tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1721806112111394142.post1732038845264563039..comments2016-04-07T18:28:30.006-04:00Comments on Elizabethan Lit.: Post-Walt: Reflections on the 2013 Inaugural PoemElizabeth Eshelmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606865772654354582noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1721806112111394142.post-88532719111652016092013-02-07T10:38:13.337-05:002013-02-07T10:38:13.337-05:00What an interesting story! It's a great begin...What an interesting story! It's a great beginning to the tradition of having a poet read at inaugurations. Hopefully the next poem lives up to that history a little better.Erikahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15920767448137696698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1721806112111394142.post-10894627361166925922013-02-07T10:31:45.886-05:002013-02-07T10:31:45.886-05:00I agree, Neal. It's not very democratic (or v...I agree, Neal. It's not very democratic (or very American) to speak to only a portion of the nation. When he tries to list different types of people, it seems like he's being inclusive, but I think it has the opposite effect. Not very appropriate for an inaugural poem.Erikahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15920767448137696698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1721806112111394142.post-8726769981687587632013-02-05T19:52:22.903-05:002013-02-05T19:52:22.903-05:00Great comment! In fact, if you're not careful,...Great comment! In fact, if you're not careful, I'll coerce you to guest blog for me. I especially appreciate your reading of Frost's line, "(The deed of gift was many deeds of war)." Also a good point about the narrower range of readers; listing many professions does not equate to an expansive understanding of the nation. Thanks for the link, too--fascinating!Elizabeth Eshelmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06606865772654354582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1721806112111394142.post-50468067710121970242013-02-05T19:36:17.405-05:002013-02-05T19:36:17.405-05:00I'm glad you posted this. I was going to ask y...I'm glad you posted this. I was going to ask you what you thought about Blanco's poem. <br /><br />I'm glad you mentioned "The Gift Outright," too. The parenthetical line in that poem helps me to understand that one of the major problems with "One Today" is its lack of ambiguity. Frost shows why ambiguity is so valuable. First, the emotional ambiguity that the parenthetical line creates allows a wide range of readers to engage enthusiastically with the poem. An unquestioning patriot would boast about the many deeds of American war, and a conscientious objector would rue the blood shed by American hands. Frost allows both readers to find meaning in his poem. Blanco's poem admits a much narrower range of readers. If you don't believe that America is a unified land full of crescendoing faces and doors that speak Hebrew, you'd better look elsewhere for edification. <br /><br />Frost, unlike Blanco, also uses linguistic ambiguity to great effect. In his parenthetical line, the connection of deeds of war to property deeds sparks insights that Frost may not have intended. As a lawyer, I read that metaphor and reflect on the ways in which the legal system often devastates its participants. Ultimately, ambiguity helps Frost fulfill his inaugural purpose. (I know he didn't actually write "The Gift" for the inauguration.) It provides a source from which everyone can draw meaning. It celebrates democracy by being democratic. <br /><br />The inauguration also reminds me that you could review Barack Obama's literary criticism (see his assessment of T.S. Eliot in the article below) if you ever need something fun to write about on your blog.<br /><br />http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/2012/06/young-barack-obama-in-love-david-maraniss<br /> <br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10037231424200269576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1721806112111394142.post-15682291296064974662013-02-05T19:28:07.476-05:002013-02-05T19:28:07.476-05:00Thanks for the comment--lack of subtlety is a good...Thanks for the comment--lack of subtlety is a good way of putting it. I'm willing to cut some slack when we're talking an inaugural poem; it needs to communicate a little more clearly on a first reading. But that doesn't mean there shouldn't be subtlety when you hold it up to a close reading. "The Gift Outright" really works that way, and it's interesting to compare that Frost didn't write it for the inauguration; he had published it in the '40s. This is an interesting article about it: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/20540Elizabeth Eshelmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06606865772654354582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1721806112111394142.post-34197277969151484802013-02-05T17:40:03.167-05:002013-02-05T17:40:03.167-05:00I was disappointed with this poem too. No subtlet...I was disappointed with this poem too. No subtlety at all - and isn't that the whole point of poetry? To say things with fewer words than you would need to explain your idea in prose? Great post. Thanks!Erikahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15920767448137696698noreply@blogger.com