I am not sure who “W” had read a poem at his inauguration considering Dr. Suess has been dead for years, but here is an article on CNN.com about Elizabeth Alexander, the poet who will be reading a special poem written for the event after President Obama makes his speech.
“I think that the fact that President-elect Obama has decided to have a poem in this ceremony is a wonderful affirmation to the power of language, the way in which poetry gives us distilled and mindful and careful language that can both give us a moment of pause, a moment of contemplation and that can also … look at the world from a slightly different angle.”
It is good to see that poetry still has a place in American culture and is welcomed to document history and be a part of such a great event. Poets such as Robert Frost and Maya Angelou have read at previous presidential inaugurations. Congratulations to Ms. Alexander for joining such a group of talented and amazing writers.
Commentary: For Obama’s poet, poetry ‘is the human voice’ – CNN.com
