Frontlist | Amanda Gorman & other inaugural poets: Their poems in books

Inaugural poems fall under the category of occasional poetry, Benka explained, the label encompassing poems that are written for important moments in time. She said she's stunned by the response Gorman received after reciting her poem during President Biden’s inauguration, noting it’s the most attention a poet has gotten for their work in recent memory.

“Amanda gave people lines to hold on to during a particularly challenging moment in time,” Benka said. “It speaks to the unique power of a poem to help us through these difficult times.”

You’ll find Gorman’s inaugural poem in her poetry collection below. The same day that collection publishes, Gorman will also publish her first children’s book, a rhyming (and lyrical) picture book, with illustrations from Loren Long.

Since Gorman’s books have grown in popularity overnight, we took a look at the other inaugural poets to have read for presidents, alongside the poetry books including those poems.

Gorman, named the country’s first Youth Poet Laureate in 2017, read her inaugural poem “The Hill We Climb” during the inauguration of President Joe Biden as the 46th president of the U.S. The poem will appear in Gorman’s upcoming collection of poems, named after the inaugural poem and set to publish in September. A special edition of Gorman’s inaugural poem will be published in April, too.

Blanco, the nation’s first Latino and openly gay inaugural poet, read his poem “One Today” during the second inauguration of former President Barack Obama. The poem was turned into an illustrated book with art by Dav Pilkey, creator of the “Captain Underpants” series.

Alexander read her poem “Praise Song For The New Day” during the inauguration of former President Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States. The poem is published in this collectible edition of the work.

Williams read his poem “Of History and Hope” during the second inauguration of President Bill Clinton. The poem is featured in Williams’ book “The Ways We Touch,” a larger collection of his works.

Angelou read her poem “On the Pulse of Morning” at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton as the 42nd president of the United States. The poem is published in this book, a hard copy edition of the work.

Frost was the first poet ever to read a work at a presidential inauguration. He read his poem “The Gift Outright” at the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy as the 35th president of the United States. The poem is published in this book, which features all eleven of Frost’s individual books of poetry from 1913 to1962.