pulse morning pulse morning poem african american writer poet read inauguration president bill_clinton january public second poet history read poem presidential inauguration african american woman inaugural poet inauguration audio recording poem won grammy award best spoken word category resulting fame recognition previous works appeal poem themes change inclusion responsibility role president establishing economic security symbols references contemporary issues nature inspired critics compare pulse morning frost inaugural poem clinton inaugural address called autobiographical poem received mixed reviews popular press praised clinton choice inaugural poet american people president critic said ultimate greatness attributed poem theatrical performance skills learned actor speaker marked return african american oral tradition speakers critics despite praising performance gave negative reviews poem background wrote recited pulse morning known writer poet written seven series including highly acclaimed know bird sings best known primarily known poet early writing career began alternating publication autobiography volume poetry volume poetry cool drink water fore published shortly best seller nominated pulitzer prize scholar writes fallen love poetry early childhood stamps arkansas rape age depicted studied great works literature including poetry according friend flowers encouraged helped bring self imposed period caused trauma poet read inaugural poem read poem gift outright president inauguration black woman announced read poems clinton inauguration popular press compared role inaugural poet frost especially critic called ability speak american people press pointed nation social progress black woman stand place white man inauguration praised involvement clinton administration gesture inclusion told friend requesting write poem came television producer organized inauguration shortly clinton election suspected clinton request understood kind person bring people admitted feeling overwhelmed requested audiences attending speaking engagements pray followed writing ritual followed years writing books poetry rented hotel room early morning afternoon wrote legal pads deciding theme america wrote think country pushed poetic form recited poem january themes pulse morning shared themes president clinton inaugural address gave immediately read poem including change responsibility president role establishing economic security symbols poem tree river morning example paralleled symbols clinton speech helped enhance expand clinton images clinton address poem according emphasized unity despite diversity american culture pulse morning attempted convey goals clinton new administration compared poem frost claimed poetry critics gave pulse morning negative reviews rewrote frost poem perspective nature appeared poems frost praised american colonization attacked cost creation america abstract ambiguous frost poem tree poem cultures america paid significant cost create frost called break past frost wanted wanted confront mistakes compared poem poem similar themes looking future song negro speaks rivers according poem contains recurring theme poems alike pulse morning contemporary references including toxic waste pollution poem influenced african american oral tradition poets modern african poets folk artists influenced critical response impact according pulse morning famous poem argued ultimate greatness attributed poem theatrical performance skills learned actor speaker marked return african american oral tradition speakers british reporter compared appearance read poem clinton inauguration year old child noting coats wore occasions similar looked magnificent theatrical bow mouth wore coat brass buttons strange reminder year old stood courtroom terrified sight man raped stated observations standing tall steps capitol light years removed terrible time america longer place poem pulse morning soaring peace justice harmony capturing hope embodied human spirit joyful reminder things possible wished good morning poem felt new day truly recognized pulse morning better public poem great poem goal conveying message unity accomplished poet agreed stating fulfilled theatrical political objectives poem memorable poet sterling found performance brilliant enthusiastic text stated negative reviews poem like majority reviews poetry narrow views poetry limited written forms spoken ones like pulse morning written aloud perform compared response literary critics poem critics frost poem frost powerful reading served supplement poem sense enhancing powerful reading poem supplemented sense making evident lack pulse morning resulted fame recognition previous works appeal racial economic educational boundaries week sales paperback version books poetry rose percent reprint copies books demand published hardcover books published poem later year reported sold books january accounting percent increase sixteen page publication poem best seller recording poem awarded grammy award
On the Pulse of Morning