In her short but already marked career, poet Amanda Gorman, 22, made an impressive series of premieres. At 19, she became the country’s first Laureate Poet. Last month, when she recited her poem, “The Hill We Climb”, in the possession of President Biden, she became the youngest inaugural poet in American history. And on Sunday, she became the first poet to perform for the Super Bowl.
Before the game, Gorman delivered an original poem entitled “Chorus of the Captains” in a recorded segment. Gorman wrote the poem to honor three people who were chosen as honorary captains to participate in the draw: Trimaine Davis, a Los Angeles teacher who helped her students get laptops for remote education; Suzie Dorner, a nurse in Tampa who works with Covid-19 patients in an intensive care unit, and James Martin, a veteran of the US Marine Corps in Pittsburgh who worked to support veterans, high school athletes and youth in his community.
In a presentation before the coin was launched, Gorman paid tribute to the honorary captains:
Today we honor our three captains
For their actions and impact on
A time of uncertainty and need.
They took the lead,
Exceeding all expectations and limitations,
Elevating their communities and neighbors
As leaders, curators and educators
Since she stole the show with a charismatic performance at the opening last month, Gorman has seen interest in her work soar. His publisher has announced that he will print three million copies of his upcoming titles, which include his debut poetry collection and a picture book. Barack Obama, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Oprah Winfrey praised her on social media. IMG Models has signed Gorman and will represent her for fashion and beauty endorsements.
Appearing in the Super Bowl is likely to bring an even larger audience to your work. The NFL contacted Gorman in November, when the league was trying to create a ceremony that reflected the challenges the country is facing. She decided to open the game by celebrating the people who helped their communities during the pandemic.