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January 23, 2009

On the Obama inauguration poem: John Barr

John BarrWith acclaim and acrimony surrounding Elizabeth Alexander's inauguration poem, I turned to Poetry Foundation president John Barr for some perspective. The Chicago-based non-profit publishes Poetry magazine and "exists to discover and celebrate the best poetry and to place it before the largest possible audience," according to its website (where you can see more of Alexander and her poems).

Barr liked "Praise Song for the Day," which he described as "more like a prayer or hymn than a modernist poem." He noted that writing a ceremonial poem is a tough assignment -- the words have to be understood on the spot by a large audience.

"A ceremonial job has certain requirements that don't go along with a poet sitting at a table and writing a poem of self-discovery. ... You can't get as many levels established in the poem."

He praised Alexander for using cadence and rhetoric to reinforce meaning, maintaining the theme of dignity, and sending the audience "home with lines to think more about." One example: "love with no need to pre-empt grievance."

As for the critics who have pummeled Alexander, he thinks their harsh words are misplaced. Again noting the restrictions of a ceremonial poem, he says critics are comparing Praise Song "to poems written for different purposes. [A ceremonial poem] is like asking a poet to write with one hand tied behind her back."  

Photo from the Poetry Foundation

 

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 3:00 PM | | Comments (1)
        

Comments

"One example: "love with no need to pre-empt grievance."

As for the critics who have pummeled Alexander, he thinks their harsh words are misplaced. Again noting the restrictions of a ceremonial poem, he says critics are comparing Praise Song "to poems written for different purposes. [A ceremonial poem] is like asking a poet to write with one hand tied behind her back."

"think about it"

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While she always preferred The Hardy Boys to Nancy Drew, Nancy Knight grew up reading nearly everything she could get her hands on, including a probably unhealthy amount of R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike, with the obligatory Jane Austen thrown in. She'll still read just about anything you put in front of her, especially the funny or weird. She lives in the city with her books, cat and drum set.

Dave Rosenthal came to The Baltimore Sun as a business reporter in 1987 and now is an assistant managing editor and Sunday editor. He reads a wide range of books (but never as many as he'd like), usually alternating between non-fiction and fiction. Some all-time favorites: A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole; Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupery; and anything by Calvin Trillin or John McPhee. He belongs to a book club with a Jewish theme.
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