Inaugural Poem: "Praise Song for the Day"

[GuerillaInThaMidst]

This was the worst poem possible. My God! Didn't the team view this horrible freakin' shit? This poem should have been titled, 'Hella-Retarded Poem For The Day'. "A woman and her son..wait...for...the...bus" Retarded shit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!!!

[1DoNotClickHere]

Barack Obama's approval rating is dropping by the day?

[ty2]

Long are the days when leaders lead and follow the principles of God and long are the days of Longfellow, Foster and Holmes.

[leocat99]

Q. What's the difference between Obama opponents and Obama supporters?

A. The first group works for a living while the second group votes for a living.

[mellyandlissy]

You people. What is wrong with you?!?! This is a beautiful poem. I cry about every time I read it. It is so moving. Its talking about how far we have gone. How important our past is. That we wouldn't be here today, if our history didn't occur. We wouldn't have the rights we do today if people didn't speak up, people didn't act. And that love can take you so much farther than hate. You make up your history, your past, and your present. So make it with love, and make it right!:)

[whatever7x7]

Obama = A FUCKING LIAR, HALF BREED, FUCK-SHIT-DEVEL.

[NEPatriots128154]

@whatever7x7 Easy...

[crazedbunny471]

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha­hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha­hahahahahahahahaha im sorry but that poem isn't very good.

[stickinup2188]

Barack Obama's approval rating is dropping by the day. Few people like him because he continued the policies of Bush. And no republican can save you because they're all controlled by the New World Order. The Council on Foreign Relations is part of the New World Order, and so is the Trilateral Commission.

[fullhse06]

oh elizabeth, darling, you have absolutely ruined your perfectly dreadful poem with your reading of it.

[NoMercyJustCruelty]

As the Joker said: And I thought MY jokes were bad!

[XbellyXjrmythbusterX]

hahaha

it's like a bunch of random things put together.

life is rolling down a hill eating bottle caps while tossing salads on our tounges while he fix tires with our toes.

repairing life while making music while a woman and son wait for a bus

NOW TAKE OUT YOUR PENCILS

[ramza675]

BEST FAUKIN POEM IN DA WORLD

[squadgurl2006]

give her a break! it's not easy reciting a poem after Obama spoke! Besides, people were done listening to the program after Obama spoke. I was one of them...

[Firewolf23]

Call it "art" if you wish, but mediocre poetry is still mediocre poetry, even if it was selected because it fit with a certain theme of the day. All the poor delivery did was ensure that it never left the ground and thus lost any effect she might've hoped to have had with it.

[rockfire87]

The actual poem was wonderful, it's just the way she read it that bored everyone. She talks to slow and enunciates way to much.

[GuerillaInThaMidst]

@rockfire87....WRONG!!!! You know that shit was über horrible! It had nothing to do with art, nor the day. Horrible presentation of what Poetry is.

[mcxero123852]

SUCK IT!!!!!!!!

[Valthecatlover]

Better rest up for the mandatory civil service plan rolling out soon, courtesy of Rahm Emmanuel. Hope you're not between the ages of 18 - 25.

[pues13]

this poem fucken sucked and was so cliche. i expected better

[sebtuber]

If you think this poem sucked look up the actual text on Google and try reading it either quietly or out loud. It is actually rather good, however her delivery is beyond terrible... a classical case. Not all who can write a good work can deliver a good work.

[ohiobeachbum]

Don't you think you guys are being a bit harsh with your NON-constructive critism of this piece? Poetry is ART...that's all. This was a "slice of life" poem. I absolutely loved it. I'm thinking that the critics here never had to "figure it out at the kitchen table" or say "I know there's something better down the road". You are all entitled to your opinions. Nevertheless, I would expect a bit more RESPECT from the YouTube community. Thank you Elizabeth Alexander for this wonderful poem.

[Valthecatlover]

I rated this 1 star. Don't blame me, I voted for McCain.

[everEbody]

Does anybody know what thegas4free.blogspot,com is that Obama has been talking about?

[Bushlaba]

so bad...

[Polklule]

HEY EVERYONE!! I thought this poem sucked too, but then our AP teacher made us read it and gave us an assignment for this poem. After I had finished reading it, I saw the many literary usages she had used to create this amazing poem. I love this poem now that I took the time to read it and understand it.

[niuchemist]

I thought it was similar to Carl Sandburg's "Chicago", but nowhere near as good. It may be a great poem on a technical level, but it doesn't resonate with people because the poet doesn't seem to be going anywhere.

[Aantttt]

Oh dear..

[PredragTV]

horrible >:((((

Someone is trying to make music somewhere - she says. Well she certainly isnt

[CurtisConway40]

awful

[ChrstnaMare]

SO BAD!!! it was so pointless. tires and hemming? wtf

[scrappy172]

lol, worst poem ever....

[commandolam]

WTF IT DOESNT EVEN RHYME!!

i DECLARE JIHAD!! JIHAD!!!

[commandolam]

wow this video ended and I didnt even realize it

[alexvlk]

i know EXACTLY what you mean!

[commandolam]

I probably wrote a better poem in 3rd grade english

[PEDROJUNIOR93]

epic fail!! did you guys see all those ppl leaving lmao!!!

[riverlink]

wtf..

[commandolam]

needed more pop culture references.

some leeroy jenkins, a falcon punch, maybe an over 9000.

[JayMichigan]

Ooh, a re-run. That's what we need. I mean, since nothing else important is going on.

Oh man, except for a 1-Trillion-Dollar stimulus bill loaded up with secret shit that nobody has "time to read" before frantically signing.

Right. Let's listen to some crap poetry from a month ago instead.

[massive611]

Someone should have put her on the helicopter with Bush...

[MarkAShore]

Cheney should of just wheeled his gimp ass over her with his wheel chair

[aztecprincessa06]

bad poem. who chose her? ugh. i was at the inauguration and as soon as this poem started i left haha

[redsoxx2424]

obama chose her

[peps1154]

i could write a better poem in 10 minutes

[spdwolf]

agreed. not that this poem was bad or anything, just that it takes some time to understand that's all...

[kxmode]

my life flash before my eyes... i see a white light... o_o

[kdwormy]

perhaps poetry is better to be read rather than heard.

[datgurlsmiilesz]

god i hated this poem :| i knew he should have got maya angelou lol or even somebody from DEF POETRY would be better.

[roberthehn]

What an excellent poem...NOT!

[neatneatneat815]

i don't get it...

[Bubba186]

this was bad....

[xyjar]

I hope she doesn't quit her day job.

[kris1991]

This, was, horrible.

[mecrapples]

so so weak and pedestrian...

[HeetXS]

That was a great poem, or not.

[cosmiclightning]

I liked the jumble of words, that were also clear and straightforward. Maybe that's because I'm not an English major.

[latinplaya4u2002]

not good.

[DoubleODude]

bad writing.

[jugirama]

i didn't like this poem at all

[Beautyinajar]

That was a crappy poem. And yes, I am an English major. My poetry professor even said it was crappy.

[Orno]

This poem was very disappointing...

[tennisobsessmith]

oh yeah... this was a huge let down after the preceding events

[Ottee2]

Love, people. She's talking about love.

Get past the deliberate recitation and let the words possess you. Can you do that?

[ProViz]

ludacris should have wrote the poem, bahahahaa

[Urbanz1975]

This was a HORRIBLE poem, HORRIBLE!!!

[blindmonk07]

I actually think the poem is quite good, and very appropriate. The reading of the poem, the performance though, really made it seem unbearable.

[devtin]

I agree but it is a big honor to read your own poem. Still I wish she had done a better reading

[elffia]

hahaha, I feel so bad for her.

[dazetfreecrest]

No one likes fucking poetry... honestly, worst mistake Obama has ever made, hands down. Snoooore

[VCipollone]

Worst. Poem. Ever.

[poodlepink]

I think poet Elizabeth Alexander was going for clarity and wanting no word to be mumbled or misunderstood. It was a nice reading. The words of this poem stand strong enough without any certain recitation style. It's a poem that's about the truth of life as humans. If you listen hard to your heart when you hear it, you can feel your finite-ness and perhaps touch something eternal. This is one of the most wonderful things I've ever done, you could call it to...I AM.

[Cutchswife]

I thought this poem was awful, but it still couldn't ruin the day Obama became president.

[thescaryworker]

Just think, our tax dollars went towards this poem being written, for the woman to be flown to Washington DC at the most expensive time of the year, and then for her time at the inauguration to read it.

What ever happened to GOOD poetry? Did they all die off before the new millennium?

[TropicMnk3y]

The poor woman has no voice, no projection, no cadence, and no intonation. It's the most robotic recitation I've ever heard. *sigh* I long for Maya Angelou, at Clinton's inaugural.

[daiser720]

Maybe she should have read it differently. This is so sad, I think W. makes more sense when reading a children's book.

[shepp77]

This is bad. What a disgrace. I was willing to accept this reading from a disabled person (to be kind). But when I found out this person is not really disabled, I must dismiss this reading as a work of crap.

[enuvune]

If you listen carefully this poem is actually about feminism and vaginas.

[ironeagle69]

boringggggggggg

[RedeemingLight]

Oh snaps, I remember this bitch! Obama was sworn in, and when this bitch showed up, I stopped watching. I was in a public space with others watching along, and everyone else was leaving. Basically this proves that poetry is for losers.

[telanis9]

WORST. POEM. EVER.

I will now compose a SHlTTY haiku that is better in every way.

Liz Alexander,

Please stop sucking so much DlCK.

Also: die. Thank you.

[IdiotNESS]

meter? no

rhyme? no

Does any random collection of prose qualify as a poem nowadays?

[Joshlama]

The problem of this video is that the speaker said it in the form of prose. I have read the poem, and it looks better than it was said.

I might film myself reciting this poem some time.

[eyelovemec]

This poem was the talk of the day at work when we all watched it together. I know it has a good meaning to it, but it just doesn't flow. Not my favorite. but, YAY, OBAMA!!!

[shakazzolo]

The video stopped playing and I didn't realize it....

[COLUMBINE1818]

Couldn't stand watching this. Broken speech and nothing profound or artistic. For a defining moment in American History this was a LAME attempt.

[ErisTheFairest5]

I'm very proud and grateful to have Mr. Obama as our president. However, for a poem, this wasn't very...poetic. It was more like a lame speech read by a kindergarten teacher, over pronouncing each syllable as if addressing a special-ed class. On an historic even like this i would expect much more.

[coleyy121]

the poem was okay but she sounds like a robot..=S

[USNARox2008]

she makes Maya Angelou's pome for Clinton WORTHY of Poet Laureate status.

This dame failed to deliver the goods, it is neither edifying nor entertaining.

"NO SOUP FOR YOU!"

[Guitarfreak2312]

the poem was really bad but the person it was about is AMAZING

[grimsdottir]

you know that blush you get in your cheeks when you see someone else do something so stupid that you yourself feel embarrassed?

that's how i felt the whole time this poor woman was reciting this horrible horrible 'poem' on inauguration day.

god awful. poor thing. i sure hope she has a day job.

[cosmiclightning]

Yeah, she's a professor at Yale.

[fokeeer]

blah blah blah

[Sputnik418]

I am proud of my president. I am ashamed that I live in the same universe as this godawful poem.

[KingAlverson]

this is just terrible

[cumtomyh0use]

I agree. that lady just makes us look like shit! she sounds like a robot also.

[pookiehohn]

That poem was made of broken hopes and dreams.

[mos277]

this was very bad... very very bad

[underchiever2]

this is a shitty poem

[ShrimpnoodIes]

She emphasized the syllables so much it made the entire poem-which I believe would have sounded much more beautiful if read less prosaically- extremely monotonous. Perhaps she learned how to write before she could read...

[CHICAGOFAN33]

obama will not fail

the change we can believe in

[utubefavorsdems]

Obama will fail America in 2009.

[EveryOtherThing]

its 2009 and we are not failed

[utubefavorsdems]

Please be patient. The year is young.

[ShamW0W]

I'm sorry but this was better off forgotten.

[jasonbobbymiller]

i should make a video about my brother and his friends reactions (all 12 and 13) to this poem, it'll be epic. ps she sux

[Ali695]

my least favorite part of the inauguration

[voodooKobra]

I did not like the way she delivered the poem. I'm sure it's better on paper. She must've been nervous.

[Stupiddailynews]

I agree its very chopy, then again I'm a debater and we are tought to be VERY chopy to be super serious. So she might trying to make a point but I doubt it

[vanillacurry4]

this is a very, very bad poem. Its as if an eighth grader wrote it. It has no sort of rhythm, it's annoyingly literal and she read it so dryly. Also an extremely lacking ending.

[AcdcfreakRocks]

not even eight, i was better than that 2 years ago

this was just...what? a joke? terrible.

[woweeez]

This is really bad.

[ultimatexpka]

gay poem, and this is a dumb repeat of the inaguration

1/5

[Genkaiman]

Worst poem I've ever heard. Hardly did the Inauguration justice.

[7SnowyNights]

Well.

She blew it.

[scribe63]

lol i went to the inauguartion and as soon as she started speaking everybody started heading out of the mall. i was funny, but i couldn't laigh ause my face was frozen

[Sparta4always]

I didn't like this one, does anyone know how to find the poem that that old man wrote and came right after this one.

[outragious007]

I was hoping for a Robert Frost type poet at least, but I guess they went with a bit of an anti-climax to reduce history to the actual...

And who would want to be poet of the day when the president sworn in is an orator of poetic dimensions?

[ElectrickZebra]

wow

[bugabuse]

Wow, that was weak.

[LittleM1021]

cmon you sound like a robot lady. you have the freedom of speech, use it

[thepingsound]

dude, this was weak..

[TornadoStudios]

Beautiful. I don't know why its not 5 stars...

[PaulThaAsian]

it just seemed incredibly drawn out and jumped to so many topics...her delivery was sub par but it was cold and one of the biggest days in this countrys history so id be nervious too

[DanielSahne]

Is there any other reason to pick this poet other then "shes black and shes a woman".

Dont think so.

[tilrs]

How is she black?

[Ptrrrrrrrr]

I'm sorry, I feel bad for the woman but God, this is just so bad. I remember watching it saying "God that was awful". It sounds like a mash of words with some very poor, very basic poet design and then read aloud by someone who sees it for the first time.

We gotta meme this.

[kriztufer2001]

i'm a senior in high school and i know i could write a better poem than that.

[Timic83amv]

lololol

[DisintersGroup]

we hand over $8 trillion and this is all you got! screw you whitehouse!

[BlackHype]

wow worst poem ever

[melodiclyrics]

I understand that she is trying to speak clearly so people can understand her, but she sounds a little robotic.

[MUSTSEE4TV]

i luv it*****

[7895225789]

WOW.

So bad was this poetry? :-(

[redsoxx2424]

what..the fuck...was that. obama handpicked this lady to do this by the way, and approved of the poem.

[rumbleforce]

this is fucking crap

[XIxPlatinumxIX]

really. wot was this about. cuz i fell asleep from her goin on and on.

[scetestuser5]

Doesn't someone read the stuff that's going to be said during the day...seriously who authorized this junk.

[fencingpeter]

Mr. President i thought higher of you....

[paperbag09]

very bad

[c0nram]

this really sucks and the sad thing is that she probably got payed alot of money for it aswell

[Cbbyosoy]

anybody thinks this is good?

[dropkickpikachu]

Mr. President, you're a great man, but I hope this poet lady wasn't your idea. Because, you see, it was a bad idea.

[carrierexchange]

I thought you people at the Whitehouse realised by now that the poem moment was very bad!

[breninarian]

I am sorry, I love poetry, but I don't think this is anywhere near the standard it should have been.

[PeteMP1992]

Her voice bores me. Please get somebody else to repeat it. I am sure it is actually a nice poem.

[DJHarrison93]

i was waching this at school with my class and we all decided that to go back to class becuse This was so boring

[crazycrazycaleb]

This poem is horrible. I remember watching the Inaug, and thinking "What the fuck.. this poem sucks, they could have had any poet, and chose her, and she wrote this terrible poem" .. I don't know. It's just really bad.

[bearo657]

Even on the day, when everything else about the inauguration was awesome, I thought "this poem truly sucks, it's a stain on a great day" Horrible disappointment, better to leave it forgotten whitehouse, I would suggest take it off your youtube page.

[Answersinbooks]

Just BAD

[naraicks]

this is hard to listen to

[Paracropolis]

This poem was truly diabolical.

[Steve0292]

wow that SUCKED!!!

[mss7570]

did anyone like this poem/presentation thereof? I would love to hear what people like about it because I'm not a fan and I haven't heard anything positive about it.

[operationturkey]

I was suprised how bad this poem was when I watched the Inauguration live.

[Tatorandtot]

Do you even understand the message of the poem?

[operationturkey]

It's not the meaning that's the problem. It's the broken and un-flowing way in which it is read that makes it simply painful to listen to.

[JoyfullyJennie]

I was completely underwhelmed by this... and I am a lover of words. I gave it a second shot to day... and still have little response.

[spockgiirl]

Her recitation left some to be desired. But the poem wasn't bad...regardless of what people I watched the inauguration with...

[Urbanz1975]

It left everything to be desired, this poem was a tragedy, a complete train wreck.

[rodrd6348]

Second