but not a novelist/artist/sculptor/composer/filmmaker laureate? Or do we, but we just never here about them?
Cross poster here at Cafe Society if you want to nominate various people who should fill those categories.
I doubt they had much need for filmmakers in medieval times.
It may go back to ancient Indo-European class divisions, in which poets held a privileged rank, especially as regards their propaganda contribution to glorifying the state (see the Aeneid by Virgil [or is it Vergil? I can never remember which spelling to use]). I’m speculating based on old Irish brehon law, in which the relative status of artists was codified: Bards and harpers were at the top, while pipers and visual artists were much lower down, thought of more as technicians than artistes. Bards, griots, etc. were the National Archives and the Ministry of Information: they held and safeguarded the collective memory of the people, their self-definition of who they are as a people, and used that lore to support state authority. I see poet laureates as a much paler, weaker institution in that vein, nevertheless a throwback to tribal and ancient monarchical state functions. Maybe it should be questioned whether a republic of free and equal individuals has any business keeping this going (that would go in Great Debates).
In ancient Arabia, tribes used poets to fight wars. The armies would be drawn up in battle formation, and they would begin by sending poets to diss the other side. Much like rappers speaking out for rival gangs. Arabs believed an especially powerful poet could demoralize the other side and win the battle without striking a blow. Or at least weaken the enemy psychologically.
Thanks, interesting information. If that is indeed the origin, it’s a bit surprising that the US maintains such old traditions.
My more immediate hunch is that America borrowed the tradition from the British monarchy, which adopted it in imitation of the Roman Empire.
Actually, we DIDN’T “maintain” the tradition. We adopted it quite recently. Robert Penn Warren received that title in 1985. Prior to that, we had no “Poet Laureate” (we did have a Poetry Consultant, designated by the Library of Congress, starting in 1937).
So, why do it? Probably because, even though most Poets Laureate in other countries were hired toadies whose only job was to sing the praises of the rulers (today, their only job is to scribble down “inspirational” verse on special occasions like royal births and weddings and coronations), over time, the presence of an official royal poet came to seem sort of… glamorous. It made other nations look sophisticated and literate. “See,” the American intelligentsia would whine, “Here in America, we artists aren’t appreciated. But England honors and reveres its poets.”
Naming a Poet Laureate was a cheap, easy way to gain some second-hand sophistication and class. “See, we appreciate poetry and literature here, too.”
I remember individual states had their own poet laureates long before the position was created for the USA. In 7th grade (many years ago) we had to study the Ohio constitution and sure enough, Ohio had a poet laureate, not that anyone ever heard of his or her existence.
I like the idea of a nation giving recognition to its poets… I’m just not entirely comfortable with the Roman imperialistic origin of the idea when applied to America. I wish there were some other model for recognizing and promoting poetry as a nation.
Don’t wish for more awards and laurels. Once they start, they can’t stop, and it would be like the Oscars, with awards for technical excellence overflowing the trophy room.
Don’t tell someone who wins a sound award or an editing award at the Oscars that they won a technical award. They will start a fight with you.
The Oscars (AMPAS) has its own technical awards and they are given out in a separate ceremony.
The awards given out in the big show on TV are all “artistic” awards.
“What is a Poet Laurate?” answers many questions on the subject. Not mentioned is that FDR appointed renowned poet Archibald MacLeish as Librarian of Congress, and he was the sparkplug behind creation of the American title.
I believe that the U.K. poet laureate is still supposed to compose “occasional” poetry, topical material related to significant events in British life (Battle of Britain, coronations, royal weddings, etc.) but that this is honored more in the breach than the observance, and that the principal function is to honor a leading poet of the time with official recognition.
[pedantry]Isn’t the proper plural “poets laureate”?[/pedantry]
You are correct as far as pedantspeak goes, but I prefer to use regular English.
(How come no one says “Knights Templars” any more?)
The current UK Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion, wrote works to commemorate both the 100th birthday and the death of the Queen Mother: link.
There was also some verse at the time of Princess Margaret’s death that I recall was pretty ghastly.
Yes, but the attorneys general won’t prosecute you in any state for the solecism if you put the -s at the end of the title. (Poets laureate are appointed by letters patent, by the way, just to throw a bit of pedantry back at you! :))
What’s with all the Norman French? <sigh> Some people just haven’t heard the 1360s are over.