The inauguration of President Joe Biden was an eventful day, but the inaugural poet really captured the hearts of many. Amanda Gorman performed “The Hill We Climb” at yesterday’s ceremony, and in doing so became the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history. Gorman is a Los Angeles native, and her heartfelt moving poems have allowed her to perform for the Obamas, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Malala and more.  She also earned the title of the first National Youth Poet Laureate in 2017. This amazing poet made me want to investigate the history of this ‘inaugural poet’ role. This role is still remarkably new, with only four presidents having poets read at their ceremonies. It started with John F. Kennedy in 1961 and Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden following suit. All four of these presidents were/are known for holding reading and literature in high regard. After Amanda’s amazing performance, her words of hope and resilience, while acknowledging the hard work ahead, resonated through the entire country.