Poets--and Lack of Them--at Inauguration Ceremonies

“There’ll Be No Bard at the Inauguration” (Jan. 11) by staff writer Renee Tawa mentioned that there have only been three occasions when poets read at presidential inaugurations, namely Robert Frost at JFK’s, Maya Angelou at President Clinton’s first inauguration and Miller Williams at Clinton’s second inauguration. In fact, there were four such occasions. At Jimmy Carter’s inauguration, the celebrated Georgia poet and novelist James Dickey read poetry composed for the event. How soon we forget!

WILLIAM DERGE

Montgomery Village, Md.

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James Dickey read an original poem at an Inauguration Eve gala for Jimmy Carter in January 1977. Dickey, known for his novel “Deliverance,” did not participate in Carter’s swearing-in ceremony the next day.

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It is no surprise that a poem will not grace the inauguration of George W. Bush. As a born-again Christian, Bush might consider these words of Nobel laureate Pablo Neruda and reconsider swearing off on poetry at his swearing-in: “Poetry is a deep inner calling in man; from it came liturgy, the psalms and also the content of religions.”

MICKEY REGAL

Palm Springs

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“No Bard at the Inauguration”? We’ll miss hearing it. Poetic language stirs the hearts and minds of people who have the capacity to imagine. But to this most unpoetic inauguration decision, I sadly think the unappreciated muse of poetry would decline the invitation, were she asked to come.

ELLIE BERNER

San Diego

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“Inaugural Poem 2001”

A call went out throughout the land

For poet for the inaugural stand

Someone to read with requisite passion

But yet avoid all undue thrashin’.

And high and low they looked in vain,

Which gave the committee quite some pain

No right-wing poet they could find

All poets were of the other kind.

FRED PIEGONSKI

Los Angeles