Which poet was invited by John F. Kennedy to his inauguration?

"For John F. Kennedy His Inauguration", (originally titled "Dedication") was a poem written by American poet Robert Frost who was invited to the presidential inauguration of John F. Kennedy on January 20, 1961, at the East Portico of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. It was the 44th inauguration marking the commencement of Kennedy's only term as president and Lyndon B. Johnson's only term as vice president. Kennedy was assassinated 2 years, 306 days into this term, and Johnson succeeded to the presidency.

Robert Frost, then 86 years old, was the first poet to speak at the inauguration of a president, reciting from memory "The Gift Outright", when the glare of the sun and snow prevented him from reading "Dedication", a poem he had written specially for the occasion. This was an historical milestone because it united poetry with politics. The poem contains contemporary events such as the close presidential election of 1960: "The greatest vote a people ever cast, / So close yet sure to be abided by". He made allusion to Kennedy's book "Profiles in Courage", as indicative of the courageous leader that Kennedy exemplified. This marks the first time a poem was read at a presidential inauguration, a feature repeated by future presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden at their respective ceremonies.

Robert Frost (1874-1963) is one of the most recognized American poets of the 20th century, winning four Pulitzer Prizes.