A prize known as the Pulitzer Prize for poetry is given each year in America. Robert Frost， who was an American poet， won this prize four times. No other American poet has won it so many times.
Once a time， President John Kennedy invited Frost to read one of his poems at his inauguration①. It was a cold， windy day， and the ceremony② was held outdoors.
The sun and the wind blinded the old man’s eyes， and the papers on which he had the poem he was to read were blown to the ground.
The distinguished③ guests on the platform and the large crowd below were all wondering whether Frost would be able to continue with the reading.
Unable to see， he repeated from memory， in a strong voice， some verses④ he had written， a patriotic poem called The Gift Outright. The audience was moved both by the poem itself and by the poet who had written it.
① inaugurationn. 就职，就职典礼
② ceremonyn. 仪式，典礼
③ distinguishedadj. 高贵的，高雅的
④ versen. 诗，韵文
四次荣获普利策奖的诗人
一种奖励优秀诗作的普利策奖每年一度在美国颁发。罗伯特·弗罗斯特是一位美国诗人，他先后四次获得这项奖金。没有任何其他美国诗人曾经多次获得这一项奖。
一次，约翰·肯尼迪总统邀请弗罗斯特在他的就职典礼上朗诵他的一首诗。那天天冷风大，而典礼是在户外举行的。
日晒风吹把这位老人弄得两眼昏花，他把要朗诵的诗写在纸上，而那张纸却又被吹落在地。
台上的贵宾和台下的人群都怀疑弗罗斯特还是否能够继续朗诵下去。
由于不能看稿子，所以他就凭记忆以高昂的声音背诵了他那篇题为《纯粹的天资》的爱国诗篇中的一些句子。所有的听众都被诗和写诗的人感动了。