This is truly wonderful, but I have one question: why couldn't Elizabeth Alexander have read her poem the way she talks here? She talks so beautifully, so fluently, so smoothly, with wit and charm, but she read the poem so flatly. In my previous post, I talked about the lack of oratory in her presentation, and I suspected that few contemporary American poets would be able to be "oratorical" in the way Obama and Lowery were. But EA's speaking on the Colbert show suggests that she could well have presented her poem in an oratorically more satisfying way!
Showing posts with label Elizabeth Alexander. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elizabeth Alexander. Show all posts
Thursday, January 22, 2009
On Elizabeth Alexander's reading of her poem
Reb Livingston has once again thrown water on the fire of pettiness that burns through contemporary American poetry, this time in connection with criticisms of Elizabeth Alexander's poem for the inauguration and her reading of it. I recommend her post highly.
Here was my comment:
Thanks, Reb, for pointing out the absurdity of the criticisms of EA and her poem. I enjoyed the poem, myself, both as she read it and when I saw it with its correct lineation on Mark Doty's blog.
As you correctly point out, contemporary poets don't stand a chance when reading their work before or after politicians or preachers. But I also noticed that both Obama and Lowery are not shy of being *orators*, while EA (like just about any contemporary poet who might have accepted the gig) completely avoids anything "oratorical" in her presentation.
It made me wonder how the poem might have sounded if read by someone experienced in public oratory. I think it would have held its ground much better then.
That's not EA's fault, of course; the miniscule audience for contemporary poetry is quite shy of oratory.
Here was my comment:
Thanks, Reb, for pointing out the absurdity of the criticisms of EA and her poem. I enjoyed the poem, myself, both as she read it and when I saw it with its correct lineation on Mark Doty's blog.
As you correctly point out, contemporary poets don't stand a chance when reading their work before or after politicians or preachers. But I also noticed that both Obama and Lowery are not shy of being *orators*, while EA (like just about any contemporary poet who might have accepted the gig) completely avoids anything "oratorical" in her presentation.
It made me wonder how the poem might have sounded if read by someone experienced in public oratory. I think it would have held its ground much better then.
That's not EA's fault, of course; the miniscule audience for contemporary poetry is quite shy of oratory.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
