That pulls the citizen in you out, into the air. When you hear a poem, you both feel it enter you, but you also have to rise to meet it. What a poem does is remind us is that we are fallible and at the same time that we’re just trying to do the right thing. The antidote to campaign madness is poetry It turns out that an inauguration was actually a situation where you would ask for a sign from the gods that you were doing something right. When you look at the word inaugural – where does this word really come from, what does it really mean or stand for? – you see that its meaning is embedded deep in its etymology ‘augur’, in ancient Rome, was the word for omen, for foreboding. That is both immensely comforting and challenging and exhilarating. You feel like an individual but you are also part of a community. But at the same time, you can feel an incredibly individual sense of empathy. Rita Dove : What is meaningful about a poem being read at any event where a nation or a community is gathered is that a poem will make us feel like we are coming together. The interview was lightly edited for clarity and length.ĬNN: What stands out to you as meaningful in idea of a poem being read at the swearing-in of a president? She spoke with me about the power poetry can have for everyday citizens and a commander in chief. Kennedy His Inauguration”) for the occasion but chose in the moment (because, he later said and as Bendat outlines in his book, he couldn’t see to read the words he’d typed out on the page because of the bright sunlight) to recite from memory a shorter poem, “The Gift Outright.”įrost’s improvisation aside, inaugural poets have delivered a work written for the occasion: Maya Angelou’s “ On the Pulse of Morning,” Miller Williams’ “ Of Hope and History” for Clinton – and Alexander and Blanco for Obama.ĭove, whose most recent book is Collected Poems: 1974-2004, is now the Commonwealth Professor of English at the University of Virginia. Robert Frost actually prepared a poem (“ Dedication,” later retitled “For John F. Bendat confirms that only Democratic presidents – JFK, Clinton, and Obama – have had a poet at their swearing-in. Between the new leader’s vision for our nation and a prayer to keep it safe and free, there was poetry.Īs Jim Bendat points out, to be an inaugural poet is to join an intimate group of only five, with only two – Alexander, and Richard Blanco, who read “ One Today” when Barack Obama was inaugurated for his second term – still living. Lowery – offers some insight into what role poems have historically played in the swearing-in of presidents. She had the perhaps unenviable task of following the President as a speaker, but her placement on the program – between Obama’s inaugural address and the final benediction from the Rev. The air was bitterly cold in January 2009 when poet Elizabeth Alexander read “Praise Song for the Morning,” composed for the occasion of Barack Obama’s first inauguration. Only Democrats – Kennedy, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama – have had a poet read from the steps of the Capitol. And yet, according to inaugural historian Jim Bendat, it hasn’t been a consistent feature of the day. With poems ranging from rhyming and romantic to inspirational, they will speak to you.or at least to your followers on Instagram if you're in search of a simple (yet beautiful) fall quote.Poets have been, for some inauguration watchers, a part of the spectacle of the occasion since Robert Frost, the first poet to appear at the ceremony, read for John F. If you're looking to curl up with a poetry book and a cozy cocktail when the sun goes down early, start with these poets. From William Shakespeare to Rita Dove, autumn has animated famous thinkers and writers over the generations. As Robert Frost wrote in one of his most famous poems, "Nothing gold can stay." That holds true for the yellow leaves of autumn, and the halcyon days of summer. The best autumn poems capture this season of striking change, often using fall as a metaphor to explore the cycle of life. For others, though, autumn is a melancholy reminder of summer's end-less cookouts and beach reading. For many, the equinox marks the start of a glorious season, filled with apple picking and pumpkin carving. Fall brings sweater weather, spectacular displays of foliage, and harvest celebrations.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |