Amanda Gorman's Super Bowl poem honors three American heroes

We first saw National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman stun the audience at President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris's inauguration in January. However, it appears that the 22-year-old was just getting started. She amazed audiences once again on Sunday evening when she performed ahead of the Super Bowl game. She recited her poem Chorus of the Captains, which honors three American heroes who have shown immense leadership and bravery during the ongoing public health crisis. Educator Trimaine Davis, ICU nurse manager Suzie Dorner, and veteran James Martin were all named "Honorary Captains," and Gorman had the opportunity to share their victories with Americans across the country, CNN reports.

A video of the young poet was played ahead of the three heroes' introduction on-field. Following her recitation at the Biden-Harris inauguration, she was signed with IMG models and interviewed by Michelle Obama for TIME Magazine. Gorman once again received messages of praise after her recitation of Chorus of the Captains. The official NFL Twitter account posted a video of the recitation with this caption: "What a moment." Several Twitter users weighed in on her performance. One wrote, "The voice of the American heart, beating strongly through the words of this gifted young woman." Another added, "#BlackGirlMagic fully represented! Great job Amanda! You make me proud to spell my name W O M A N!"

For those who missed out on her performance, here is the poem Chorus of the Captains in full:

Today we honor our three captains
For their actions and impact in
A time of uncertainty and need.
They've taken the lead,
Exceeding all expectations and limitations,
Uplifting their communities and neighbors
As leaders, healers and educators.

James has felt the wounds of warfare,
But this warrior still shares
His home with at-risk kids.
During Covid, he's even lent a hand
Live-streaming football for family and fans.

Trimaine is an educator who works nonstop,
Providing his community with hotspots,
Laptops and tech workshops,
So his students have all the tools
They need to succeed in life and in school.

Suzie is the ICU nurse manager at a Tampa hospital.
Her chronicles prove that even in tragedy, hope is possible.
She lost her grandmothers to the pandemic,
And fights to save other lives in the ICU battle zone,
Defining the front line heroes risking their lives for our own.

Let us walk with these warriors,
Charge on with these champions,
And carry forth the call of our captains!
We celebrate them by acting
With courage and compassion,
By doing what is right and just.
For while we honor them today,
It is they who every day honor us.

Gorman graduated cum laude in 2020 from Harvard College, where she studied Sociology. She was inspired to become a youth delegate for the United Nations in 2013 after watching a speech by Pakistani Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai. Her poetry and art focus on issues of oppression, feminism, race, and marginalization, as well as the African diaspora. The young poet has three upcoming books, including The Hill We Climb: Poems, The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country, Change Sings: A Children's Anthem.