Having a favoured poet read a poem, composed for the occasion, is a comparatively new feature in the inauguration of the President of the United States of America. This tradition is to be sustained on January 20, when Barack Obama is sworn as the 44th president.

John F Kennedy introduced this feature to his swearing ceremony in 1961, and there have been only two others in the almost five decades since. Robert Frost was Kennedy’s choice (or did Jacqueline make the decision and do the selecting to further the Camelot image?). Maya Angelou was Bill Clinton’s for his first inauguration – 1993, and for the beginning of his second term – 1997 - he had Miller Williams. An ‘in-between’ event was James Dickey who read his specially composed poem at Jimmy Carter’s inaugural gala and not at the swearing in. Carter and his wife created history that day by walking from the Capitol to the White House down Pennsylvania Avenue, although a January day could be windy and wintry and cold for sure. The Obamas, who are of the people, would surely like to follow Jimmy and Rosalyn in this. But will they be permitted since Obama is a madman’s target, the madman calling himself a white patriot.

An interesting tale is appended to the first poetry reading. Frost’s composition for the occasion was titled Dedication and began thus:

The lines are heavily critiqued in the article I read and even we, although awed by Frost’s poetic brilliance, are put off by the lines quoted.

Mercifully he did not read the poem he’d written for the occasion. The strong sun and blustery wind of that day in January 1993, reportedly put paid to the script he carried. He could not read it, blurred as it was. So from off his head he recited another of his poems - Gift Outright - the first line of which is:

Maya Angelou titled her inaugural poem On the Pulse of Morning and she breathlessly included all and sundry as celebrating that day (breathlessly we say, after reading a part of it):

Miller Williams got it right. Hs inaugural poem titled Of History and Hope started off with these four solemn lines:

The picture of American homes flying the stars and stripes permanently in their porches comes to mind. The last line was an acknowledgement to his daughter – Lucinda – venerated singer and song writer.

The Obama’s have selected 46 year old Elizabeth Alexander to read her specially composed poem at the inauguration ceremony. It will be heard world-wide with an audience as never before. The global interest and history making of this first black president continues.

Alexander is a personal friend of the Obama’s having taught alongside Barack in the University of Chicago in the 1990s. Her younger brother, Mark, was a senior adviser in Obama’s presidential campaign and continues to work on his transition team. She has another political link: her father, Clifford Alexander, was a residential civil rights adviser to President Lyndon B Johnson and secretary of the army during the Carter administration. The poet’s mother teaches African-American women’s history at George Washington University. Elizabeth Alexander is in university too. She is on fellowship at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. Radcliffe, as you know, is the women’s university in Harvard. She was born in Harlem and lived and was educated in Washington D.C.

Dwight Garner writing to the International Herald Tribune, says in his article which inspired me to write this, that Elizabeth Alexander had mentioned how surprised and flattered she had been when asked by the president elect to compose a poem and to render it at the very solemn occasion of his oath taking. "His own use of language, and his respect for it, is so evident. He is aware of the kind of power language has, and aware of the kind of care with which we ought to try to speak to each other as we move forward."

In preparation for the momentous occasion and the history making contribution of hers, Alexander said she has studied the poems of past inaugurations (not many) and has read up Virgil, W H Auden, Ted Hughes, Seamous Heaney and Gwendolyn Brooks, for inspiration and guidance.

The mention of Ted Hughes immediately brings to mind the poet laureateship of Britain.

The tradition of having a state sponsored poet, called upon to compose a poem for special occasions, originated in its modern form in Britain during the reign of Charles II. Poets laureate are appointed for life by the monarch. Famous names in the list are Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400), William Wordsworth (1843-49), Cecil Day-Lewis (1967-71), Ted Hughes (1984- 1998) on the refusal of the selected poet – Philip Larkin. The present poet laureate is Andrew Motion, selected in 1999 for a period of ten years. Britain now has a Children’s Laureate too.

In the US, the equivalent to the British Poet Laureate dates from 1937 and the appointment reads: Official Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress. An Act of 1985 changed the name to Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress. On 17 January 2008, the Library of Congress (LC) announced that Kay Ryan would be the 16th American poet laureate, receiving a stipend of USD 35,000. Duties include overseeing poetry readings and lectures at the LC which is the premier government-of-America library as its name implies, and is accepted as the national library of the United States. Her Internet photograph shows a middle aged, very masculine, strong face. She is said to be living with her partner, Carol Adair, for the last 30 years.

Canada, Wales, New Zealand also have poets laureate

The writer of the article I read, asked Alexander whether she was nervous about the upcoming event. She replied she was not overly scared. "By the time you are reading a poem, the real work has been done. If I ever get nervous before getting up to read, I look at the poem and say: ‘You’re done. All I have to do is let you out.’’ She added she was prepared for a fiasco a la` Frost. "I am going to have many copies of the poem tucked away. I’m serious. I’m a mom."

Her published books of poetry are The Venus Hottentot (1990); Body of Life (1996),Antebellum Dream Book (2001) and American Sublime (2005). She was selected one of three for the Pulitzer Prize for poetry for the last named publication. She has also written essays.