“On the Pulse of Morning” may well be remembered in the future as Maya Angelou’s single most important poem. It is available
in short book form and was first read on the occasion of William Jefferson Clinton’s election to the position of President of the United States. ‘
Morning’ seamlessly blends the land, nation and spirit of the United States under the metaphors of Rock, River and Tree. It starts with the prehistoric creatures that lived here and ends on the morning of the inauguration. It’s message is that, to capture the promise of this nation you need only say with hope to those you meet; good morning.The things that make the poem so
remarkable, in the context of the inaugural poem are first, its acknowledgment of America’s flawed past. Tribes of Africans are called by name and the brutality of their introduction into the American dream discussed frankly. Likewise the suffering of The Native American Peoples is addressed. In a political world where nothing was wrong and it’s getting better, this poems candor is refreshing. The other remarkable thing is the inclusiveness. The stanzas welcoming people to the nation range in their inclusions from Swedes and Eskimos to gays and straights. The point is simply and eloquently put that the nation is no more or less to one person or another and no person is more or less to the nation than any other. It also concluded that, regardless of our origins, we have all been made brothers and sisters by our experiences in this nation.In construction the poem is sometimes rhyming but open, the structure fitting the content rather than the other way around. Stanzas last as long as the author needs in order to convey her messages. This is typical of Angelou and beautiful to read.