I was watching this live, Elizabeth Alexander spoke a very beautiful poem at the Obama inaugural function. It was very refreshing and made you think. In fact Obama and Michelle were looking deep in thought at the time of recitation as if pondering over the words.
Elizabeth Alexander Bio & Wiki
Elizabeth Alexander is a professor at Yale. She has also authored five collections of poetry, including the 2006 Pulitzer Prize finalist American Sublime.
If you are into poetry and other artistic endeavors, then you would be interested to know that Ms Elizabeth Alexander is the fourth poet to have made an recitation at a presidential inaugural.
The others? Robert Frost, he recited “Dedication” at the inauguration of John F. Kennedy. Others are Maya Angelou and Miller Williams. These two made recitations at both the Clinton’s two terms inaugural. Looks like Republicans consider poetry a pansy pursuit.
Although I can hardly say I am a poetry connoisseur, but according to the experts, the poetry rendered by Elizabeth was less than exemplary.Personally, she sounded good to me but the critics at various newspapers (like LA Times etc) have shredded the performance.
What do you think about it? Do you agree or disagree. Have your say below. Also, for the transcript (or Text as some would say) of the inaugural poem go here.
Poetry experts, shmoetry experts! If you enjoyed the poem and found meaning in it, don’t let anyone disrupt that. I personally thought it fell flat, particularly compared to what it followed (Obama’s speech) and what others (like Maya Angelou) have done previously. I blogged about it, and I’d be very interested in your comments on what it was specifically that you liked and appreciated about it.
i loved it. very meaningful and well written.
I had been looking forward to the poem, listened to her interview on NPR regarding her poem, ordered a book of her poetry (hasn’t yet arrived) and anticipated the publication of the inaugural commorative edition. I was so completely disappointed that I can’t stop thinking about it. If the poem “text” were to be meaningful to me or if I had personally had the opportunity to enjoy it I wasn’t able to get beyond her delivery. The words were prohibited entry to my head, blocked by a curious cadence and intonation I vaguely remember experiencing as a 4 year old learning the rhyme “One Potato, Two potato…” I am searching for other opinions today – this my first stop, in hope that someone might bring a different perspective. I will also take a look at the printed transcript, sans a vocal delivery of any kind that I might appreciate the poem’s message. I’m sure this is a beautiful poem and I still look forward to exploring her poetry in her collection when my book arrives.
This was a long, stupid and miserable poem. There was not reason to let Ms. A. keep all the folks out in the cold over a batch of tortured meaningless words.