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Friday, December 19, 2008

Politics Against Poetry

Posted by on Fri, Dec 19, 2008 at 12:54 PM

George Packer:

Is it too late to convince the President-elect not to have a poem written for and read at his Inauguration? The event will be a great moment in the nation’s history. Three million people will be listening on the Mall. Many of them will be thinking of another great moment that took place forty-five years ago, at their backs, when Martin Luther King stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Such grandeur would seem to call for poetry. But in fact the opposite is true.

For many decades American poetry has been a private activity, written by few people and read by few people, lacking the language, rhythm, emotion, and thought that could move large numbers of people in large public settings. In response to the news about Obama’s inaugural, Derek Walcott, who is about the only poet I can think of who might have pulled it off, but wasn’t selected, said, “There have been great occasional poets—poets who write on occasion. Tennyson was one. I think Pope was another. Frost also.” It’s not an accident that Walcott couldn’t name a poet born after 1874. And even Frost, who was chosen by J.F.K. to read the first inaugural poem in American history, botched the job, composing a piece of triumphalist doggerel that compared Kennedy to the Roman emperor Augustus...

 

Comments (7) RSS

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1
Personally, I think Maya Angelou did a fabulous job for Bill Clinton with "On the Pulse of Morning." I can still remember her distinctive voice reciting it--it's the only thing I remember about that inauguration, actually. Angelou isn't for everyone, I suppose, but I generally like her poetry a great deal, including that one.
Posted by Simac on December 19, 2008 at 1:22 PM
2
Saul Williams would be perfect for moving large groups of people
Posted by vooodooo84 on December 19, 2008 at 1:26 PM
3
That's a shame because I remember the Maya Angelou address as very moving. It inspired hope in me although she did leave out one line.
Posted by Catman on December 19, 2008 at 1:31 PM
4
Anyone else find the poetry that metro puts on the buses universally atrocious?
Posted by Doug on December 19, 2008 at 1:38 PM
5
Oh, I can't read. I'm glad there will be a poet.
Posted by Catman on December 19, 2008 at 1:42 PM
6
Yes, no one at all likes things involving poetry. That explains rap music and hip hop.
Posted by E on December 19, 2008 at 3:08 PM
7
Poetry's been totally irrelevant since 1874. Every Philistine knows that.
Posted by Ben on December 19, 2008 at 11:33 PM

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