Straining at the Oratory
I stopped by the blog of the Trousered Ape and found a reference to a poem written in honor of Independent (but formerly Republican) gubenatorial candidate Charlie Crist. There was one passage that particularly struck me as wrong. Since the neither Crist's site (where the poem resides) or Trousered Ape have a comment box, I post my reply here.
Reply to a Point in "The People's Independent"
by Dminor
A political poem
by James E. Tokely
said "Had Lincoln been a Democrat,
Might he still have set Black folks free?"
Had the poetic dullard
Read his history,
He would recall the Republicans
Were the abolitionist party.
The Democrats of the day
(Four-score years seven from the revolution)
Were very much in support
Of the Peculiar Institution.
When we wax poetic
And call on history in our verse,
We might want to actually read some,
Lest our poems turn out worse.
Reply to a Point in "The People's Independent"
by Dminor
A political poem
by James E. Tokely
said "Had Lincoln been a Democrat,
Might he still have set Black folks free?"
Had the poetic dullard
Read his history,
He would recall the Republicans
Were the abolitionist party.
The Democrats of the day
(Four-score years seven from the revolution)
Were very much in support
Of the Peculiar Institution.
When we wax poetic
And call on history in our verse,
We might want to actually read some,
Lest our poems turn out worse.
Labels: poetry, U.S. Politics
posted by DMinor | 10:12 PM
3 Comments:
...the words of F. Scott Key,
When he awoke to find that our
new nation was still free?
Okay, I know I'm splitting hairs, but the guy was imprisoned on a British vessel in the middle of a battle! What makes Tampa's poet laureate think he got any sleep?
What salary comes with the job of Poet Laureate of Tampa? Because I think that Dminor could take it away from Mr. Tokley without too much trouble.
(& thanks for stopping by!)
I have a feeling there are some punk rockers already in Tampa that could do the job at least as well as Tokley, but thanks for the thought. Also for the introduction to William Topaz McGonagle. Don't know how the Norton Anthology people managed to miss him!
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