In her short but already important career, 22-year-old poet Amanda Gorman has achieved a beautiful series of firsts. At 19, she became the country’s first Youth Poet winner. Last month, when she recited her poem, “The Hill We Climb,” during the inauguration of President Biden, she became the youngest inaugural poet in American history. And on Sunday, she became the first poet to ever perform for the Super Bowl.
Before the match, Gorman performed an original poem entitled ‘Chorus of the Captains’ in a recorded segment. Gorman wrote the poem to celebrate three people chosen as honorary captains to participate in the coin: Trimaine Davis, a teacher in Los Angeles who helped his students get laptops for distance school; Suzie Dorner, a Tampa nurse working with Covid-19 patients in an intensive care unit, and James Martin, a Pittsburgh Marine Corps U.S. veteran who worked to help veterans, high school athletes and young people in to support his community.
In a performance in front of the coin, Gorman pays tribute to the honorary captains:
Today we honor our three captains
For their actions and impact in
A time of uncertainty and distress.
They took the lead,
Exceeds all expectations and limitations,
The upliftment of their communities and neighbors
As leaders, healers and educators
Since stealing the show last month during the inauguration with a charismatic performance, Gorman has seen interest in her work. Her publisher has announced that it will print three million copies of her upcoming titles, including her debut volume and a picture book. Barack Obama, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Oprah Winfrey praised her on social media. IMG Models signed Gorman and will represent her for fashion and beauty signatures.
If you appear at the Super Bowl, it will probably bring an even larger audience to her work. The NFL contacted Gorman in November when the league tried to create a ceremony that would reflect the challenges facing the country. It was decided to open the game by celebrating people who helped their communities through the pandemic.