Today’s challenge to the poet Elizabeth Alexander was even greater than previous poets who’d been asked to write verse for an inaugural day. Read the full post.
Jan 20
2009
05:56 PM ET
President Obama the poet, and the inauguration poem
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President Obama’s speech was wonderful, as expected. However, the poem was awful, and the poet read it as if English was not her first language. (Too slow and choppy, and without feeling). I can appreciate that she was present when King gave his “I have a dream” speech, but she should not have been chosen to write and recite this poem for the inauguration.
President Obama’s speech was wonderful, as expected. However, the poem was awful, and the poet read it as if English was not her first language. (Too slow and choppy, and without feeling). I can appreciate that she was present when King gave his “I have a dream” speech, but she should not have been chosen to write and recite this poem for the inauguration.
I would have liked more passion in the delivery, but it wasn’t a flowery, leaping poem either. nk- Robt Frost wrote for JFK; Maya Angelou for BC- these are lame poets? What do you like??
I thought the poem was too simple (language, message). I was hoping for something a little bit more like Walt Whitman. Something that felt like it had more depth, more passion for the moment.
It was a Poem????
Hope it doesn’t foreshadow what we can expect.
I am a speech coach, and I kept thinking what a lovely poem it was being very poorly delivered. Too bad her delivery couldn’t do the words justice.
I loved Obama’s beautiful and well spoken speech, yet I hated the following poem. It lacked flow and grace deserving of this day. The reading lacked passion and felt empty. Where are the days of real poetry that stirs the soul and leads one to think?
I think that womans speech was written for that 3% of our country that hold Phd’s… I thought Obama speech was very powerful…almost threatning. the Rev at the end was awesome!
I loved the poem and delivery. If you closed your eyes, it was like rapid snap shots of American history and present time.
Rachel, exactly! I said it was like a reading from an elementary schoolteacher.
I was embarrassed for the President — if this is his idea of a superb poet, I truly don’t want to read any of his work.
I became transfixed by the reading of this poem. A feeling I’ve not experienced since watching the performance of Sasha Cohen at the Olympics. Held in place by the poem’s beauty, grace and perfection…to the final word.
As a teacher I thought it was a poor poem with a terrible delivery. So sad for such an historical day!
beautiful, beautiful poem- one to savor and reflect on.
Maya Angelou she was not. The words and meaning of the poem were apprpriate, but the reading lacked cadence.