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Amanda Gorman says she referenced ‘Hamilton’ in inauguration poem

National youth poet laureate Amanda Gorman tweeted Wednesday that “The Hill We Climb,” the poem she read at President Biden’s inauguration, contained references to Broadway musical “Hamilton” after composer Lin-Manuel Miranda praised her performance on Twitter.

“Did you catch the 2 @HamiltonMusical references in the inaugural poem? I couldn’t help myself!” Gorman tweeted Wednesday afternoon in response.

“You were perfect. Perfectly written, perfectly delivered. Every bit of it,” the Pulitzer winner responded.

Gorman’s poem references the Biblical quotation “they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees, and no one shall make them afraid,” which appears in the Book of Micah and which George Washington paraphrases in the Broadway hit.

It also exhorts listeners that “history has its eyes on us,” a variation on the musical’s song “History Has Its Eyes on You.”

Gorman, 22, is the youngest poet to perform at an inauguration. She spoke for just over six minutes after the swearing-in of Biden and Vice President Harris, earning assorted plaudits from celebrities and political figures on social media.

“Hamilton” has an active history with the White House. In 2009, Miranda performed an early version of its title number at a White House poetry showcase, and the original Broadway cast of the show returned to perform there in early 2016.

Tags Amanda Gorman Biden inauguration Hamilton Inaugural poem Inauguration Joe Biden Lin-Manuel Miranda Poet Laureate

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