"On the Pulse of Morning" is a poem written and performed by Maya Angelou as part of the presidential inauguration of Bill Clinton in 1993. The poem is a call to recognize America’s history of slavery and racism, as well as the catastrophic actions contributing to environmental destruction. It links the past and the future, urging listeners to face the past head-on, regardless of how distressing it may be, in order to construct a better future.
The poem highlights the experiences of past generations in what is now the United States, drawing connections between their struggles and those of their descendants. Angelou mentions the ethnic cleansing of Indigenous Americans, the forced migration of Africans during the slave trade, and the hopes and fears of immigrants arriving on American shores. She also calls attention to the diversity of contemporary American life across cultural and ethnic lines.
The poem's speaker is a fluid voice, incorporating the personified perspectives of a tree, a rock, and a river. These natural bodies serve as witnesses to human and pre-human history, and implore listeners to embrace peace, unity, and knowledge over war, cynicism, and ignorance. The work is written in free verse over thirteen stanzas of varied length.
"On the Pulse of Morning" drew critical acclaim. The critic Mary Jane Lupton stated that Angelou's performance marked a return to the African-American tradition of oral storytelling and speech, linking her with the oratory of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Angelou was also the first Black person and woman to read an inaugural poem since such readings were popularized at the 1961 inauguration of John F. Kennedy.
