Image licensed under CC BY 2.0

Current Event January 19, 2021

Young Inaugural Poet on Her Journey


Poet Amanda Gorman never expected to become a public speaker. Although she composed poetry from a young age, her speech impediment made it difficult for her to pronounce certain words. Recently, though, she stood at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. and delivered an original poem at the inauguration ceremony for President Joe Biden. At age 22, she is the youngest poet ever to receive that honor. Listen to Gorman describe why the event held special meaning for her, how she prepared for it, and why she sometimes revises her poems at the last minute.

Poetry Politics Language Race Gender Disabilities Black

Story Length: 6:54

Listen to the Story:

SOURCE:

National Public Radio © 2021 National Public Radio, Inc. Used with the permission of NPR. All rights reserved.

AIR DATE: 01/19/2021