| Abstract | The purpose of this paper is to present an analysis of the inaugural poems written for and read at the inaugurations of American presidents. To date, six poets have been invited to participate at the inaugurations of four presidents. They are Robert Frost, Maya Angelou, Miller Williams, Elizabeth Alexander, Richard Blanco, and Amanda Gorman, and the presidents at whose inaugurations they recited their works are John F. Kennedy (Frost), William J. Clinton (Angelou and Williams), Barack H. Obama (Alexander and Blanco), and Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Gorman), respectively. Inaugural poems fall into the category of occasional poetry, that is, poetry written for a specific moment. The poets who delivered their poems at presidential inaugurations focused on depicting the past, present, and future of the United States, encompassing a number of issues which are crucial for understanding the way America is viewed and how the American identity is constructed. The key motifs and ideas presented in each of the inaugural poems form the focal point of this paper, as does a comparative analysis of the poems, which shows the common themes inherent in the observation of the United States. These elements include the people, land, and time of the United States, and the complex ways in which they are intertwined. The analysis also includes several ‘unofficial’ poems which were not recited at the inaugural ceremonies themselves, but which still provide a lens for the observation of American history in general, and the institution of the U.S. presidency in particular. The questions of orality, performance, and authenticity also arise over the course of the analysis. Written at specific points in U.S. history, all these poems stand as representations of the American idea, and they each present an image of the United States, that of a nation and its history, culture, and people. |
