On January 20, 2009, most of the world watched America as we inaugurated the first President who is not a white male. Honestly, for me the entire ceremony was mostly a big yawner, other than seeing the massive number of people gathered in D.C. to witness the event.
The quartet that included Yo-Yo Ma was somewhat interesting. I took the opportunity to observe his technique and finger positions on the cello in hopes of improving my own. No such luck - the camera's focus on the musicians' faces didn't do me any good.
A bit later, a poet named Elizabeth Alexander was introduced to read her poem written for this occasion. Did you all remember that part of it? The title was "Parise Song for the Day." Not a terribly interesting title, but what the heck, it could still be good... I turned off the TV thirty seconds after she began talking; I couldn't understand what she was saying.
A few days later, in my acting class called "textwork for actors", the instructor brought a recording of Ms. Alexander's reading for us to analyze. It was then that I understood why I didn't understand. If you watched the ceremony, this is what you heard. "Praise, song, for the day. Each, day, we go, about our business, walking past each other, catching each other's eyes, or NOT, about, to speak, or speaking. ALL, about us, is noise. ALL, about us is, noise and bramble, thorn, AND din, each, one of our ancestors ON, OUR, tongues."
Did you understand? Yes, that's really what she said. No wonder I couldn't understand her - she never took the textwork for actors class at the ACT! I suppose she was nervous and awed by the occasion; therefore she wanted to enunciate properly to make sure each word of her carefully composed sentences was heard. But that was exactly the problem - we heard words. Some were louder than others, most were separated by unnecessarily long pauses after another.
So in class, we practiced how we might give the speech ourselves, and wouldn't you know it - I suddenly understood her poem.
Praise indeed.
