Poet to speak at Obama's inauguration

Elizabeth Alexander has been selected to compose and deliver a poem at Barack Obama’s presidential inauguration at the United States Capitol on January, 20, 2009. She is the fourth poet in history to be so honored. She will deliver her poem after president-elect Obama’s inaugural address.

"She is a superb choice for the inauguration," explains Tree Swenson, Executive Director of the Academy of American Poets. "She is from Washington, she represents Obama's generation, and she has written about the Civil Rights conflict and other historical events that have shaped the character of this country. At the same time, her intense personal vision reveals the commonplace life illuminated from startling new angles—as good poetry always does."

Alexander said: "This is a powerful moment in our history. The joy I feel is sober and profound because so much struggle and sacrifice have brought us to this day. And there is so much work to be done ahead of us. Poetry is not meant to cheer; rather, poetry challenges, and moves us towards transformation. Language distilled and artfully arranged shifts our experience of the words – and the worldviews – we live in.
This is only the fourth time in our history that a President has featured a poet at his inaugural. I hope that this portends well for the future of the arts in our everyday and civic life.”