Is it me? is it the poet? or the subject matter?

My father would read me this poem by Ezra Pound the Ballad of the Goodly Fere and he would always get a little choked up. this is my standard for good poetry.
I have lately been paying close attention to the inaugural poem for Obama by elizabeth Alexander Praise for tha Day I have not been able to make heads or tails out of it! It makes my head hurt! Is it really that bad or has poetry changed so much since Ezras time that I just dont get it?