Amanda Gorman: 6 Notable Amanda Gorman Poems

Amanda Gorman is the youngest inaugural poet in the history of the United States. Raised in Los Angeles, California, Amanda started writing at the age of five. Diagnosed with an auditory processing disorder at an early age, Amanda realized she could use poetry to overcome her speech impediment. At fourteen, she joined the Los Angeles–based creative writing nonprofit WriteGirl, where she learned to conduct close readings of poetry and workshop her own early poems.

Her time at WriteGirl gave her the confidence to translate her voice to the page and project it publicly, which led to her eventual naming as the first-ever Youth Poet Laureate of the United States. At age twenty-two, she arrived on the US’s national stage when she performed her poem “The Hill We Climb” at President Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20, 2021, in Washington, D.C.

Poet Amanda Gorman’s writing has earned numerous recognitions, resulting in invitations to perform for such notable figures as Oprah Winfrey, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Secretary Hillary Clinton, and former President Barack Obama. Some of her achievements include:

• 2013: After hearing a speech from Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai, Amanda decided to become a youth delegate for the United Nations.
• 2014: Amanda became the inaugural Los Angeles Youth Poet Laureate. During this time, she worked to develop youth programs alongside the County of Los Angeles Commission on Human Relations.
• 2015: While still in high school, Amanda self-published her first collection of poetry, The One for Whom Food Is Not Enough. Although this book is no longer available, several of its original poems made their way into Gorman’s future poetry collections.
• 2016: Amanda enrolled at Harvard University. She would eventually graduate cum laude with a sociology degree.
• 2017: Urban Word, an organization that supports Youth Poets Laureates across the country, named Amanda the first National Youth Poet Laureate.
• 2021: Amanda made US history when she performed “The Hill We Climb” at President Joe Biden’s inauguration in Washington, D.C., becoming the youngest poet in the country’s history to perform during an inauguration and joining a line of literary heavyweights, including Robert Frost and Maya Angelou.
• 2021: Amanda became the first poet to perform at the Super Bowl. She read her “Chorus of the Captains” poem.
• 2021: Alongside actor Timothée Chalamet, singer Billie Eilish, and tennis player Naomi Osaka, Amanda cohosted the 2021 Met Gala.
• 2021: Amanda became the first poet featured on the cover of Vogue. Annie Leibovitz photographed the cover.
• 2021: Penguin Random House published two works by Amanda––her children’s book, Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem, and a poetry collection, Call Us What We Carry (formerly titled, The Hill We Climb and Other Poems). Call Us What We Carry debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times bestseller list.

Amanda Gorman has written poetry collections, a children’s book, and for outlets like The New York Times. Here are five of the young poet’s most notable works:

1. 1. “In This Place (An American Lyric)” (2017): Amanda Gorman wrote this poem for the inaugural reading of Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith at the Library of Congress. “In This Place (An American Lyric)” includes themes often found in Gorman’s other poetry, such as courage, hope, and strength.
2. 2. “Earthrise” (2018): Amanda dedicated “Earthrise” to former Vice President Al Gore for The Climate Reality Project, whose goal is to raise awareness about climate change and encourage activism. Amanda’s powerful use of language in the poem reminds us that we must all come together to protect our planet.
3. 3. “Making Mountains As We Run” (2018): Performed during the inauguration ceremony for Lawrence S. Bacow, Harvard University’s twenty-ninth president, “Making Mountains As We Run,” draws from Gorman’s experiences in creating poetry about discrimination, gender, and race.
4. 4. “The Miracle of Morning” (2020): Written in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, “The Miracle of Morning” delivers a message of hope through the use of language related to love, light, and courage.
5. 5. “The Hill We Climb” (2021): Themes of hope, healing, and unity crop up throughout “The Hill We Climb,” which Amanda performed during the presidential inauguration of President Joe Biden at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. By reflecting on the past but also looking to the future, this inaugural poem acknowledges that the United States has come a long way but that the work is not yet over.
6. 6. “Chorus of the Captains” (2021): Amanda performed this poem during Super Bowl LV. “Chorus of the Captains” honors frontline workers who put their lives at risk to help others during the global coronavirus pandemic, specifically focusing on the efforts of three heroes: nurse Suzie Dorner, teacher Trimaine Davis, and US Marine Corps veteran James Martin.

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