What’s a poet laureate? How does one become a poet laureate? Does every country have one, or just the UK?
A poet laureate is the official national poet of a country. Many nations have them. The U.S. has on a number of occasions. For instance, John Kennedy named Robert Frost.
Since Dr. Suess died, I am not certain that George W. Bush has a favorite poet to name.
From James Westphal’s link above, we learn that the U.S., since 1985, appoints a new Poet Laureate every year. That, I didn’t know. IIRC, the Poet Laureate of the U.K. is a lifetime appointment.
Former U.K. Poet Laureate died in 1998. Whoever took Hughes’ place?
The present Poet laureate (since 1999) is Andrew Motion.
However, like America it seems any Town/City/ organisation can nominate their own.
Scotland appointed one of their own Edwin Morgan and his first effort was to call for Scotland to become a Republic.
I’m going to have to take his word for that but then I’m not a poetry sort of guy.
This was traditionally the case, but Motion’s appointment is for ten years.
The answers have all been about national poet laureates, but (most states in the U.S. also have a poet laureate), as do cities like Toronto, San Francisco, and the town I live in (population ~50,000).
Perhaps the OP was asking about poet laureates in general… what do they do, and how does one get the position. Seems to me that it’s a way for governments to patronize the arts, since it’s awfully hard to make a living as a poet. Even if the title itself doesn’t come with some money attatched, it no doubt leads to other paying gigs.
The idea was to give recognition to a leading poet of the day, by way of patronage. It originally came with a stipend or pension, from the royal Privy Purse. There are duties, not onerous ones: the Poet Laureate is expected to prepare an appropriate ode, encomium, meditation, elegy, or whatever for major national events. Wordsworth, Tennyson, and Masefield are among major poets who were Poets Laureate of England.
IIRC (and I’m depending on memory), the U.S. title dates to J.F.K., who wanted to be able to bestow it on the elderly Robert Frost, whose poetry he admired and who was getting on in years.
In the US, I believe each state has an official Poet Laureate. I know Oklahoma does. My great-grandmother was the first Poet Laureate of Oklahoma. This did not bring her any money, but lots o’ glory. And back then, glory was good to eat. You could spread butter on it, place it between a couple slices of bread, and make a sandwich, or so I’ve been told.
There were eleven who predated Frost, starting with Joseph Auslander. I don’t think JFK had anything to do with this at all. Poet Laureate | Poetry & Literature | Programs | Library of Congress
TV Time:
I can recognize a dig at GWB as easily as anyone, but darned if I’ll take an implied insult to Dr. Seuss lying down. I just read The Sleep Book to my son tonight, and I’m still impressed by the esthetics of rhyme and meter displayed therein.
America could do much, much worse for a national poet (If he were still alive).
Yeah, I have to agree with you. To you and Mr. Geisel, I offer my apology.