Robert Frost was invited to write and recite a poem to lyrically commemorate the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy in 1961.
Initially he intended to read a poem which he had previously written called "The Gift Outright". However, inspiration struck in the weeks leading up to the event, and Frost composed a new poem called "Dedication" which he would read before those gathered for the inauguration. The day was bright and windy. Frost, then 87 years old, could not see the paper on which he had written "Dedication" and instead recited "The Gift Outright" from memory.
The following link is to a video recording of the inauguration. Frost appears at the 37:00 minute mark. (Our apologies, but the video does have advertisements. Hearing Frost on this occasion is worth them, however.)
Robert Frost reads at JFK's Inauguration
The following link is to the text of both poems:
Robert Frost's "Dedication" and "The Gift Outright"
