tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8067112966724673321.post6710241308352028414..comments2023-08-27T05:50:10.321-07:00Comments on My Laureate's Lasso: For the Inauguration of Barack Obama: David HopesKathryn Stripling Byerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17867152753841610044noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8067112966724673321.post-43679938649030508042009-01-21T07:45:00.000-08:002009-01-21T07:45:00.000-08:00Nancy, thanks for your comment. I think the idea ...Nancy, thanks for your comment. I think the idea of having Inauguration events with poems written for the occasion is a great one, and I wish we'd do more along these lines. David's line breaks near the end are compromised, by the way, by being squeezed into my blog space. For me, his poem captured the historic importance of the day and its language really sings. Alexander's did not. I will be posting some comments by a couple of poets and a vocal teacher soon. Alexander's conclusion fell flat in part because of having no vocal resolution. I'll have to read the poem in text, with line breaks. And how depressing taht the NY Times ignored the line breaks. I fear too many poets don't take them seriously either. I fear American poetry has let itself become too small for the subjects it must be able to write about if it is to remain in any way vital to our culture.Kathryn Stripling Byerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17867152753841610044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8067112966724673321.post-10819650762872326912009-01-21T07:21:00.000-08:002009-01-21T07:21:00.000-08:00Kay, this is an inspiring poem by David Hopes. (H...Kay, this is an inspiring poem by David Hopes. (Hello David) <BR/><BR/>You ask, "What is the place of the poet in our country today?" Poets are invisible. I appreciate President Barack Obama inviting prize winning poet Elizabeth Alexander to grace his inauguration ceremony with a poem. I was moved by her poem but disappointed that the New York Times failed to honor her line breaks. Also there was something about the last line. I believe she read it differently.<BR/><BR/>I would have liked to hear David Hopes read his poem, "For the Inauguration of Barack Obama" in Asheville. Wouldn't it be amazing if there were inauguration poems read in every community throughout the nation on the day of the presidential inauguration? <BR/><BR/>Both poems moved me. Alexander's poem spoke more to those who have grievances to put aside as they move to love and light. I felt her poem was more for the black community and for those whites who have not yet experienced the spiritual love needed to bring our nation together.<BR/><BR/>The poem by David Hopes insipried me. I felt it was more the white collar poem, the more literate poem. Toward the end, I had a problem following his line breaks also. As a practicing poet who reads poetry daily, there is something I can take from each of the poems to help me at this dark time in our nation's history. <BR/><BR/>I will remember David's poem more because of his strong ending: "Come down to the dancing place to dance, come down to the water and drink." I know, he is invoking former literary greats, he says so, but his words make me want to "come home" too.Nancy Simpsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06468975663711270696noreply@blogger.com