Inauguration 2013: Most presidents don't invite a poet ... for a reason
Richard Blanco, who speaks at Inauguration 2013, will be only the fifth poet to speak on Inauguration Day. Even John Kennedy was wary that a poet, Robert Frost, would shine so bright as to 'detract' from his own address.
Richard Blanco, who speaks at Inauguration 2013, will be only the fifth poet to speak on Inauguration Day. Even John Kennedy was wary that a poet, Robert Frost, would shine so bright as to 'detract' from his own address.
Presidential inaugurations and poets seem like a well-matched pair. The former are supposed to be a time of new beginnings, hope, and inspiration. The latter are people who presumably are skilled at expressing same.
But when second-generation Cuban Richard Blanco steps to the podium during President Obama鈥檚 Jan. 21 second-term inaugural ceremonies, he鈥檒l be only the fifth poet to participate in such proceedings. Robert Frost, who read at John Kennedy鈥檚 1961 swearing-in, was the first, as near as we can tell. Bill Clinton had two: Maya Angelou, in 1993, and Miller Williams, in 1997. In 2009 Elizabeth Alexander read her poem 鈥淧raise Song for the Day鈥� at Mr. Obama鈥檚 first inaugural. Now Mr. Blanco will follow her. That鈥檚 it. [Editor's note: Learning to count, we changed the total number of poets, including Mr. Blanco, to five.]
Why so few? Perhaps a JFK story can provide a little understanding. When a friend of Frost鈥檚 suggested to Kennedy that the famous poet read at his inaugural, the president-elect first brightened, then appeared to have second thoughts.
鈥淔rost is a master with words,鈥� he said, according to historian Robert Dallek鈥檚 JFK biography, 鈥淎n Unfinished Life.鈥� 鈥淗is remarks will detract from my inaugural address if we鈥檙e not careful. Why not have him read a poem 鈥� something that won鈥檛 put him in competition with me?鈥�
Aha 鈥� maybe savvy politicians just don鈥檛 want to face unnecessary competition on a day when they and they alone are supposed to shine like the sun.
Of course, that鈥檚 not what happened with JFK. Inauguration Day was bright, and snow lay heavy on the ground. The light blinded Frost, despite Lyndon Johnson鈥檚 use of his own top hat to shield Frost鈥檚 paper.
Frost could not see the words of a new poem named 鈥淒edication鈥� he had written especially for the occasion. So he had to give up on this surprise he鈥檇 prepared for the crowd. Instead, he recited from memory lines of his poem 鈥淭he Gift Outright.鈥�
In the end, JFK remained the star of his own inaugural. That was due to his own words 鈥� partially penned by adviser Ted Sorensen 鈥� as much as Frost鈥檚 difficulties. Kennedy鈥檚 address soared with such famous lines as 鈥淎sk not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.鈥�
鈥淲hile my opinion on this subject cannot be objective, that address surely ranks among the best of all inaugural addresses in the twentieth century,鈥� wrote Sorensen in his memoir, 鈥淐ounselor: A Life at the Edge of History.鈥�