Everything about Poet Laureate totally explained
A
Poet Laureate is a
poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for State occasions and other government events. The
plural form is
poets laureate.
In
England, the term has for centuries been the title of the official poet of the
monarch, appointed for life since the time of
Charles II. Poets laureate are appointed by many countries. In Britain there's also a
Children's Laureate.
Origin of the term
In ancient Greece the
laurel was sacred to the god
Apollo, and was used to form a crown or
wreath of honour for poets and heroes. This custom has since become widespread, both in fact and as a metaphor. The word
laureate or
laureated thus came in English to signify eminence or association with glory.
Laureate letters were once the despatches announcing a victory. The term
laureate became associated with degrees awarded by European universities (the term
baccalaureate for the degree of bachelor reflects this idea). As a royal degree in
rhetoric,
poet laureate was awarded at European universities in the Middle Ages. The term might also refer to the holder of such a degree, which recognised skill in rhetoric, grammar and language.
According to the historian
Edward Gibbon,
Petrarch (Francesco Petrarca, 1304–74) of Rome, perhaps best known for his sonnets to the fair-haired, blue-eyed Laura, took the title of "poet laureate" in
1341.
History
From the more general use of the term "poet laureate" arose its restriction in England to an official office of Poet Laureate, attached to the royal household.
James I essentially created the position as it's known today for
Ben Jonson in 1617, although Jonson's appointment doesn't seem to have been formally made. The office was a development from the practice of earlier times when minstrels and versifiers formed part of the King's retinue.
Richard Coeur de Lion had a
versificator Regis (
King's Poet), Gulielmus Peregrinus, and
Henry III had a versificator named (Master Henry). In the 15th century, John Kay, also a "versifier", described himself as
Edward IV's "humble poet laureate".
No single authentic definitive record exists of the office of Poet Laureate of
England. According to Wharton,
Henry I paid 10 shillings a year to a Versificator Regis.
Geoffrey Chaucer 1340–1400 was called Poet Laureate, being granted in 1389 an annual allowance of wine. W. Hamilton classes
Chaucer, Gower, Kay, Andrew Bernard,
Skelton, Robert Whittington, Richard Edwards, Spenser and Samuel Daniel, as "volunteer Laureates".
John Skelton studied at
Oxford University in the early 1480s, and was advanced to the degree of "poet laureate" in 1488. The title of laureate was also conferred on him by the
University of Louvain in 1492, and by
Cambridge University in 1492–3. He soon became famous for rhetoric, satire and translations. In 1488 Skelton joined the court of
Henry VII, tutored
Henry VIII and was the official royal poet for most of the next 40 years. He was held in high esteem: "But I pray mayster John Skelton, late created poete laureate in the unyversite of Oxenforde, to oversee and correct this sayd booke" — Caxton in the preface to
The Boke of Eneydos compyled by Vargyle 1490.
The title of Poet Laureate, as a royal office, was first conferred by letters patent on
John Dryden in 1670, two years after Davenant's death. The post then became a regular institution. Dryden's successor Shadwell originated annual birthday and New Year odes. The poet laureate became responsible for writing and presenting official verses to commemorate both personal occasions, such as the monarch's birthday or royal births and marriages, and public occasions, such as coronations and military victories. His activity in this respect has varied according to circumstances, and the custom ceased to be obligatory after Pye's death. The office fell into some contempt before Southey, but took on a new lustre from his personal distinction and that of
Wordsworth and
Tennyson. Wordsworth stipulated, before accepting the honour, that no formal effusions from him should be considered a necessity; but Tennyson was generally happy in his numerous poems of this class.
On Tennyson's death there was a considerable feeling that no possible successor was acceptable,
William Morris and
Swinburne being hardly suitable as court poets. Eventually, however, the undesirability of breaking with tradition for temporary reasons, and thus severing the one official link between literature and the state, prevailed over the protests against allowing anyone of inferior genius to follow Tennyson. It may be noted that abolition had been similarly advocated when Warton and Wordsworth died.
Edward Gibbon had condemned the position's artificial approach to poetry:
Ben Jonson first received a pension of 100 marks, and later an annual "terse of Canary wine". Dryden had a pension of £300 and a butt of Canary wine. Pye received £27 instead of the wine.
Tennyson drew £72 a year from the
Lord Chamberlain's department, and £27 from the Lord Steward's "in lieu of the
butt of sack".
List of Poets Laureate of England
Mediæval
Under the Tudors
Bernard Andre of Toulouse (1450–1522), author of Vita regis Henrici Septimi called himself Poet Laureate under Henry VII
John Skelton was the Poet Laureate under Henry VIII
Edmund Spenser died in 1599
From 1599 to the Present
1599: Samuel Daniel
1619: Ben Jonson
1637: Sir William Davenant (a godson of William Shakespeare)
1668: John Dryden
1688: Thomas Shadwell
1692: Nahum Tate
1715: Nicholas Rowe
1718: Reverend Laurence Eusden
1730: Colley Cibber
1757: William Whitehead, on the refusal of Thomas Gray
1785: Reverend Thomas Warton, on the refusal of William Mason
1790: Henry James Pye
1813: Robert Southey, on the refusal of Sir Walter Scott
1843: William Wordsworth
1850: Alfred, Lord Tennyson, on the refusal of Samuel Russell
1896: Alfred Austin, on the refusal of William Morris
1913: Robert Bridges
1930: John Masefield, OM
1967: Cecil Day-Lewis, CBE
1972: Sir John Betjeman, CBE
1984: Ted Hughes, OM, on the refusal of Philip Larkin
1999: Andrew Motion (for a ten year period)
Poets Laureate in other countries
Other countries have established similar official posts.
Canada
The Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate is appointed as an officer of the Library of Parliament. Candidates must be able to write in both English and French, must have a substantial publication history (including poetry) displaying literary excellence and must have written work reflecting Canada, among other criteria.
Scotland
The Scots Makar is the unpaid equivalent of a poet laureate to represent and promote poetry in Scotland. On 16 February, 2004, Professor Edwin Morgan was named to the post.
U.S.A.
The United States Library of Congress has since 1937 appointed an official Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress. An Act of Congress changed the name of the position in 1985 to Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress.
As of 2007, the U.S. Poet Laureate is Charles Simic. Previous U.S. Poets Laureate have included Rita Dove, Elizabeth Bishop, Robert Frost, Karl Shapiro, Robert Penn Warren, Joseph Brodsky, Stanley Kunitz, Robert Hass, Donald Hall, Robert Pinsky, Billy Collins, and Ted Kooser, among others. The incumbent receives a stipend ($35,000), oversees an ongoing series of poetry readings and lectures at the library, and is given the vague mandate of promoting poetry, but has no other specific duties and they're not necessarily expected to compose works for recitation at government events or in praise of government officials.
Many U.S. states also have official Poets Laureate. The fashion has also spread to some cities. Most holders of the title reach eminence by public competition; some have also inspired controversy by what they do in office and, as in the case of Amiri Baraka, have sometimes been removed.
Wales
Wales has had a long tradition of poets and bards under royal patronage, with extant writing from mediæval royal poets and earlier. An office of National Poet for Wales was established in April 2005. The first holder, Gwyneth Lewis, was followed by Gwyn Thomas.
Others
Kannadasan was the poet laureate of Tamil Nadu at the time of his death.
William Auld is sometimes considered the poet laureate of Esperantujo.
Hanns Johst was poet leaureate of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Poet Laureate'.
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