Comments on: Elizabeth Alexander’s Inaugural Poem http://www.sharpsand.net/2009/01/22/elizabeth-alexanders-inaugural-poem/ Joseph Duemer's blog about reading, writing, politics, birds, food, & weather Sun, 25 Jul 2010 17:06:12 -0600 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: And Your Point Is? : Sharp Sand http://www.sharpsand.net/2009/01/22/elizabeth-alexanders-inaugural-poem/comment-page-1/#comment-8772 And Your Point Is? : Sharp Sand Sun, 08 Feb 2009 13:17:50 +0000 http://www.sharpsand.net/?p=1068#comment-8772 [...] the hell is the point of this? I didn’t think much of Alexander’s poem either, but I tried to sketch a few reasons I thought the piece [...] [...] the hell is the point of this? I didn’t think much of Alexander’s poem either, but I tried to sketch a few reasons I thought the piece [...]

]]> By: edward mycue http://www.sharpsand.net/2009/01/22/elizabeth-alexanders-inaugural-poem/comment-page-1/#comment-8720 edward mycue Fri, 23 Jan 2009 04:44:57 +0000 http://www.sharpsand.net/?p=1068#comment-8720 don't work up interest in official poetry. that's coffled to current received opinion/garbed shining uplift w/goody-two-shoes labeling. at best it can be innocuous struggle speaking importantly -- as if just language itself ever could fill a numb center. this is futile -- as if rhetoric that can be judged as one might a high sermon. a homily or a lyric or a tirade would be more to the point and not an ornamental gate to filigreed sacred script. edward mycue don’t work up interest in official poetry.
that’s coffled to current received opinion/garbed shining uplift w/goody-two-shoes labeling.

at best it can be innocuous struggle speaking importantly —

as if just language itself ever could fill a numb center. this is futile —

as if rhetoric that can be judged as one might a high sermon.

a homily or a lyric or a tirade would be more to the point and not an ornamental gate to filigreed sacred script.

edward mycue

]]> By: Andrew Shields http://www.sharpsand.net/2009/01/22/elizabeth-alexanders-inaugural-poem/comment-page-1/#comment-8719 Andrew Shields Thu, 22 Jan 2009 20:38:38 +0000 http://www.sharpsand.net/?p=1068#comment-8719 Oh, and I posted the comment before I made my second observation: somewhere, I heard or read someone referring to Lowery's speech who said all the rhymed stuff (or at least the opening rhymes) was quoted from "Lift Every Voice and Sing". I'm sure my parents (old Civil Rights folks) would have recognized that immediately; I did not! Oh, and I posted the comment before I made my second observation: somewhere, I heard or read someone referring to Lowery’s speech who said all the rhymed stuff (or at least the opening rhymes) was quoted from “Lift Every Voice and Sing”. I’m sure my parents (old Civil Rights folks) would have recognized that immediately; I did not!

]]> By: Andrew Shields http://www.sharpsand.net/2009/01/22/elizabeth-alexanders-inaugural-poem/comment-page-1/#comment-8718 Andrew Shields Thu, 22 Jan 2009 20:36:55 +0000 http://www.sharpsand.net/?p=1068#comment-8718 I had the same thought about oratory while listening to Alexander right after Obama, even before Lowery. Lowery's oratorical skills confirmed it: there's probably not a single serious American poet today who could read with that kind of oratorical power; or rather, there's probably not a single serious American poet today who is TRULY interested in aiming at that kind of rhetorical power (whether experimental or formal, old or young, black or white, gay or straight, whatever). I had the same thought about oratory while listening to Alexander right after Obama, even before Lowery. Lowery’s oratorical skills confirmed it: there’s probably not a single serious American poet today who could read with that kind of oratorical power; or rather, there’s probably not a single serious American poet today who is TRULY interested in aiming at that kind of rhetorical power (whether experimental or formal, old or young, black or white, gay or straight, whatever).

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