Defending Elizabeth Alexander

Coates tries his best. Given the virulence of some of the criticism you'd think the position of inauguration poet was auctioned off like Obama's senate seat. My own two cents is that unlike George Packer, I see inauguration poetry (occasional poetry in general) not as the Victorians did, not as an exercise in grandeur, not as a higher form of journalism, not as creating a permanent, exalted, definitive record for people who weren't there as well as a souvenir for those who were (today we have photojournalism), so I'm not the least bit perturbed that Elizabeth Alexander is no Tennyson or Frost. The truth is that not even Tennyson or Frost could possibly do justice to the extraordinary fact that America will be inaugurating a black President... so obviously this view of occasional poetry misses the point.

Having Elizabeth Alexander or any other poet appear at one of the most-watched events in recent history is an opportunity to bring attention to an often-overlooked art form. Why do we have poet laureates? For the same reason -- to give poetry a little boost, to emphasize in some small way that poetry still matters, or should matter, in our public life -- and NOT because anyone will remember their occasion-marking odes.

Elizabeth Alexander will do great and her nasty critics will be eating crow.