JFK Inauguration

Robert Frost was given the honor to speak at John F. Kennedy's Inauguration. As inauguration day approached, Frost surprised himself by composing a new poem, "Dedication", which he planned to read as a preface to the poem Kennedy requested. However, on the drive to the Capitol on January 20, 1961, Frost worried that the piece, typed on one of the hotel typewriters the night before, was difficult to read even in good light. When he stood to recite the poem, the wind and the bright reflection of sunlight made reading the poem impossible. He was able, however, to recite "The Gift Outright" from memory.

Part of the inauguration speech