Elizabeth Alexander reads her inaugural poem, "Praise Song for the Day"

[harpsichord326]

Great poem...OR NOT

[marcus5aurelius]

I know exactly why she went up in front of the entire nation and read that aloud. It wasn't for an artistic touch it was to divert any possible assassination attempts. If anyone planned on hurting obama they would much rather take her out in the middle of that poem to stop the pain, saving the president's life. It was merely secret service doing their part.

[2guyscoasting]

God Bless America!

[mysterj4]

As a Urban Spoken Word Artist, which is totally a different genre of poetry, I comment w/respectful caution First of all, I have researched this artist's previous work and found her to be very entertaining All her work has the same style as this one. It is a deep piece that charts a path from then until now I was delighted at the historical undertone and its ancestrial vibe insertion So for the most part, she delivered exactly what she was asked to deliver; a piece of her mind

J

[proto57]

take all the money middle class money away, away say it is change pocket change, from the rich they are too young to know read them some lies they will believe tell them nothing make is sound profound a teacher says hate bush and take out your pencils and hate more lie again, and again when they finally realize, it will be too late, too late.

[2guyscoasting]

And your relationship to your Paradise Lost is what? Victim? Whiner? Guilty?

[v8firebird]

see spot run.

run spot run.

I can

barely

read

without

pausing because

I am too stupid

to read like a normal human being

[2guyscoasting]

Maybe you should try dopamine, then.

[cromagx34]

yummy

[NostalgicNatasha]

v8firebird, Oh my gosh! I made the exact same (see spot run) comment on the last video!! I thought I was the only one that thought that LOL

[SantaBarbaraDianne]

I really love poetry and am also a poet---but I hate to say that even though I really hoped to appreciate this I found it lacking the enthusiasm such an inspiration should have brought out this poem

[Oiaku]

I don't know what bothers me more... the poem itself, or the fact that she reads it like a 4th grader.

[lc482]

the people below this are so uneducated and dumb i can barely give enough credit to write a response. but for the proud, the few... we exist. and we still read. and know a good poem when we hear one (uh, much like our new commander in chief? who COMMISSIONED this work?? from THIS WOMAN IN PARTICULAR?) go retake your S.A.Ts and try to break eleven hundred this time, community college dirtbags

[lc482]

so u didn't get into college, purveyors of mindless negative criticism? no, my parents didn't have money.they raised me2 read/listen/learn,thus get into Smith,&take a poetry class with this poet. woman makes the english language sing.you=breeding more ignorant fools, and raising them not2realize how precious their own life is,but2sit around digging their own grave while they sling the mud up from it, warped features&weak aim for the gracious ones? inbred fools,you played and you lost.

[gonzalezraul87]

Oh, dear God, thank you, you are such a good God to us. A kind and gentle and accommodating God, and we thank You oh sweet, sweet Lord of hosts for the smörgåsbord You have so aptly laid at our table this day, and each day, by day, day by day, by day oh dear Lord three things we pray to love Thee more dearly, to see Thee more clearly, to follow Thee more nearly, day, by day, by day. Amen.

[CloseToComfort]

Wow, absolutely atrocious. I can't even believe that she was selected to read that pathetic excuse for a poem. Maya Angelou is turning over in her grave. This women should be ashamed of herself, she probably wrote it in the car on the way there.

[2guyscoasting]

Do you like this better (below)?

She grubbed this earth with her own hands,

domineered over this grass plot,

blackguarded her oldest son

into buying it, lived here fifteen years,

attained a final loneliness and --

If you can bring nothing to this place

but your carcass, keep out.

[ObsTheGreat]

Maya Angelou is still alive.

[CloseToComfort]

Have you seen her? You call that alive? Poor woman, she's so talented...

[2guyscoasting]

Elitist absurdity? And THAT's not babble?

[musicprodave]

Huh?...what a bunch of babble...What a example of elitist absurdity.

[2guyscoasting]

That's what Elizabeth Alexander wrote about in her poem, but she creates images that have staying power. The farmer, the teacher, the seamstress, the migrant worker, slave etc.

[2guyscoasting]

I'm going to tell you why I like the poem. The poem ends with the line:

Praise song for walking forward in that light

What light? In the light of calm resolve for progress on tough things like civil rights. In the light of keeping the faith as we go about our daily business - even if that might seem mundane. In the light of the daily struggle and figuring things out. In the light of every effort that can be made towards progress such as hand lettering signs to make ourselves heard.

[wds67]

this is what our educational system is producing...to tnen teach others to be this mindless??? SAD!

[marknow1]

I think this shows us that there is much more talent out there then whats availible at Yale. Pshhh!

[scottwoy1000]

What pretentous nonsense!

[Groovyname]

Amen to that. I'm sure she's a lovely, brilliant lady, but honestly, WTF was she talking about?

[tanjentsdotcom]

This was a beautiful speech that took us from everyday tasks into a present momentous occasion. Elizabeth Alexander did a wonderful job. It was sad to see the crowd moving away as she spoke. FWIW: I stood still.

[Groovyname]

I stood still as well... because I'd fallen asleep. It was a wonderful occasion - Obama's speech was magnificent. But I'm afraid the poem was... well... in the style of Elizabeth Alexander. A man lay in bed typing on his computer. Or not. He was confused. And underwhelmed. And felt a little sorry for America.

[Diffie64]

I would certainly not hold this poem up to something by Robert Frost or Maya Angelou, but neither would I call the poem an embarrassment. However, the poet's reading of the her own poem was extremely poor and quite disappointing.

[p242emf]

Yikes!!! I bet she is an outstanding artist, however this piece fell quite short. Obama's address was not up to par either.  His stump speeches were FAR better.

[Andrewcm12]

she sounds like a kindergartner!!!!!

[marknow1]

Today i walked into a courtyard and i saw bird

I saw a bird pooping on a statue.

The statue was of St. Francis.

The statue was of St. Francis with birds on it

The bird was pooping on a statue of a bird perched on St. Francis.

In this same way this woman has pooped on our nation.

shoulda got P-Diddy (or whatever his name is)

[Orangeman0027]

"repairing the things in need of repair" wtf, that sounds like a 5th grader wrote it

[carbonbasedlifeform]

I'm waiting for this comment: Omg, like, it doesn't even RHYME!

[Jackle61]

I just stopped by to listen to this because of the number of people I spoke to who didn't consider it poetry.

Now after listening, I tend to agree with sgtmac46 and the Emperor's new clothes syndrome.

[jaypilla]

What? This lady is on crack.

[mnightwarrior]

Moron.

[admint01]

What the hell?

[ultimateawesome1]

great poem. i just hated the way she read it.

[slipsink]

Kind of reminds me of an old Cheech and Chong routine "Sister Mary elephant". If this poem was brilliant or profound or intended for an intellectual mind I'll gladly crawl back under my rock.

[furfinsandfeathers]

Were you a hippy. If you were, GROW UP!

[2guyscoasting]

I'm going to be away for a few hours. There have been a few abusive comments submitted today so I've turned on comment approval for now. I'll publish all comments that I don't consider abusive when I return.

[patsagainstrats]

Hogwash!

[sgtmac46]

As to what poetry I like...I like Green Eggs and Ham......;)

[carbonbasedlifeform]

Oh, green eggs and ham, eh? well I guess that explains it.

[sgtmac46]

I'm not a poet....but I could have written the same poem that Elizabeth here wrote with a pen, a paper, 5 minutes and three shots of tequila.....if I can do it, it's NOT POETRY!

[dressagedramatic]

This poem is a profound embarrassment to our country.

[sgtmac46]

Yes, that is EXACTLY what was 'profound' about that poem!

[2guyscoasting]

God bless America!

[sgtmac46]

Excuse, 'write'?

[2guyscoasting]

write what ??

[2guyscoasting]

FWIW, personal insults regarding Ms. Alexander are not OK here.

[musicdiva722]

ha. I find this amusing. Maybe it would be good in... some other context.. but not here.

[mrhitman22]

This was Ben Stiller's prayer in Meet the Parents...auhh auhh auhhh....day by day, by day by day!I don't know but I was fired up hearing our newly elect 44th President of the United States...fired up and ready to roll! And this "Poet" just took all the life out of my excitement! ARE YOU KIDDING? Why and who invited her?

[2guyscoasting]

It's interesting. This post has drawn a fair amount of traffic - although not huge by major news standards.

If people were just bored or put off by this poem, I'm not sure it would get much attention. Whatever, don't let this "all the life out of your excitement". Be excited about something you like, not something you don't.

FWIW, I think President Obama invited Ms. Alexander.

[sgtmac46]

It's interesting because it was so awful....I mean folks are attracted to an epic fail.....that's why folks drive by bad traffic collisions.....we're all gawkers!

[ghdep]

I'm only here because I really anticipated her poem, but in the end it was a Major Let Down

[mrhitman22]

I hear you and understand what you're saying. But come on, that was really weak and it really really wasn't needed. Especially AFTER the President...com'on. I'd get more fired up hearing my 5 year old reading a Dr. Seuss book then listening to that non-sense!

[JimCampbell777]

She is a family friend of Obama's. She is a professor at Yale.

[proto57]

Really? Yale? It is the beginning of the end, if that is true. The end of Western civilization, summed up in this one poem.

[carefreelad]

I am 59 years old, well educated, experienced in life and quite literate. This is simply the worst piece of trash I have ever heard. If I wrote this in high school, my English teacher would have had me pilloried. If this is the best we can do for poetry at an inauguration......

[2guyscoasting]

Maybe you'd like a poem about bondage better?

[sgtmac46]

How about one that didn't sound like it was written by a 12 year old 5 minutes before class on a poetry assignment he forget was due?

[carbonbasedlifeform]

how about an example of such a poem sgtmac46?

[sgtmac46]

'Fatman on the corner'

'A fatman considers whether to cross the street....or not....he sees two chickens.....crossing yet not crossing, then saying.....what is on the other side.....safety, and seeing that which we cannot yet see......and two men, losing those things that they have found.....and finding those things which are lost......inside of those things which are outside......looking yet seeing......we find truth....'

[Mjbott7]

the theme of this poem has been overdone. fail.

[sgtmac46]

Do you think she ever realized....'You know.....now that i'm standing here reading this out loud....I realize that it doesn't make any sense and perhaps I should just run off the dais!'

[2guyscoasting]

Sgtmac46, I have to admit you are funny! FWIW, I doubt this poem was written for 'poser psuedo intellectuals.' Take this part:

"Say it plain

that many have died for this day

sing the names of the dead who brought us here

who laid the train tracks, raised the bridges,

picked the cotton and the lettuce

built brick by brick the glittering edifices

they would then keep clean and work inside of"

She might not be writing for you, but not for poetry snobs either.

[sgtmac46]

Oh, she's writing for poetry snobs....she throwing in the right amount of politically correct references to make them feel good about themselves....'cotton and lettuce' are references to black slaves and migrant workers.....it's just enough to make the pseudo-intellectuals feel it's meaningful, and themselves clever for recognizing it.....it's inane poetry with a few hot button references thrown in to dress it up.

[carbonbasedlifeform]

so, you think this poem sucks. You are willing to accuse those of us who enjoyed it of pseudo-intellectualism and poetry snobbishness. You must then be an actual intellectual and in no way do you see yourself as being one of these poetry snobs. So what poetry DO you like?

[sgtmac46]

Oh yes, i'm willing to accuse anyone who thinks that poem was brilliant of having 'The Emperor's New Clothes' syndrome....absolutely!

[mrhitman22]

huh? Are you freakin kidding me?????? "Take out your pencils...begin?"

[sgtmac46]

'.....or not.....'

[2guyscoasting]

The line is: a teacher says take out your pencils, begin.

[Chabeella]

First grader reading!

No Thanks

[2guyscoasting]

But do you like green eggs and ham?

[sgtmac46]

I do not like green eggs and ham......

[2guyscoasting]

Would you like them in a house?

Would you like them with a mouse?

[sgtmac46]

I do not like them in a house....I do not like them with a mouse....I do not like them here or there....I do not like them anywhere....I do not like green eggs and ham.....

[carbonbasedlifeform]

two things sgtmac46...first, your satirical "fatman considers whether to cross the street.." is lol funny, and second, I think you're missing the point of this poem. Sometimes the most powerful words are the ones not spoken. Sometimes the best of poetry lies between the lines. Ah, everyone's a critic these days.

[sgtmac46]

So....the best part of her poem was what she DIDN'T right?

[sgtmac46]

'A fatman considers whether to cross the street....or not....he sees two chickens.....crossing yet not crossing, then saying.....what is on the other side.....safety, and seeing that which we cannot yet see......and two men, losing those things that they have found.....and finding those things which are lost......inside of those things which are outside......looking yet seeing......we find truth....' I'M POET!

[VoyeurArtPortraits]

lololl great!!!!

[sgtmac46]

You'll be able to tell who you pretentious poser pseudo-intellectual friends are.....they'll be talking about how GREAT that was, and how you have to truly understand what she's saying.....I understood perfectly.....that poem could have been the C- work of a 5th grader! She'd have been better off reading Green Eggs and HAM!

[2guyscoasting]

Do you like green eggs and ham?

[sgtmac46]

I do not like them.....I do not like them.....

[2guyscoasting]

God bless America!

[V4zk0r]

That was freaking terrible. I mean really bad. I can even stomach Allen Ginsberg on occasion but this was like Chinese water torture.

[2guyscoasting]

God bless America!

[clapt0n0wnz]

i fell asleep while she read this.. and her phrasing sucks

[2guyscoasting]

God bless America!

[chrishill2]

Either you are too ignorant to understand or too pretentious to admit you don't 'get it' but this was horrible. I mean just plain bad. I understood her meaning quite well and it wasn't her delivery that gave the poem it's poor form. It was just broken from the beginning.

[2guyscoasting]

I didn't see her read. I was listening and recording from my car radio. The first pass I was underwhelmed, but I definitely got a lot more out of it the more I read it. Sometimes people expect high drama for big events. This reading was neither dramatic or loud - but I thought it was a very thoughtful.

[ihearttube]

Thank you. i'm overwhelmed by all these negative comments. i totally agree. i think this poem does not have dramatic feeling to it but it contains what it is supposed to. Inauguration poem is neither supposed to be an award winning poem nor fastfood poem with emotion msg in it.

[ChibiSadoLover]

No one in my english class, as we watched the inauguration, under stood this. They said it was lame and a bad poem, that she was just rambling. I supose that I expect too much of 8th and 9th graders(I am 1 of 2 seniors in the class). I couldn't hear rhe whole thing in class. Thank you for posting this.

[Lymojo]

Yikes. I know Obama's a tough act to follow but man was this a terrible performance. This is like something you'd hear at a middle school graduation. A real shame, especially considering how many world-class poets there are today.

[2guyscoasting]

God bless America!

[ten8goa]

Uh, this sucks beyond belief.

[2guyscoasting]

Thanks. I agree, the more I hear and read it, the more profound it is.

[heffala]

Amazing poem ....An honor for sure on this historical day. Thank you !