Point of View

Although the poem is technically written in first person, the speaker almost exclusively uses “we,” using the personal pronouns “I” and “my” only once. This choice to rely on the collective, audience-inclusive pronoun “we” throughout this poem is especially important when considering the poem’s context. The United States was in the midst of a fraught power transition after a period of unrest and open conflict with the government. The people were divided, often failing to find common ground on many of the most pressing issues of the day. “The Hill We Climb” presents a picture of unity, in which everyone falls under the same collective “we,” with the same hopes and goals for the country. The point of view creates an inclusive vision of the nation and compliments the optimistic tone of the poem. In presenting a picture of a nation working together to...