David Skorton describes the humanities as the soul of the university. So it is fitting that a new collection of poems, "Like a Fragile Index of the World," celebrates his inauguration through the work of 38 Cornell poets, past and present.

The title comes from the first couplet of "The Glowworm," a poem by Kenneth A. McClane, the W.E.B. DuBois Professor of Literature:

The glowworm works up the barren limb
like a fragile index of the world…

The idea for the small paperback, known as a chapbook, originated with Cornell graphic artist Lorraine Heasley, who designed the volume as well as many other pieces for the Skorton inauguration on Sept. 7. Next on board was poet Alice Fulton, the Ann S. Bowers Professor of English, who edited the collection.

Instead of the slim pamphlet originally planned, Fulton suggested a selection to showcase historic and contemporary poetry at Cornell. In addition to the works of current faculty, staff and alumni, she selected poems from the past to suggest a century of Cornell poetics. Fulton intends "Index" to "welcome our new president, provide a sense of place and testify to Cornell's strong legacy in the arts. I was hoping the poems would capture the culture, feeling and texture of Cornell at this threshold moment," she said.

After her search, Fulton noted, "I'd never guessed there were so many poets hidden away all over campus. I became aware of some wonderful writers I'd never known of before. People sometimes say things in poetry they wouldn't dare to say in prose. Some poems in the collection seem to offer advice, some are very like prayers. I think the book suggests that poetry isn't elitist or something to be feared. It's a form that all kinds of people in all sorts of fields enjoy."

Fulton wanted the anthology to be as inclusive as possible. Its authors are various: such well-known writers as Vladimir Nabokov, A.R. Ammons and Laura (Riding) Jackson appear adjacent to published recent MFA graduates and Nobel Prize-winning chemist Roald Hoffmann, the author of several poetry collections. Even so, due to constraints of time and space, "excellent poets were left out," Fulton admitted. "That's my one regret."

In his response to Fulton's invitation, Nigerian poet Ogaga Ifowodo, a graduate of Cornell's M.F.A. program, wrote, "This is an honour! As it happens, I met Dr. Skorton in 2000 when I was a fellow of the Iowa Writing Programme, and he was the vice president of the University of Iowa. I learnt first hand of his love for the arts and humanities then, and since he was announced as Cornell's next president I have been giving personal testimony of his amazing qualities within my circle. … He is a fine human being."

Noted Fulton, "It's great to see the variety of poems that are being written by people associated with Cornell. I am proud that we have such a strong tradition of poetics here, that it's alive and ongoing."

Such special-occasion books as "Like a Fragile Index of the World" were once called "garlands," implying a bouquet of praise and good wishes. W.D. Snodgrass' poem offers Skorton a "small vase / of blossoms, thistleflower, and thorn."

"And that's a good description of the entire collection, I think," Fulton said.

Beginning Sept. 6, watch and listen as 15 contributors to "Like a Fragile Index of the World" read their poems at http://www.cornell.edu/humanities/.