American poet Robert Frost (1874-1963), at the invitation of John F. Kennedy, wrote a new poem entitled “Dedication” for the inauguration. After reading just a few lines, Frost stopped because he could not see since the sun was reflecting off of the snow. Vice President-elect Lyndon B. Johnson tried to shield Frost’s face from the glare, but he could still not see (Tofel 20). Frost then went on to recite his poem “The Gift Outright” from memory and changed the ending from “Such as she was, such as she has become” to “such she will become” noting that he changed it for this occasion (Tofel 21). According to Thurston Clarke, Frost’s performance “turned out even better than Kennedy could have dared imaged” and provided him with an audience that was “emotionally involved in the ceremony” (188). (Courtesy of the Library of Congress, New York World-Telegram and the Sun Newspaper Photograph collection, LC-USZ62-120741)

Clarke, Thurston. Ask Not: The Inauguration of John F. Kennedy and the Speech that Changed America. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2004.

Tofel, Richard. Sounding the Trumpet: The Making of John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 2005.