President Bill Clinton asked Maya Angelou to deliver a poem as part of his 1993 Inaugural Ceremony. Class members watch a clip of Angelou's presentation, do a close reading of the full text of the poem, and respond to discussion questions. They compare her poem to Robert Frost's Inaugural Poem, identifying how each poet identifies the challenges the new president and the country face.

Concepts

maya angelou, poetry, american politics, bill clinton, john f. kennedy, robert frost, presidential inaugurations

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Have groups compare the Inaugural Poems of Robert Frost, Maya Angelou, and Amanda Gorman, identifying how each of the poets speaks to the hardships and worries of that time

Classroom Considerations

• The resource is part of the PBS American Masters Collection
• Includes a video of Angelou's presentation, a worksheet, discussion questions, teaching tips, and suggested activities

Pros

• Includes the text of both Angelou's "On the Pulse of the Morning" and Robert Frost's "The Gift Outright"
• A link is provided to Angelou's full performance

Cons

• None

Common Core

RL.6.10 SL.6.1.c RL.7.10 SL.7.1.c RL.8.10 SL.8.1.c RL.9-10.10a RL.9-10.10b SL.9-10.1.c RL.11-12.10a RL.11-12.10b SL.11-12.1.c