Many scholars rate William Butler Yeats as one of the greatest poets ever to pimp-slap words onto a page.
But the Irish poet, who lived from 1865 to 1939, didn't really believe in that "pen is mightier than the sword" thing.
So Tuesday, when writer and Yale professor Elizabeth Alexander becomes the fourth poet to compose and deliver a poem at a presidential inauguration, I hope she takes a cue from Yeats. I hope Alexander realizes that, for most of the politicians present, poetry has as much value as an Amish heater franchise in Hell.
And most of we-the-people hold the same view.
The notable exception among politicos, of course, is new prez Barack Obama, who invited Alexander to his shindig in the first place -- and who was spotted toting an actual book of that poetry stuff! (It was Derek Walcott's collected poems.)
But Yeats knew better about mixing politics and poetry. In 1915 he wrote "On Being Asked for a War Poem": "I think it better that in times like these / A poet's mouth be silent, for in truth / We have no gift to set a statesman right."
Ol' Willie even drove home that point from beyond the grave. For years after his death, Yeats' official collected poems concluded with "Under Ben Bulben," a poem which ends with this epitaph: "Cast a cold eye / On life, on death. / Horseman, pass by!"
Those very words are even carved on Yeats' gravestone.
However, several years ago some Yeats scholar discovered instructions among the poet's papers. Nope, it turns out, Willie didn't want that "cold eye" crapola being his last word. Instead, Yeats commanded, the last poem in his book of collected poems should be "Politics."
Sample lines: "How can I, that girl standing there / My attention fix / On Roman or on Russian / Or on Spanish politics? ... maybe what they say is true / Of war and war's alarms, / But O that I were young again / And held her in my arms."
So, for his parting words, the 73-year-old Yeats didn't want the world to believe he was casting cold eyes or worrying about war or international relations. Instead, Yeats wanted the world to know he was thinking hot thoughts about a hottie.
Serving our country as inaugural poet is a tough gig. Dwight Garner, writing in The New York Times, said the piece Robert Frost composed for John. F. Kennedy's inauguration in 1961 was "awful poetry," and the opening was "probably the worst three lines Frost ever put to paper."
Maya Angelou is still roasted for "On the Pulse of Morning," the poem she wrote for Bill Clinton's inauguration in 1993. For a wicked parody of Angelou and that poem, check out David Alan Grier's satire from his show "Chocolate News" (see the hilarious clip at Liveleak.com).
So, Ms. Alexander, I wish you well. Even though your collection "American Sublime" was one of three finalists for the Pulitzer Prize in 2005, I think many politicians, and many Americans, will be casting cold ears your way. Unless, of course, you pen a ditty about yearning to be young again and putting lustful moves on a youthful Barack as he works up a sweat on a basketball court.
Rick de Yampert is The Daytona Beach News-Journal's entertainment writer. He can be reached at rick.deyampert@news-jrnl.com
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