No One at the Inauguration ‘Gets’ Poetry

Famed German poet Novalis once said of poetry, “Poetry heals the wounds inflicted by reason.” Today, with a deeply personal yet universally-minded work read at President Obama’s second inauguration, Cuban-born gay poet Richard Blanco attempted to apply salve to some of our nation’s sorest wounds with language. Just his presence was historic and somewhat healing in and of itself: Blanco is the first Latino and first openly gay inaugural poet in America’s centuries-long history. (Read the full text here.) The nation’s collective response? “LOL, what is this dumb-ass shit? Bring on Beyonce!” More »