Inaugural Poem Update: Elizabeth Alexander
I’ve read some online reactions to Elizabeth Alexander’s inaugural poem, “Praise Song for the Day,” and national opinion already seems to be as divided on it as with actual pressing political issues. Alexander has been alternately praised or criticized for her deliberate reading style and unadorned language. (Video here.)
Entertainment Weekly’s website features an online forum of reactions to the poem, and the Time Magazine site has a short Q & A with Alexander who spoke about her creative process. Salon.com featured an interesting story about Alexander’s particular challenge in crafting an “occasional poem” and the place of poetry in our political history.
I thought the poem really gathered momentum toward its moving conclusion. Alexander’s measured reading of it in front of a crowd at least a million strong provided a moment of reflection almost as beautiful as the version of “Simple Gifts” played by the all-star classical quartet a few minutes earlier.
Still, perhaps my favorite moment of the inaugural festivities was wheelchair-bound former Vice President Cheney’s unfortunate homage to Dr. Strangelove.
