The Miracle of Morning

“The Miracle of Morning” (2020) is a poem by Amanda Gorman concerning the coronavirus pandemic and its effect on the United States. Gorman prefers this poem to be a spoken word poem. Though Gorman wrote the poem in the early days of the pandemic, it captures some of the ongoing feelings of loss and hope the pandemic inspired in the public. Like most of Gorman’s poetry, “The Miracle of Morning” is uplifting and focuses on a positive, hopeful view of the future while rejecting the negativity and division that sometimes accompanies the discussion of contemporary issues. Though not as well-known as some of her other poems, “The Miracle of Morning” is a quintessential 2020 poem that captures the essence of the time and offers a positive message from a time of great despair.

Poet Biography

Born and raised in Los Angeles, California in 1998, Amanda Gorman began her writing career at a young age. Born with a speech impediment, she used reading and writing to help her overcome her speech difficulties, and at the age of 15, she became a force in the Los Angeles poetry community.

Gorman published her first book of poetry, The One for Whom Food Is Not Enough, in 2015 and became Los Angeles’s first youth poet laureate, which honors the area’s most respected poet.