6.0463 Further Responses on Angelou's Inaugural Poem (3/44)
Elaine Brennan (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Thu, 28 Jan 1993 14:11:33 EST
Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 6, No. 0463. Thursday, 28 Jan 1993.
(1) Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 17:01 EST (17 lines)
From: "Peter Graham, Rutgers U., (908) 932-2741"
<GRAHAM@ZODIAC.BITNET>
Subject: Re: 6.0458 Rs: Angelou's Inaugural Poem (5/185)
(2) Date: 27 Jan 1993 16:51:51 -0700 (MST) (14 lines)
From: OCRAMER@CCNODE.Colorado.EDU
Subject: Re: 6.0458 Rs: Angelou's Inaugural Poem (5/185)
(3) Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 11:34:41 -0500 (13 lines)
From: Martha Parrott <Martha_Parrott@poczta.utcs.utoronto.ca>
Subject: flaming prose
(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 17:01 EST
From: "Peter Graham, Rutgers U., (908) 932-2741" <GRAHAM@ZODIAC.BITNET>
Subject: Re: 6.0458 Rs: Angelou's Inaugural Poem (5/185)
I can't help saying that I thought the Angelou poem was effective for its
time and place and moving to see and hear. I take for granted that television
might have been its natural mode, and I will read the text later and see how
it seems to me then.
Kessler's strictures seem slightly excessive but perhaps a necessary cold
bath under the circumstances. I think my positive view here is colored by
contrast, and by a sense that at least language was used in a more complex
and invested form than usual in a very public space and to a good end. Thes3
may be weak reasons.
From: Peter Graham, Rutgers University Libraries
(2) --------------------------------------------------------------28----
Date: 27 Jan 1993 16:51:51 -0700 (MST)
From: OCRAMER@CCNODE.Colorado.EDU
Subject: Re: 6.0458 Rs: Angelou's Inaugural Poem (5/185)
Kessler's intemperate response does remind me that Robert Frost
*didn't* read his inaugural poem in 1961, claiming (or feigning)
sun-blindness at the podium; instead he recited from memory "The
Gift Outright", a no doubt much better and non-laureatistic poem.
This suited the Augustan pretensions of the Kennedy administration:
cf. Horace Satires I.5 where the poet similarly suffers a bout of
blindness when it comes time to "see" the bigwigs of the Augustan
administration then.
Owen Cramer
Colorado College
(3) --------------------------------------------------------------25----
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 11:34:41 -0500
From: Martha Parrott <Martha_Parrott@poczta.utcs.utoronto.ca>
Subject: flaming prose
"M.A. is from Arkansaw, and that seems to have been sufficient reason to
have it happen. Pity. The word Inauguration should be spelled that
way, even in Georgia."
And the word Arkansas should be spelled that way, even in California. What is
it they say about casting the first stone?
Martha Parrott
University of Toronto