With her stunning words and swan-like gestures, she rallied Americans around a moment of great division to look towards a future based on strength, survival and hope.
Amanda Gorman referenced the musical Hamilton in her soul-stirring inaugural poem “The Hill We Climb,” on the day she shook up the world. The next morning, her world was rocked on “Good Morning America” with a surprise message from Hamilton’s creator.
“I almost fell out of my chair!” Gorman said Thursday after watching a surprise personal message from
Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Also a fan of Gorman’s work, the playwright shared words of appreciation in the inspiring video message that Gorman watched for the first time during her interview.
“The right words in the right order can change the world, and you proved that yesterday with your brilliant piece. I’m so incredibly proud of you and I can’t wait to see what you write next. Keep changing the world, one word at a time. You smashed it!” he told the young Poet Laureate.
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When poet Amanda Gorman took center stage during President Joe Biden s inauguration to deliver her poem The Hill We Climb, it became immediately clear why she was chosen to precede him on the podium.
Only four presidents John F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and now, Biden have had poets read at their inaugurations and Gorman captivated viewers across America as she spoke of a shaded past and a lighter future, not shying away from four years of grief and trauma, but nevertheless determined to offer an outlook for America s redemption.
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Her presence as a young Black woman artist on stage felt deeply historic, especially as deep political divisiveness and racist rhetoric from government leaders and law enforcement has continued to come into clearer view over the last four years. And everything about her reading from the development of her work, to her chosen outfit, to the poem itself is imbued with symbolism.