Joe Biden delivers speech at his inauguration
Amanda Gorman is the youngest ever poet to perform her work at the inauguration of a US President. Joe Biden was sworn in today as the 46th President of the United States, taking over from the disgraced Donald Trump.
The inauguration went off without a hitch this afternoon despite increased security following the riots earlier this month.
Mr Biden sought to unite America in his inaugural speech after four years of division under Donald Trump.
The disgraced former president refused to attend the ceremony today, but his Vice President Mike Pence attended the ceremony alongside other former presidents.
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Who is Amanda Gorman?
Ms Gorman is believed to have been chosen by Joe Biden’s wife Jill to read at his inauguration as the Inaugural Poet.
The 22-year-old poet performed her poem ‘The Hill We Climb’ to close the ceremony, which took place in Washington DC this afternoon.
Clearly a formidable performer, Ms Gorman has been an emerging face and name in America’s literary scene – selected as the Youth Poet Laureate when she was only 16-years-old.
Born in LA in 1998, she was raised by a single mother and reportedly became interested in poetry as a young child.
Ms Gorman wrote part of the poem in response to the Capitol riots last week.
She stayed awake late into the night and finished the poem, adding verses about the scenes of violence that unfolded at the Capitol:
‘We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it,
Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy.
And this effort very nearly succeeded.
But while democracy can be periodically delayed,
It can never be permanently defeated.’
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