Analysis of Elizabeth Alexander's 'Praise Song for the Day' Poem

This journal entry analyzes Elizabeth Alexander's poem, 'Praise Song for the Day,' presented at Barack Obama's inauguration. The assignment requires a critical examination of the poem's purpose, effectiveness, and use of poetic devices. The student explores Alexander's intent to celebrate American diversity and inspire unity. The analysis includes a comparison with Maya Angelou's inaugural poem, focusing on their respective approaches, the personas they address, and the levels of appeal employed to persuade and motivate the audience. The student also reflects on the effectiveness of each poem in conveying its message and considers the impact of their words on the audience. The analysis also encompasses the struggles of African Americans and Native Americans. The overall goal is to understand how the poets use language to convey their messages.

Running Head : POEM ANALYSIS
Poem Analysis
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

2POEM ANALYSIS
“Praise Song for the Day” is a poem by Elizabeth Alexander for the Presidential
Inauguration of Barack Obama. The poet has served as fourth ever poet of inauguration and the
central participant is most closely watched inaugurations in the whole American history. The
poet has delivered the poem to millions of audiences and the poem can be now read as savored
for the posterity. Through this poem, Elizabeth Alexander tried to celebrate everything that has
made America and inspire common men to gather and unite in order to work consistently
towards the dream of a better world for all. The poem has made use of the sophisticated images
and languages for celebrating the world diversity, the history which has brought people too the
day of first African American president along with the inspiration of that day. The poet
Alexander takes people to the ‘dirt roads and highways “leading to showing the struggle and
work invested into the creation of the world, the nation and a bright future.
In the poem she describes the way Americans live their lives in the modern world and
what are the contributions of the establishment of this world. In the poem, each of the stanzas
incorporates a different part of the whole picture that is America. In the beginning stanza, it says
the way the Americans will walk past each other every day making eye contact and sometimes
not making the eye contact. Then the next stanza tells people regarding the noises heard and paid
attention to sometimes and sometimes not. The readers start realizing that people go about doing
their business every day and ignore many things in the world and leave things unappreciated
taking those for granted. The third and the fifth stanza specifically speak of the people who are at
work. She makes use of the occupations as farmer, teacher, mom which are known by little
children, wished by the adults, desired by women. There are many factors that can be hurdle in
the way of achieving the desires such as money, situation, people and the like.

3POEM ANALYSIS
Through these stanzas, the poet has tried to show that there are a lot of people in
America who are in need of a job but away from getting one. This is one such aspect that is taken
for granted but needs special attention. These issues are brought forward in front of the president
and the fourth stanza is further about the music or the American music more specifically. This is
also something which is taken for granted since ignorance and granting is a reoccurring theme of
the poem. The part that I have found to be the best one is that Alexander mentions the future of
the innovative country having mentioned those people who have made us what we are today
such as the ancestors working hard and facing many such challenges. She says in this regard,
“Sing the names of the dead who have brought us here” thanking and then appreciating the hard
work of the ancestors.
At the end of the poem it appears that she has given her best to inspire and motivate
people, the citizen so that they can choose their path and the future disciplines. She has made use
of the “sharp sparkle” as a metaphor to describe the society. Today, the society is extremely
harsh but at the same time it is advanced and wonderful. She further adds, “Anything can be
made, any sentence begun”. It appears that Alexander has incorporated this in the form of
motivation for striving towards a better future and this is the reason one should “praise song for
walking forward in that light”, for the walking toward the light leading to a better future.
When the poem of Elizabeth Alexander is compared with the poem of Maya Angelou at
the inauguration of Clinton, the same theme can be found that is reminding and celebrating the
struggles of the African Americans and the Native Americans. Her primary aim was to convey
the fact that human beings are same and the walls of separation should be broken between
people. She has delivered an optimistic and hopeful poetry and despite whatever happened in
history, people should come together and build a better future together. The poet Elizabeth

4POEM ANALYSIS
Alexander is found to be addressing the common man who are suffering, who are in turmoil and
agony. Through presenting the issues of the citizens of American to the President, she is trying to
catch the attention of the government towards these issues so that they take the initiative to fight
against these issues.

5POEM ANALYSIS
Bibliography
CC.com, 2020. Elizabeth Alexander - The Colbert Report (Video Clip) | Comedy Central.
[online] Comedy Central. Available at: <http://www.cc.com/video-clips/8l6srp/the-colbert-
report-elizabeth-alexander> [Accessed 15 March 2020].
Poetryfoundation.org, 2020. From On The Pulse Of Morning By Maya Angelou | Poetry
Foundation. [online] Poetry Foundation. Available at:
<https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48990/on-the-pulse-of-morning> [Accessed 15
March 2020].
Poets.org, 2020. Praise Song For The Day By Elizabeth Alexander - Poems | Poets.Org. [online]
Poets.org. Available at: <https://poets.org/poem/praise-song-day> [Accessed 15 March 2020].