Celebrating Our Inaugural Poets | National Endowment for the Arts

Last week, the nation listened in awe as Amanda Gorman recited her poem "The Hill We Climb" at President Biden's inauguration. There have been only six inaugural poets over the past 245 years, and at 22, Gorman is by far the youngest. Below are excerpts from each past official inaugural poem, as well as links to the poems in their entirety.

And yes we are far from polished far from pristine but that doesn’t mean we are striving to form a union that is perfect We are striving to forge a union with purpose — "The Hill We Climb" by Amanda Gorman

We head home: through the gloss of rain or weight of snow, or the plum blush of dusk, but always—home, always under one sky, our sky. And always one moon like a silent drum tapping on every rooftop and every window, of one country—all of us— facing the stars hope—a new constellation waiting for us to map it, waiting for us to name it—together — "One Today" by Richard Blanco

In today's sharp sparkle, this winter air, any thing can be made, any sentence begun. On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp, praise song for walking forward in that light. — "Praise Song for the Day" by Elizabeth Alexander

All this in the hands of children, eyes already set on a land we never can visit—it isn’t there yet— but looking through their eyes, we can see what our long gift to them may come to be. If we can truly remember, they will not forget. — "Of History and Hope" by Miller Williams

History, despite its wrenching pain Cannot be unlived, but if faced With courage, need not be lived again. — "On the Pulse of Morning" by Maya Angelou

Such as we were we gave ourselves outright (The deed of gift was many deeds of war) To the land vaguely realizing westward, But still unstoried, artless, unenhanced, Such as she was, such as she will become. — "The Gift Outright" by Robert Frost