A Poet Laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government and 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 is also a Children's Laureate.
Origin of the term
The laurel, in ancient Greece, was sacred to Apollo, and as such was used to form a crown or
wreath of honour for poets and heroes; and this usage has been widespread. The word laureate or laureated thus came
in English to signify eminent, or associated with glory. Laureate letters were once the despatches announcing a victory.
The term laureate became associated with degrees awarded by European universities. The name baccalaureate for the university degree of bachelor involves this idea.
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 areas of rhetoric, grammar and
language. This might be the academic equivalent of a modern day doctorate of poetry.
According to 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
poet laureate in 1341.
Medieval English kings included versifiers and minstrels in their retinues, and lent their patronage to poets such as
Chaucer and Spenser. Academic institutions
honoured some such men with the poet laureate degree.
History
From the more general use of the term "poet laureate" arose its restriction in England an official office of Poet Laureate,
the poet attached to the royal household. James I essentially created the position as
it is known today for Ben Jonson in 1617, although Jonson's appointment does not seem to have
been formally made. The office was really a development of 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 (Master Henry). In the 15th century, John Kay, also a
"versifier", described himself as Edward IV's "humble poet laureate." The crown had
shown its patronage in various ways; Chaucer had been given a pension and a perquisite of wine by Edward III, and Spenser a pension by Queen Elizabeth
I.
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 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 traditionally responsible to write and present official poetry to
commemorate occasions both personal, such as the monarch's birthday and royal births and marriages, and public, 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:
From Augustus to Louis, the muse has too often been false and venal: but I much doubt whether any age or court can produce a
similar establishment of a stipendiary poet, who in every reign, and at all events, is bound to furnish twice a year a measure of
praise and verse, such as may be sung in the chapel, and, I believe, in the presence, of the sovereign. I speak the more freely,
as the best time for abolishing this ridiculous custom is while the prince is a man of virtue and the poet a man of genius.
The salary has varied, but traditionally includes some alcohol. 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
Tudor
Stuart
After Spenser's death, the office was awarded on a more regular basis. Once chosen, poets laureate would serve for life. They
received an annual pension, and were expected to write poetry for formal occasions.
Appointed by letters patent
- 1670: 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 implemented similar official positions to that of the Poet Laureate.
Scotland and Wales
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.
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.
Italy and Poland
In the 13th century, Albertino Mussato, a proto-humanist, was crowned poet laureata
in Padova, thanks to his tragedy 'Ecerinis'.
In 1341, Petrarch was made poet laureate in
Rome.
Polish neolatin poets were appointed as poeti laureati by
popes: Klemens Janicki (1540) and Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski
(1623).
Former Colonies
Other countries (such as South Africa) and organisations (such as the United Nations) have been keen to follow this lead. Australia, even though originally a British colony,
has never embraced the title.
U.S.A. and Canada
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 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 Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate is appointed as an
officer of the Library of Parliament. Candidates must be able to write in either
English or French, must have a substantial publication history (including poetry) displaying literary excellence and must have
written work reflecting Canada, among other criteria.
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.
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.
Some critics use the term poet laureate as an honorific for certain writers. Allen
Ginsberg has been referred to as beat's poet laureate, and Patti Smith has been dubbed punk rock's poet laureate.
External links
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