an imperfect land through which they were able to build something greater that has lasted to this very day. As such, for America to achieve more greatness more sacrifice is needed. The land inherited from forefathers should make us feel the responsib...