Poet Laureate

Poet Laureate, formal title used in both Great Britain and the United States. The term laureate is derived from the Latin word laurea (“laurel”); in ancient times the laurel wreath was sacred to Apollo, the Greek god of poetry and music. In Great Britain, the Poet Laureate is named by the sovereign as a member of the royal household and charged with the preparation of suitable verses for court and state occasions. Although Ben Jonson apparently fulfilled this role as early as 1616 under James I, the first official British Poet Laureate was John Dryden in 1668. Poets were appointed to the post for life until 1999, when Andrew Motion was given a ten-year term. The longest tenure, 1850-1892, was held by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. In 1985 the US Congress created the office of Poet Laureate as poetry consultant to the Library of Congress. The appointment is for a one-year term, although this is renewable. During the year he or she is required to give one public poetry reading and lecture. Robert Penn Warren was named first Poet Laureate in February 1986. In 1992 Mona Van Duyn became the first woman to hold the office; all the British Poets Laureate have been men.