I was thinking about this the other day. With the possible prospect of another Clinton in the White House, Maya Angelou comes up again.
Bill Clinton brought her to the country's attention during his presidency.
I remember at the time not being really impressed with her work, but then poetry is highly subjective.
The thing that struck me was how HARD President Clinton was promoting her as "America's Treasure". I found that it was very similar to President Kennedy promoting Robert Frost.
As a student of poetry, Robert Frost is one of my favorites.
So, I will let you be the judge. A Frost Poem and a Angelou poem and then you can dig harder into websites I have found for each.
Robert Frost, one of my favorites that he wrote:
"Fire and Ice" is one of Robert Frost's most popular poems, published in his book New Hampshire.
Some say the world will end in fire
Some say in ice
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire
But if I had to perish twice
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
A good Frost Website: http://www.ketzle.com/frost/
Maya Angelou:
Lying, thinking
Last night
How to find my soul a home
Where water is not thirsty
And bread loaf is not stone
I came up with one thing
And I don't believe I'm wrong
That nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.
Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.
There are some millionaires
With money they can't use
Their wives run round like banshees
Their children sing the blues
They've got expensive doctors
To cure their hearts of stone.
But nobody
No, nobody
Can make it out here alone.
Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.
Now if you listen closely
I'll tell you what I know
Storm clouds are gathering
The wind is gonna blow
The race of man is suffering
And I can hear the moan,
'Cause nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.
Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.
A good Angelou website: http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/87
