Poet Amanda Gorman Inspires Young People to Write and Express Themselves VOA News|USA February 13, 2021 12:53 AM (source)
Poet Amanda Gorman Inspires Young People to Write and Express Themselves
詩人阿曼達.戈曼(Amanda Gorman)激勵年輕人寫作與表達自我
February 13, 2021 12:53 AM
Deborah Block
VOA News 搶先看
22 歲詩人阿曼達.戈曼在全球注目的美國總統就職典禮上所朗誦的詩詞在該國青年之間引起了重大的迴響。許多年輕人深深認同戈曼在字詞間傳達對於化解種族仇恨、使國家團結一致的訊息。此舉帶動了當代青年欲從詩詞創作與流行文化的結合中,找到自己的聲音、表達自己的政治訴求。戈曼成功的故事帶給這項具有千年歷史的藝術一股新風潮,也帶給更多青少年在創作中找到感動他人、尋找希望的動力。
As 17-year-old Darius Jackson watched TV, listening in rapt attention to 22-year-old Amanda Gorman recite her poem The Hill We Climb at the inauguration of U.S. President Joe Biden last month, he was struck by the "powerful words" of the young Black woman.
It was a "defining moment in history," said Jackson, who is a high school senior at Central Visual and Performing Arts School in St. Louis, Missouri.
With her reading on Jan. 21, televised nationally and around the globe, Gorman has sparked additional interest in an art form that spans millennia, now drawing a new generation of enthusiasts.
Jackson told VOA he saw some similarities in her poem to Martin Luther King Jr.'s stirring I Have a Dream speech in 1963 that called for an end to racism.
"There's been tension and racial divide in America," Jackson explained, "and in this poem I feel she was trying to put a Band-Aid on the wound we've been going through" to try to bring the country together.
His English teacher, Maggie Schuh, said the inspirational poems Gorman recited at the inauguration and, more recently, at the Super Bowl of American football, resonate with her students.
Gorman, who became the first National Youth Poet Laureate in 2017, is inspiring children to reach out to poetry, which is "alive and well," she said, and includes more than just reading "stuffy old dead white guys' poems."
Today's poetry, which includes slam, spoken word and hip-hop, gives them more freedom to express themselves, she said.
According to Tyra Jenkins, an English teacher at Northwestern High School in Hyattsville, Maryland, Gorman's poetry, which focuses on issues such as civil rights, feminism, unity and social justice, is making her students think about "expressing their political voices."
Jenkins also said Gorman's smooth delivery gives them more confidence that they, too, can be good public speakers.
But there was a time when Gorman wasn't so confident.
The poet grew up in Los Angeles and turned to writing when she was young to cope with a speech impediment. When she was 14, she joined WriteGirl, an afterschool program that mentors teenage girls in underserved communities to give them a voice through creative writing.
Keren Taylor, founder and executive director of WriteGirl, recalled that when Gorman first came, "she was shy and terrified of the microphone." But always eager to learn, once she got over her fear of the microphone, she was "unstoppable."
"Gorman comes from a vibrant slam poetry tradition. She has a lot of energy and there's a freshness to her delivery" that resonates with young people today, explained Kiki Petrosino, a poetry professor at the University of Virginia.
"And now she's considered a shining star," said Taylor of Gorman, who recently graduated from Harvard University with a degree in sociology.
Gorman has also "captivated the imagination of young people because she is the voice of democracy, freedom, and a future of what's possible," said Laura Brief, chief executive officer of 826 National, a youth writing network for elementary and high school students in some under-resourced communities across the country. Gorman is on the group's board and mentors some of the students in its workshops, she said.
Beyance James, a senior at Northwestern High School, called Gorman “an inspiration who uses her words to touch everyone, especially in such difficult times.”
James said the last lines of The Hill We Climb are special to her because they are a reminder for her and other young people to make a difference, even when times are tough:
For there is always light,
if only we're brave enough to see it.
If only we're brave enough to be it.”
Language Notes
註 1: rapt 意指專心致志的;全神貫注的;全身心投入的
註 2: recite 指背誦;朗誦;當衆吟誦
註 3: inauguration 指總統就職日(美國總統從前任總統接過權力,正式就職,舉行就職儀式的日子)
註 4: millennia 為 millennium 的複數,意指一千年,千周年;千周年紀念日
註 5: stirring 於本文為形容詞,意指(演說或歌曲)令人內心澎湃的,激動人心的
註 6: resonate 於本文為動詞,意指使産生聯想;引起共鳴
註 7: laureate 意指(在某研究領域)獲得桂冠的人,獲得殊榮的人
註 8: stuffy 於本文為形容詞,意指古板的,保守的,一本正經的
註 9: slam 為 Poetry Slam 的縮寫,「口述藝術」(Spoken Word Art)的其中一種,是美國很盛行的詩作朗誦比賽形式,翻譯並無統一名稱,直翻將其活動稱之尬詩擂台
註 10: speech impediment 意指語言障礙,說話障礙
BACK TO CONTENT
Check your comprehension!
Choose the BEST answer to each of the questions below. After you finish, highlight the parentheses to reveal the hidden answers.
1. ( D ) According to the article, which statement is TRUE of Amanda Gorman's upbringing? (A) She is a born speaker who was never afraid of public speaking. (B) She joined 826 National to learn creative writing at age 14. (C) She recently graduated from Harvard University majoring in literature. (D) She overcame her speech disorder through poetry and public speaking. 2. ( B ) What does the phrase "put a Band-Aid on the wound" refer to in paragraph 5? (A) To heal someone wounded (B) To aim for reconciliation (C) To cover up an ugly scar (D) To make matters worse 3. ( C ) Which of the following was NOT inspired by Amanda Gorman's poetry? (A) Motivate students into expressing their political voices (B) Instill more confidence in pupils to become good public speakers (C) Propel change in legislation in regards to civil right movements (D) Offer hope and faith for change in wake of difficult times
編譯:外語教學暨資源中心 編輯小組
|