Inaugural poet Richard Blanco speaks about his writing process
Poet Richard Blanco, chosen to recite a poem written for today’s second inauguration of President Barack Obama, views writing as a discovery process.
Poets should not take up a pen to write if he or she is completely sure of what the poem is about. In an interview at poets.org, Blanco said, “I’ve learned to recognize that when I sit down to write a poem, I have something to figure out, and I have to do it on the page. And I hope that my inaugural poem will do that, in some ways, for the nation. That it will work towards making sense of—all the din of the day—all that we hear in the news.”
All writing is to some degree an act of discovery. What do you have to discover in your writing?
To learn more about Blanco and his approach to poetry, read the full interview. You’ll also find links to several of his poems. Read more
