POEGLES » Barack Obama

“Odes to Obama: A poem or 2 for the new president”

admin — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:59:23 +0000

The Associated Press, gearing up for the inauguration and Elizabeth Alexander’s performance as Poet-in-Chief, solicited a few other major American poets to write a lick or two for the incoming president. More here.

“Charles Simic, another former poet laureate, said ‘it’s impossible to say yes or no. … I can’t write to order. … When do you need it by?’”

“His good intentions didn’t bear fruit.”

Oh, Charlie.

Blagojevich answers charges with poetry

admin — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 00:12:58 +0000

Via Gawker: Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, accused of corruption and trying to ‘sell” Barack Obama’s Senate seat, recited Rudyard Kipling’s poem “If” on television today.

He’s a decent reader. Check out the video here.

Obama ‘dabbled’ in poetry

admin — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 21:15:25 +0000

Via Poetry Hut: In this month’s Atlantic we’re treated to musing on the poetry of Abraham Lincoln. The Atlantic links out to a NY Times piece from May 2008 that reprinted two Obama poems that the President-elect published in an Occidental College literary journal in his early adult years, “Pop” and “Undeground”. Incidentally, I like the phrase “musty, wet pelts” in “Underground”.