On the Pulse of Morning

“On the Pulse of Morning” has two main concerns: looking to the future and acknowledging the past. Though it attempts to do both things, the poem’s main focus is the future. This makes sense given the poem was written for the specific purpose of a political event that is dedicated to the inauguration of a new president, but even though the poem fits the positive, hopeful narrative of change, Angelou is able to convey a sense of reflection and critique. This makes the poem a little more nuanced than what one might expect during such an event. It also distinguishes the poem thematically from Frost’s 1961 poem, and sets the tone for inaugural poems to follow, including Amanda Gorman’s “The Hill we Climb” (2021), performed during Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration (see: Further Reading & Resources). In this way, “On the Pulse of Morning” serves as a link between Frost and Gorman, landing exactly 30 years between the two readings.

Starting with the past, Angelou opens the poem by taking the reader back to the very beginning, all the way back to the dinosaurs. She establishes a connection between the past and the present by linking the two times with the connected image of