There were many historic moments marking the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday, including American poet Amanda Gorman reciting her poem.
Gorman is by far the youngest of poets who have read at presidential inaugurations. Some of her predecessors include Robert Frost, Maya Angelou and Elizabeth Alexander.
The 22-year-old recited her poem "The Hill We Climb," which continued the president's theme of national unity.
"We are striving to forge our union with purpose; to compose a country committed to all cultures colors, characters and conditions of man. And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us, but what stands before us. We close the divide because we know to put our future first we must first put our differences aside. We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another."
Mindful of the past, Gorman wore earrings and a caged bird ring as tribute to Maya Angelou's classic memoir "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," that was given to her by Oprah Winfrey, who is a close friend of the late writer.
Gorman became the first ever National Youth Poet Laureate in 2017 at just 19 years old.
Additional reporting by The Associated Press.
