[Joseonggwan's Global Humanities Journey] Frost 60th Anniversary, Why Do Americans Respect Him?

Kennedy's Monumental Speech Honoring 'The Road Not Taken' Poet Frost
"The Mind That Guides and Controls Power Is as Important as Power Itself"

I enjoy reading collections of great speeches. These include presidential inaugural addresses and historic speeches. When I read a great speech, my previously cloudy mind clears up like a sky after rain. Literally, it is je-saek (霽色), the clear color after rain. Eulogies are also included among great speeches. A eulogy is a piece of writing that compresses a person's life as they are sent off.

"Life is a dream, and death is existence."

This is a quote from Schopenhauer. A eulogy is the act of expressing the dream that has passed on the stage of existence in words. A eulogy is written by the person who knows the deceased's life best, the one who understands the values the deceased pursued during their lifetime.

Robert Frost commemorative stamp issued in 1974. Photo by Wikipedia

There is one eulogy I read whenever I have time and often quote. It was delivered 60 years ago on October 26, 1963, by President John F. Kennedy at Amherst College in the United States during the memorial service for poet Robert Frost (1874?1963). Frost is a poet familiar to us through "The Road Not Taken."

At American presidential inaugurations, there is a tradition of a poet appearing to recite a poem for the new president. On January 20, 1961, the octogenarian poet, with his white hair flowing, recited a congratulatory poem for the young president in his 40s.

"Before we were the people of this land, this land was our land..."

Frost passed away at the age of 88 in January 1963. The memorial service was held in October of the same year at Amherst College, where he had taught students. Amherst College is a liberal arts college in Massachusetts, USA, ranked among the top in the world for liberal arts.

President John F. Kennedy delivering a eulogy at the auditorium of Amherst College, USA, on October 26, 1963. Photo by Amherst College website capture.png

Kennedy said, "A country is known not only by the people it produces but also by the people it honors and remembers," as he read the eulogy.

"...For a country to become great, the contributions of those who create power are essential. But those who challenge power are equally necessary... Power is important. But the spirit that enlightens and controls power is just as important. This is precisely why Robert Frost is important...

When power drives humans to arrogance, poetry awakens human limitations. When power narrows human interests, poetry awakens the richness and diversity of human existence. When power becomes corrupt, poetry purifies it...

There is nothing more important for our country and our civilization's future than fully recognizing the place of the artist. If art nourishes the roots of our culture, society must give artists the freedom to go wherever their vision leads them.

We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda but a form of truth... In a democratic society, the greatest duty of writers, composers, and painters is to remain true to themselves to the end, regardless of the outcome. Artists serve their country best by being faithful to their vision of truth. A country that despises the mission of art faces the fate of the hired man in Frost's poem: 'a fate with nothing to boast of and no hope to look forward to.'...

I expect America to reward artistic achievements as it does corporate or political achievements. I expect America to steadily raise the level of art and continuously expand cultural opportunities for all its people. Not only because of its power but because of its civilization, I expect America to be respected worldwide...

Because of Frost's life and works, because of this college's history and achievements, we are more vigorously occupying this earth."

This memorial speech is regarded as a monumental speech in which a politician emphasized the value of art. Even after 60 years, there is nothing to add or subtract when reflecting on it again. Inside Amherst College are the 'JFK Presidential Library and Museum' and the 'Frost Library.'

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is located on the banks of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. It is a must-visit landmark for first-time visitors to Washington.

The Kennedy Center began as the 'National Cultural Center Construction Plan,' passed by Congress during President Dwight Eisenhower's administration in 1958. It was the first case where the federal government subsidized construction costs. The funds were raised through a five-year fundraising campaign. In November 1963, when the fundraising was nearing its end, President Kennedy was assassinated?just one month after delivering the Frost memorial speech. Subsequently, the National Cultural Center was renamed the Kennedy Center.

President Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded the presidency, broke ground in the winter of 1964. The center opened in the fall of 1971. Had the sitting president JFK not become the tragic protagonist of fate, this performing arts center would have been built under its original name, the 'National Cultural Center.' On the exterior wall of the Kennedy Center, part of the 'monumental speech in which a politician emphasized the value of art' is engraved.

Bust of JFK exhibited inside the Kennedy Center. A 1971 work by sculptor Robert Bucks. Photo by Wikipedia.jpg

The Kennedy Center houses three performance halls: the Concert Hall, the Opera House, and the Eisenhower Theater. Opposite the entrance to the Opera House, by the window, stands a bust of JFK. It is a 1971 work by sculptor Robert Berks.

Why do Americans respect Frost?

If you name two poets Americans respect, they are Walt Whitman and Robert Frost. American students learn about Whitman and Frost in textbooks. Koreans became familiar with Frost because "The Road Not Taken" was included in textbooks. In life, there are moments when we suddenly think about "the road not taken." In our youth, if only I had chosen that path instead of this one...

Born in San Francisco, he lost his father at age ten and moved to New England in the eastern United States. He worked as a farmer in Vermont and New Hampshire. He lived a life of studying by day and farming by night, and farming by day and reading by rain.

He quit farming and worked various jobs such as teacher and journalist. In 1912, at age 38, he made a life-changing decision. He crossed the Atlantic to England. There, he associated with poets like E. Thomas and R. Brooke. With their recommendation, his first poetry collection, "A Boy's Will," was published in London. He returned to the U.S. in 1915 and became a full-time poet.

Besides "The Road Not Taken," another widely known poem is "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." This poem unfolds the rural New England landscape like a black-and-white photograph: apple picking, stone walls, fences, country roads... There is not a single difficult word, yet the resonance is great and the aftertaste long-lasting.

Robert Frost in the 1910s. Photo by Wikipedia.jpg

In 1923, Frost published the poetry collection "New Hampshire." With this collection, he received his first Pulitzer Prize, a great honor in his life. He went on to win the Pulitzer Prize three more times. In 1960, he also received the Congressional Gold Medal. Even 60 years later, Americans still revere Frost.

I recalled JFK's Frost eulogy recently while reading an interview article commemorating announcer Kim Dong-geon's 60th anniversary since his broadcasting debut. It was during his time as president of the Announcer Club. When eight announcers were elected as members of the National Assembly, a junior announcer suggested sending congratulatory flowers, but he declined. "Is that something to celebrate? It would be if someone became an announcer after being a member of the National Assembly."

During his 60 years in broadcasting, Kim Dong-geon resisted numerous temptations of power. New powers always tried to put him forward as a figurehead, but he maintained his position as an announcer.

He has been hosting the "Gayo Stage" for over 30 years. In 2003, he was forcibly removed from a program he had hosted for 18 years due to power struggles. He returned in 2010 after seven years. Viewers called him back to the stage.

"(An announcer) asks on behalf of viewers what they want to ask, listens carefully to the other party's words, remains neutral without taking sides. The words of the president, politicians, and announcers must be based on trust and humility."

While reading Kim Dong-geon's interview, I wondered why JFK's Frost eulogy came to mind. Is it because of politics that has degenerated into a festival of lies? JFK's eulogy reminds us of the role of culture and arts in relation to power. It is a message that poets must be faithful as poets, and announcers must be faithful to their duties as announcers.