From Sam Allis’s column on Sunday; 10/31/04
John F. Kennedy's eulogy to Robert Frost, presumably drafted by Theodore Sorensen, reminds us that intellectual elegance really did once exist in the White House.
JFK said this in his address delivered at the dedication of the Robert Frost Library in Amherst:
''When power leads man toward arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the areas of man's concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of his existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses."
He added: ''I see little of more importance to the future of our country and our civilization than full recognition of the place of the artist. . . . We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda, it is a form of truth."
Good question! Does poetry cleanse you?
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