The post of Poet Laureate is a special honour awarded to a poet whose work is of national significance.
The origins of the post
The title comes from the laurels with which the ancient Greeks traditionally crowned their most celebrated poets.
Originally the office involved writing court odes to mark occasions such as the Sovereign's birthday, but nowadays the position is purely honorary. It is up to the individual poet to decide whether or not produce poetry for national occasions or Royal events such as weddings and funerals.
Since 1790, the title has been awarded on the advice of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister submits names for approval by The Queen, and the Sovereign commands the Lord Chamberlain to issue a warrant of appointment.
Recent and current Poet Laureates
Recent holders of the post have sought to champion the reading and writing of poetry as well as addressing whichever public issues have seemed of importance to them, not simply Royal events.
In October 2007, a Poetry Day was held at Buckingham Palace at which Andrew Motion held a poetry workshop with children who had been asked to write poems inspired by a choice of five artworks from the Royal Collection.
The present Poet Laureate is Carol Ann Duffy, who was appointed in May 2009. The post will be held for a fixed ten-year period.
An acclaimed poet and playwright, Duffy is the author of numerous award-winning poetry collections, plays, and fairy tales and poetry for children. Awarded an OBE in 1995 and a CBE in 2002 for services to Poetry, she lives in Manchester where she is Creative Director of the Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University.
History
The post of Poet Laureate has a long history. Some of the post's holders are almost unknown; others are among the greatest poets in the English language.
Although many poets enjoyed favour at Court from early times, the official origins of the post date back to the seventeenth century.
In 1668, King Charles II gave John Dryden the official titles of Poet Laureate and Historiographer Royal in a formal Royal warrant.
In some ways Dryden and his eighteenth century successors were 'spin doctors' in verse. Charles II created the post hoping that Dryden would act as advocate for him in the turbulent decades following his restoration to the throne in 1660.
It all ended in disaster for Dryden when Charles II's successor, James II, was ousted by William III in 1689. Dryden, himself now a Catholic, refused to swear the necessary oath of allegiance to the Protestant monarch and was sacked - the only time this has happened to a Poet Laureate.
From 1692 the post of Historiographer Royal was awarded separately, and the salary diminished. As a result, the post became less sought after - it was less rewarding financially, and required the holder to tread a very careful line in his verse.
By the late seventeenth century, the Poet Laureate's political and historical roles were less important than general praise of the sovereign. On top of writing a new year ode came the duty of writing a birthday ode to the King, a practice which lasted more than a hundred years.
Only a few laureates in the eighteenth century rose successfully to the challenge of using their role to address the nation. William Whitehead (Poet Laureate 1758-85), saw the role as one which required partisan loyalties to be put aside. In his 'Verses To The People of England', written in 1758 during war with France, he urged the public to support its leaders.
With the accession of George IV in 1820, the requirement for regular odes to the monarch was at last abandoned, and the post became much more flexible.
With the appointment of William Wordsworth in 1843, requirements became even less specific.
Worried about the obligation to write poetry on demand, Wordsworth was reassured by Sir Robert Peel, the Prime Minister, that no specific duties would be required of him.
In the twentieth century, the role of Poet Laureate went from strength to strength. Successive holders of the post interpreted their responsibilities in very different ways.
Andrew Motion interpreted his role in the widest possible sense, writing poems addressing many public events as well as specifically Royal occasions, including the 100th birthday and death of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, The Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002 and The Queen's 80th birthday in 2006.
Sir John Betjeman, appointed Poet Laureate in 1972, wrote in a humorous, accessible style. More recently, Ted Hughes was celebrated for his poems about the natural and mythological worlds.
The Poet Laureate's original salary was £200 per year plus a butt of canary (a type of wine). John Betjeman had the tradition revived in 1972, and today's Poet Laureate continues to receive a barrel of sherry.
The third Poet Laureate, Nahum Tate, is today best known for writing the Christmas carol 'While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night', and for revising Shakespeare's tragedy King Lear to give it a happy ending.
The oldest Poet Laureate was William Wordsworth, who was 73 when appointed in 1843.
Alfred Tennyson followed Wordsworth as Poet Laureate, and wrote 'The Charge Of The Light Brigade' in the role.
