Yes We Can, Yes We Can, Yes We Can! 為奧巴馬就職典禮寫的詩

美國國家廣播電台NPR今天播放了美國黑人詩人Nikki Giovanni為奧巴馬就職典禮寫的一首(非正式)詩，有點意思。聽眾的評論毀譽參半。

INAUGURAL POETRY 2009

Yes We Can, Yes We Can, Yes We Can!

by Nikki Giovanni

Audio for this story will be available at approx. 7:00 p.m. ET

All Things Considered, January 16, 2009 · 

Roll Call: A Song of Celebration

I'm Barack Obama
And I'm here to say:
I'm President
Of the USA

I'll walk the streets
And knock on doors
Share with the folks:
Not my dreams but yours

I'll talk with the people
I'll listen and learn
I'll make the butter
Then clean the churn

My wife is pretty
My children are sweet
We need one puppy
To be complete

I Represented in Springfield
Senated in DC
Articulating all the while
What change means to me

Some folk said "wait"
Some said "not now"
But here I am quite ready
To take that President vow

The time is now
For us to stand
Because we all know
Yes We Can
Yes We Can
Yes We Can

l lev (llev37) wrote:

Jason Trommetter made a rather ridiculous comment. If he had read the poem more carefully he would have realized that it was written by Nikki Giovanni-not Barack Obama. Quick to judge Jason-you are as dumb as Bush, if not dumber. It is not a good poem, but it is only some enthusiastic accolade by a supporter, not the work of the man himself.

Fri Jan 16 2009 16:33:12 GMT-0500 (Eastern Standard Time)

Jason Trommetter (jasontromm) wrote:Just what we need, a President that can Rap. Rappers are idiots, that would make Obama dumber than Bush.

 Fri Jan 16 2009 12:19:49 GMT-0500 (Eastern Standard 

Helen Ferguson (tootsie) wrote:

This is an inaugural poem that anyone and everyone can read and enjoy. And, that is what it should be. I think it reflects the inclusive and positive spirit of the Obama campaigan as well as the promise and potential of the Obama presidency. I like it, and I think it is entirely appropriate that NPR has showcased it.

Wed Jan 14 2009 14:18:01 GMT-0500 (Eastern Standard Time)

John Hutcheson (Dome2) wrote:

The poem reflects the enthusiasm which anticipates renewal. It is the voice of the unbridled spirit, the song of dreams to come. In our hearts we welcome the return of hope.

Mon Jan 12 2009 20:07:46 GMT-0500 (Eastern Standard Time)

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99264347

Biography

Nikki Giovanni is a world-renowned poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator. Over the past thirty years, her outspokenness, in her writing and in lectures, has brought the eyes of the world upon her. One of the most widely-read American poets, she prides herself on being "a Black American, a daughter, a mother, a professor of English." Giovanni remains as determined and committed as ever to the fight for civil rights and equality. Always insisting on presenting the truth as she sees it, she has maintained a prominent place as a strong voice of the Black community. Her focus is on the individual, specifically, on the power one has to make a difference in oneself, and thus, in the lives of others. 

NIKKI GIOVANNI was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and grew up in Lincoln Heights, an all-black suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio. She and her sister spent their summers with their grandparents in Knoxville, and she graduated with honors from Fisk University, her grandfather's alma mater, in 1968; after graduating from Fisk, she attended the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University. She published her first book of poetry, Black Feeling Black Talk, in 1968, and within the next year published a second book, thus launching her career as a writer. Early in her career she was dubbed the "Princess of Black Poetry," and over the course of more than three decades of publishing and lecturing she has come to be called both a "National Treasure" and, most recently, one of Oprah Winfrey's twenty-five "Living Legends."

Many of Giovanni's books have received honors and awards. Her autobiography, Gemini, was a finalist for the National Book Award; Love Poems, Blues: For All the Changes, and Quilting the Black-Eyed Pea were all honored with NAACP Image Awards. Blues: For All the Changes reached #4 on the Los Angeles Times Bestseller list, a rare achievement for a book of poems. Most recently, her children's picture book Rosa, about the civil rights legend Rosa Parks, became a Caldecott Honors Book, and Bryan Collier, the illustrator, was given the Coretta Scott King award for best illustration. Rosa also reached #3 on The New York Times Bestseller list.

Giovanni's spoken word recordings have also achieved widespread recognition and honors. Her album Truth Is On Its Way, on which she reads her poetry against a background of gospel music, was a top 100 album and received the Best Spoken Word Album given by the National Association of Radio and Television Announcers. Her Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection, on which she reads and talks about her poetry, was one of five finalists for a Grammy Award.

Giovanni's honors and awards have been steady and plentiful throughout her career. The recipient of some twenty-five honorary degrees, she has been named Woman of the Year by Mademoiselle Magazine, The Ladies Home Journal, and Ebony Magazine. She was tapped for the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame and named an Outstanding Woman of Tennessee. Giovanni has also received Governor's Awards from both Tennessee and Virginia. She was the first recipient of the Rosa L. Parks Woman of Courage Award, and she has also been awarded the Langston Hughes Medal for poetry. She is an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and has received Life Membership and Scroll from The National Council of Negro Women. A member of PEN, she was honored for her life and career by The History Makers. She has received the keys to more than two dozen cities. A scientist who admires her work even named a new species of bat he discovered for her!

The author of some 30 books for both adults and children, Nikki Giovanni is a University Distinguished Professor at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.

 

http://nikki-giovanni.com/bio.shtml

Just what we need, a President that can Rap. Rappers are idiots, that would make Obama dumber than Bush.

Fri Jan 16 2009 12:19:49 GMT-0500 (Eastern Standard