Drawing inspiration from poets like Walt Whitman, Gwendolyn Brooks and Robert Hayden, Elizabeth Alexander wrote this poem which she read at the inauguration of Barack Obama. She is the fourth poet in US history to read at a presidential inauguration. Critics have praised the poem, calling it beautifully subversive'. This elegant commemorative edition is published in honour of the historic occasion and will serve as a cherished reminder of one of the most closely watched inaugurations in history.'