Donald Trump at the 2025 U.S. Presidential Inauguration (John Fredericks/The Epoch Times)A Poem for the 2025 U.S. Presidential Inauguration: ‘Free People’ by Daniel Rancio The Society January 19, 2025 Beauty, Culture, Poetry 6 Comments Free People In some sense, free people have no needOf poets to give their speech a better voice.But freedom wanes without great art and heedOf powers that will enslave us with rejoiceIf only given a chance. They’re here again,Insidious as ever, they’ll try to seduceAnd lull the hearts of good women and men,To let themselves run loose and cinch our noose.Once a generation a leader comesAlong to break our silence’s death-knell spiralWith fight, fight, fighting words that boom like drums—Our cue to roll. Nowhere to go but viral.Let’s join in this new course, this other tack,And roll back the administrative state,Let’s take the freedom to be normal back.Now is the time for all the world to hearThis call with all our voices giving it weight—That freedom won’t throw in the towel to fear. . . Daniel Rancio is an American poet and educator. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Trending now: 6 Responses ABB January 20, 2025 A compelling reflection on the relationship between freedom, art, and political agency. The phrase “silence’s death-knell spiral” captures the disastrous effects that Republicans’ neglect of the cultural sphere has had. I agree with the theme that art and poetic expression have an important role to play in articulating values. Although as you say, a free people do not technically “need” this, or at least think they do. The alternative is (and has been) consuming the left’s art, since people are going to consume something. Reply Joseph S. Salemi January 20, 2025 ABB, you are right on target. Leaving cultural-creative matters in the hands of the left has been a major political mistake — one that has poisoned the West. Reply Yolanda M Elder January 20, 2025 I love this poem. Such a moving scene. Reply Roy Eugene Peterson Hope January 20, 2025 Your poem reflects a commitment to a new normalcy that has become a necessity. Hope has returned as you project in your good poem. Very fitting for the inauguration of Trump. Reply Daniel Rancio January 20, 2025 Thank you all for your kind comments. Reply Margaret Coats January 24, 2025 A new course, another tack for art as for politics and government. Daniel, how right this is–and right as well to combine it with a warning not to let great creative opportunities go by. Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
ABB January 20, 2025 A compelling reflection on the relationship between freedom, art, and political agency. The phrase “silence’s death-knell spiral” captures the disastrous effects that Republicans’ neglect of the cultural sphere has had. I agree with the theme that art and poetic expression have an important role to play in articulating values. Although as you say, a free people do not technically “need” this, or at least think they do. The alternative is (and has been) consuming the left’s art, since people are going to consume something. Reply
Joseph S. Salemi January 20, 2025 ABB, you are right on target. Leaving cultural-creative matters in the hands of the left has been a major political mistake — one that has poisoned the West. Reply
Roy Eugene Peterson Hope January 20, 2025 Your poem reflects a commitment to a new normalcy that has become a necessity. Hope has returned as you project in your good poem. Very fitting for the inauguration of Trump. Reply
Margaret Coats January 24, 2025 A new course, another tack for art as for politics and government. Daniel, how right this is–and right as well to combine it with a warning not to let great creative opportunities go by. Reply