Poets Laureate of Great Britain Poets Laureate of Great Britain Poets Laureate of Great Britain by J. Zimmerman Several of the other Laureates were famous poets, particularly Ted Hughes , Robert Southey , John Masefield , Sir John Betjeman , Cecil Day-Lewis , and the current Laureate, Andrew Motion . History and responsibilities. In Great Britain, the Poet Laureate is: The realm's official poet. A member of the royal household. Charged with writing verses for court and national occasions (such as for a Royal Wedding or the New Year). Awarded the position for life. Chosen by the British reigning monarch, from a list of nominees that the Prime Minister compiles after a poet laureate dies. Shortly after the 1668, the position became the Poet Laureate of Great Britain in 1707, when The Act of Union created "Great Britain" as the political name of England, Scotland, and Wales. The name Laureate derives from the Latin laureatus ("crowned with laurel"). It comes from an ancient Roman tradition of honoring a person (especially a poet) who has shown excellence of achievement.

The honor is signified by presenting the person with a wreath of laurel leaves. FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) on the Poets Laureate of Great Britain. What does "Laureate" mean? Answer . Who was the best? Most frequently this is said to be Tennyson . John Dryden (1631-1700). Laureate 1668-88. Appointed in 1668 by King Charles II, who gave John Dryden a formal royal warrant that awarded him the official titles of Poet Laureate and Historiographer Royal. This role continued under King James II. As a powerful satirist, Dryden was a strong advocate and spokesman for his monarch, and "the best poet, dramatist, translator and critic of the age" [ Levin in Verses of the Poets Laureate] In 1689, sacked [or fired] by William III for failing to take an oath of allegiance. Thomas Shadwell (1643?-1692). Laureate 1689-92.

The successful dramatist Thomas Shadwell was chosen in large part because he was a Protestant Whig, essential to replace the Catholic Dryden. met an inglorious end in 1693, A weak poet, a heavy drinker, and an opium user, Shadwell died from an overdose of opium, which he took in part to relieve his gout. He was said to have found the laureateship unimportant. Disrespected by John Dryden , among others, for his poetry as well as for his politics. Shadwell wrote a yearly ode on the monarch's birthday, and introduced the tradition of writing a New Year ode; his odes are crashingly uninspired and mechanistic, as if written by an unusually dimwitted computer program. Nahum Tate (1652-1715). Laureate 1692-1715. Born in Dublin, Tate was awarded the Poet Laureate position (and its £100 per year) but the post of Historiographer Royal (and its annual £200) became a separate assignment.

Tate is most known today for his authorship of the widely loved Christmas carol "While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night". He is notorious for his (creative?) revision of Shakespeare's tragedy King Lear, giving it a happy ending. In response to public events, Tate wrote poems for victories against the French (1704), the Act of Union between the Parliaments of England and Scotland (1707), and the signing of the Peace of Utrecht with France (1713). Nicholas Rowe (1674-1718). Laureate 1715-18. Nicholas Rowe was celebrated as a dramatist rather than as a poet. The Poet Laureate's role was now general praise of the sovereign, rather than political and historical. In addition to the annual New Year ode, the Laureate acquired the duty of writing a birthday ode to the monarch, a practice which was to last over 100 years. Laurence Eusden (1688-1730). Eusden never published a book of poetry. His work is mediocre. Colley Cibber (1671-1757).

The poetry of dramatist Colley Cibber was conscientious but not inspired. William Whitehead (1715-85). Laureate 1757-85. [The appointment was first offered to and declined by Thomas Gray.] William Whitehead (a respectable though perhaps dull dramatist) was good humored and amiable. For example, he defended the poetry of Laureates in a comic poem "A Pathetic Apology For All Laureates, Past, Present, And To Come". Whitehead was conscientious, and saw himself as a non-partisan spokesman for the whole country. Astonishingly for a political appointee, he appeared to see no requirement "to defend the King or support the government". Sadly, this reflects the idea that the Laureate's influence had weakened so much that the official poems were unlikely to influence opinions, even though the times were important politically, with rebellion in the American colonies and war in Europe. Thomas Wharton (1728-90). Laureate 1785-90. Professor of Poetry at Oxford, Wharton was the only eighteenth-century laureate who was not primarily a dramatist.

William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge admired his work. Henry James Pye (1745-1813). Laureate 1790-1813. Before Pye's appointment, the Sovereign or the Lord Chamberlain (a member of the Royal Household) awarded the Poet Laureateship directly. William Pitt (the first Prime Minister involved in appointing a Laureate) offered the position to Henry James Pye, a politician more than a poet. Thereafter, the Prime Minister submits names for royal approval. Then the monarch commands the Lord Chamberlain to issue a warrant of appointment. Robert Southey (1774-1843). Laureate 1813-43. [In a bizarre double-offer the appointment was offered to two writers concurrently. Fortunately, Sir Walter Scott turned down the approach by Prime Minister, Lord Liverpool.] Robert Southey accepted the suggestion of the post from the Prince Regent. When Scott declined the offer, he suggested Southey also, so the situation ended well. During Southey's tenure, George IV became monarch in 1820, and abandoned the requirement for regular odes to the monarch.

William Wordsworth (1770-1850). Laureate 1843-50. William Wordsworth, at 73, was the oldest Poet Laureate to be appointed. He accepted the position on the agreement that he would not have obligations to write poetry on demand. Since Wordsworth, the job of Poet Laureate has been purely honorary, and appointees have been able to interpret the role as they wish. Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-92). Laureate 1850-92. [The appointment was first offered to and (to our benefit) declined by Samuel Rogers.] Alfred Tennyson raised the stature of the Poet Laureate hugely. His laureate poems include The Charge Of The Light Brigade (the suicidal charge by the Light Brigade down a valley at Balaclava during the Crimean war). Tennyson's death was mourned publicly by millions. In respect, no appointment was made to the post of Poet Laureate for four years. Alfred Austin (1835-1913). A pompous man, least successful of the Poets Laureate.

Robert Bridges (1844-1930). Uninterested in fame and praise, Bridges wrote little and destroyed his papers before his death. John Masefield (1878-1967). Laureate 1930-67. Born in Ledbury, Herefordshire, England, Masefield apprenticed to be a merchant marine officer. While training, he became ill in Chile, returned to England, then worked in factories and bars in the United States. In 1897 he returned to England, working on newspapers and his own writing (poems, stories, and plays). Masefield published his first volume of poems in 1902. He served during World War I in the Red Cross in France and on a hospital ship at Gallipoli. His simple and moving poems include the famous Sea Fever. Cecil Day-Lewis (1904-72). Laureate 1968-72. Anglo-Irish Cecil Day-Lewis was a poet, critic, and educator who enjoyed the honor of being the Poet Laureate. A student at Oxford with Auden. A committed Communist though naive politically.

Hi poetry are often romantic and melancholy. Also he wrote detective stories (using the pseudonym Nicholas Blake). Sir John Betjeman (1906-84). Laureate 1972-84. Born in Highgate (North London). Sir John Betjeman wrote humorous and accessible poetry. Betjeman commemorated royal events such as The Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977. Ted Hughes (1930-98). Laureate 1984-1998. [Appointed on the refusal of poet Philip Larkin .] Born in Yorkshire. A fierce, sometimes ferocious, poet of the natural and the mythological worlds, of "the struggle in the soil as well as in the soul" [ Levin in Verses of the Poets Laureate] . Also authored poetry and plays for children. Despite the "no obligations" clause, Hughes did write in commemoration of royal events, such as the christening of Prince Henry of Wales in 1985. Andrew Motion (1952-present). Laureate 1999-2012.

Buy Verses of the Poets Laureate: from John Dryden to Andrew Motion , by Phillis Levin (Editor) and Andrew Motion (Introduction): describes and shows the work of the first 19 poets appointed as Poet Laureate since Charles II created the first in 1668. Andrew Motion, an acclaimed poet and biographer, teaches creative writing at the University of East Anglia. He promotes poetry among young people. His poems addressing many public events as well and royal occasions, including the 100th birthday of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. A critic, and a free-form poet who interweaves the personal, the historical, the legendary, and the political. Carol Ann Duffy (1955-present). Buy Selected Poems by Carol Ann Duffy , first female Poet Laureate. Carol Ann Duffy (poet, university professor, playwright, and freelance writer) is the first woman and the first Scottish-born poetry to be appointed Poet Laureate. She graduated with a degree in philosophy from the University of Liverpool in 1977.

Her books like Feminine Gospels (2002) and Mrs Scrooge show her skill in long narrative poems, written in an accessible style and often including surreal imagery. Other work, like Rapture (2005) are poems of passion and love. She also writes poetry (such as The Hat, 2007) for children. Not-quite Poets Laureate of Great Britain. These poets were not Poets Laureate, for the reasons given. Ben Jonson (1573-1637), a playwright and poet, a volatile satirist of explosive temperament and "a great lover and praiser of himself", was not formally appointed as Poet Laureate. John Dryden was the first appointed Poet Laureate, as shown by the official royal record (starts in a new window). At best, Jonson was a "common law" poet laureate (as in "common law" husband). Some believe Jonson to be the greatest English poet and dramatist of the seventeenth century. Many praise his charm and good humor. His vigor and productivity is clear.

Jonson learned the trade of bricklayer, fought with English troops in Flanders, then returned to London to become an actor and playwright, a writer of masques (short pageant-like plays), and a tutor to Sir Walter Raleigh's son. In 1597 Jonson was imprisoned for involvement in the satire The Isle of Dogs, which authorities found seditious. He was tried for killing a fellow actor in a duel in 1598. Imprisioned for this, he converted to Catholicism to be spared death for murder. He was released provided that he forfeit all his possessions, and that he receive a felon's brand on his thumb. Charged with treason for his tragedy Sejanus, His Fall (1603) and then briefly imprisoned for views in Eastward Ho (1604), Jonson (a Catholic) was under deep suspicion after Guy Fawkes' Gunpowder Plot (1605). This situation may have motivated him, shortly thereafter, to reconvert to Anglicanism. He did become court poet to King James I. One of Jonson's most famous poems, "To Celia", begins "Drink to me, only, with thine eyes...".

Buried upright in Westminster Abbey, standing on his feet in the northern aisle of the Nave (and not in Poets' Corner) beneath the inscription "O Rare Ben Johnson" William Davenant, or Sir William D'Avenant. After Jonson's death, dramatist Davenant [D'Avenant] inherited Jonson's office and pension, again as an unofficial appointment. Links Poets Laureate of the United States of America . Books about the Poets Laureate of Great Britain. Buy Verses of the Poets Laureate: from John Dryden to Andrew Motion , by Phillis Levin (Editor) and Andrew Motion (Introduction): describes and shows the work of the first 19 poets appointed as Poet Laureate since Charles II created the first in 1668. Related Books. Poet Laureate Word Counter Poet Laureate A poet laureate (plural: poets laureate) is a poet officially appointed by a government, or conferring institution, who is often expected to compose poems for special events and occasions. United States Poet Laureate The Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress serves as the nation's official lightning rod for the poetic impulse of Americans.

During his or her term, the Poet Laureate seeks to raise the national consciousness to a greater appreciation of the reading and writing of poetry. The Poet Laureate is appointed annually by the Librarian of Congress and serves from October to May. In making the appointment, the Librarian consults with former appointees, the current Laureate and distinguished poetry critics. The position has existed under two separate titles: from 1937 to 1986 as "Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress" and from 1986 forward as "Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry." The name was changed by an act of Congress in 1985. The Laureate receives a $35,000 annual stipend funded by a gift from Archer M. Huntington. The Library keeps to a minimum the specific duties in order to afford incumbents maximum freedom to work on their own projects while at the Library. The Laureate gives an annual lecture and reading of his or her poetry and usually introduces poets in the Library's annual poetry series, the oldest in the Washington area, and among the oldest in the United States.

This annual series of public poetry and fiction readings, lectures, symposia, and occasional dramatic performances began in the 1940s. Collectively the Laureates have brought more than 2,000 poets and authors to the Library to read for the Archive of Recorded Poetry and Literature. External Links: Current U.S. Poet Laureate | Past U.S. Poets Laureate | Past U.S. Poet Laureate Projects | List of U.S. Poets Laureate by State Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom The post of Poet Laureate is a special honour awarded to a poet whose work is of national significance. Its holder is a salaried member of the British royal household, but the post has come to be free of specific duties. Although Ben Jonson apparently filled this role as early as 1616 under James I, the first official British poet laureate was John Dryden in 1668. The post is a lifetime appointment. The role was entitled the Poet Laureate of the Kingdom of England until the Acts of Union 1707, when it became the Poet Laureate of the Kingdom of Great Britain.

The present title, Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom, has been used since the Acts of Union 1800. The post was traditionally held for life with John Dryden being the only holder to have been dismissed, in 1688, due to his refusal to swear an oath of allegiance to the new king, William III. However, starting with Andrew Motion in 1999, the appointment is made for a fixed term of 10 years. In May 2009 Carol Ann Duffy became the first woman, the first Scot and the first openly gay person to be appointed to the position. Role and rewards The role of Poet Laureate is an honorary position that entails no specific duties, although there is an expectation that the holder will write verse for significant national occasions. An annual honorarium is provided, which is currently set at £5,760. The holder is also traditionally rewarded with a butt of canary or sack, which is approximately equivalent to 477 litres (105 gallons) of sherry.

Cash payments, however, have been presented as an alternative to wine: in 1952, for example, John Masefield was instead given £27 (equivalent to £579 in 2013). The Big Question: What's the history of Poet Laureates, and does the job still mean anything? | The Independent The Big Question: What's the history of Poet Laureates, and does the job still mean anything? Thursday 30 April 2009 23:00 BST Click to follow The Independent Online Why are we asking this now? Carol Ann Duffy is expected to be named today as the new Poet Laureate, the first woman to hold that distinction. Her admirers will consider it belated justice. She was in line for the title 10 years ago, but Andrew Motion was selected instead. It was rumoured that the reason Tony Blair decided against her was that he was nervous about how "Middle England" would react to a poet laureate who is openly gay. Not that she would necessarily be the first gay poet laureate – just the first who is open about it. What is a Poet Laureate?

There is no job description as such, and the salary is small. In the old days there used to be a butt of best canary wine thrown in, but not any more. The holder is not absolutely required to do anything, but is expected to produce some verse if something really, really important happens – such as, Prince William getting married. It used to be a job for life until, on the death of Ted Hughes in 1999, Andrew Motion was appointed for a fixed term of 10 years. His output included works in honour of the wedding of the Earl of Wessex, Prince William's 21st birthday, the Queen's diamond wedding anniversary and, bizarrely, the TUC. "The job has been incredibly difficult and entirely thankless," Motion told a literary festival last year. How much does it cost to have a Laureate? When Andrew Motion was appointed, the government decided that he should be paid £5,000 a year, which has gone up each year in line with inflation, so that last year he was paid just under £5,760.

Impressed by the amount of work he was doing in schools, the Department of Education decided in 2003 to contribute £15,000 to his costs, so by 2008, the total cost to the public purse had risen to just over £25,000. How is the Laureate chosen? Officially, the Laureate is appointed by the Lord Chamberlain by issuing a warrant on behalf of the monarch. For at least 200 years, however, the choice has actually been made by the Prime Minister and his/her advisers. But who advises the Prime Minister? Philip Collins set out to find the answer when he was Tony Blair's adviser on cultural matters at the time of Motion's appointment and failed utterly. Not only is the process secret, but "even the reason why it is a secret is a secret," he concluded. Who was the first? The office of Poet Laureate has existed continuously, with just one short gap, since 1668, when John Dryden was appointed to act as a propagandist for the recently restored Stuart monarchy. His duties included writing court odes on the king's birthday.

He was not only the first official Poet Laureate, he was also the only one ever to be sacked. He converted to Catholicism, but when James II was deposed and sent into exile by William III, Dryden refused to swear an oath of loyalty, for which he was excluded from the court. He was followed by a long line of mediocrities. Who was the worst? Some people believe that Alfred Austin, appointed Poet Laureate in 1896, was the worst rhymester ever to hold the title. It is alleged that when the Prince of Wales was ill, Austin wrote: "Across the wires the electric message came, He is no better, he is much the same." But even he surely had more poetry in him than Henry Pye, the MP for Berkshire, who gave up his seat in 1790 and was rewarded for the loyal support he had given William Pitt the Younger by being appointed the first salaried Poet Laureate, on £27 a year. The compiler of the Cambridge History of English Literature judged that Pye "was, in fact, not so much a bad poet as no poet at all...

his house was the house of typically 18th-century verse, empty and swept of all poetical life..." And the best? No one else had filled the post as successfully as Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Poet Laureate for 42 years during the reign of Queen Victoria, who produced lines in praise of the Duke of Wellington, and in honour of the men killed in the Charge of the Light Brigade. After his death in 1892, the post was left vacant for four years because he seemed irreplaceable. Who should have been Poet Laureate but wasn't? There are a very large number of poets whose work is still read and enjoyed, but who were never considered by the government of their day to be suitable for the post. And, conversely, there are painfully few laureates who have left behind any memorable poetry. Some of the great English poets were deliberately passed over because they were politically unreliable, like John Milton or Alexander Pope, or their private lives were scandalous, like Lord Byron, or they were women. The Victorians did offer the post to William Morris, who was a socialist, and the Thatcher government offered it to Philip Larkin, but both turned it down.

When Henry Pye died in 1813, the government could, if they had wanted to, have chosen William Blake, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William Wordsworth or Byron, but preferred to offer the laureateship to the romantic novelist, Sir Walter Scott. When he turned it down, the title went to Robert Southey, who was a vast improvement on most of his predecessors, and yet is forgotten now, except that we still remember a brilliant parody of a Southey poem, "You Are Old Father William", by Lewis Carroll. Wordsworth had to wait another 30 years until Southey died. At 73, he was the oldest person ever appointed Poet Laureate. When he died, Queen Victoria wanted her next Poet Laureate to be someone named Samuel Russell, but he said no. What are the most memorable lines written by a Laureate?

There is "I wandered lonely as a cloud", which Wordsworth wrote many years before he was the laureate, or "Theirs not to reason why" by Tennyson – but, actually, of all the verses written by all the Poets Laureate past and present, the one best known to the greatest number of people is, "While shepherds watched their flocks by night", written by Nahum Tate, an Irish poet who was made Poet Laureate in 1692. Apart from writing hymns, his biggest contribution to literature was to rewrite King Lear, with a happy ending in which Lear was restored to his throne and Edgar, after marrying Cordelia, ended the action by proclaiming: "Our drooping Country now erects her head, Peace spreads her balmy Wings, and Plenty blooms." Why do we continue with the tradition? The office of Poet Laureate cannot really be said to do much for the creative output of those who hold it, but Andrew Motion demonstrated its real value by using his position to whip up public interest in good poetry. And he has won plaudits for responding spontaneously to events, for example producing a poem after the Ladbroke Grove rail disaster of 1999.

Motion founded the online Poetry Archive, which he says that he could not have done if he had not been Poet Laureate, campaigned for the Heritage Lottery fund to be used to preserve poetry manuscripts, and chaired the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. Do we need someone to mark national events with a poem? Yes... * This is an old tradition evoking Britain down the ages and it costs next to nothing. Why end it? * The Laureate is an ambassador for poetic craft from whom school pupils, and others, can take inspiration. * In an age of shallow celebrity, the Poet Laureate is someone famous for genuine achievement. No... * It is an insult to expect a serious poet to compose verses to mark a royal wedding or some such event. * In most cases, being appointed seems to have a deadening effect on the office-holder's creativity. *Since when was a Prime Minister qualified to nominate the country's foremost poet? More about: U.K. Appoints First Female Poet Laureate | Fox News U.K.

Appoints First Female Poet Laureate Published May 01, 2009 Facebook 0 Twitter 0 Email Print LONDON – The centuries-old post of British poet laureate, bard to kings and queens, has been held by William Wordsworth, Alfred Lord Tennyson and Ted Hughes — but never, until Friday, by a woman. Carol Ann Duffy said she hesitated before accepting the job, which brings a high public profile and an expectation to rhapsodize about royal weddings, funerals and major state occasions. In the end, she left the decision to her 13-year-old daughter, Ella: "She said, 'Yes mummy, there's never been a woman."' Duffy, 53, said that as laureate she would write "whatever needs to be written." She said poetry "is a place we can go to for comfort, celebration, when we're in love, when we're bereaved and sometimes for events that happen to us as a nation." A witty and popular writer whose work is widely taught in British schools, Duffy is also the first openly gay poet laureate.

When she was first considered for the post in 1999, some newspapers reported that the government was worried about how a lesbian laureate would be received by the British public. The job went to Andrew Motion. "I think we've all grown up a lot over the past 10 years," Duffy said. Prime Minister Gordon Brown called Duffy "a truly brilliant modern poet who has stretched our imaginations by putting the whole range of human experiences into lines that capture the emotions perfectly." Duffy has published more than 30 books — plays and children's stories as well as poems that mix accessible modern language with traditional forms such as the sonnet. Her work often displays a sly, feminist take on history and contains a strong vein of social commentary. "She has such a wide range of register," said Judith Palmer, director of the Poetry Society, Britain's largest poetry organization. "She writes poems of enormously dry, sardonic wit, and very sexy, fanciful poems, and brilliant poems for children." Duffy's collections include "The World's Wife," verses that adopt the voices of female historical figures and the wives of famous men. It includes the poem "Mrs.

Darwin": "7 April 1852/Went to the Zoo/I said to him — Something about that chimpanzee over there reminds me of you." Last year, when the issue of youth knife crime was in the news, an exam board removed Duffy's poem "Education for Leisure" from an anthology for high school students. Poets and many teachers condemned the axing of the poem, which is written from the point of view of a disturbed individual and begins "Today I am going to kill something. Anything/I have had enough of being ignored." Duffy responded to the furor with a witty poem pointing out the amount of knife violence in Shakespeare's plays. Britain's first official poet laureate was John Dryden, appointed in 1668, although the tradition is centuries older than that. Until 1999, laureates were appointed for life. The role initially involved writing odes to celebrate events such as the monarch's birthday, but recent post-holders have had more flexibility about what they do. Motion was widely praised for expanding the role to become a national champion for poetry. His eight official poems were less well-received, however.

His rap-style poem marking Prince William's 21st birthday in 2003 — which opened "Better stand back/Here's an age attack" — met with derision. Duffy — who once said "no self-respecting poet" should have to write verses about the wedding of minor royals — said she would take the royal aspect of the job seriously, but would not feel compelled to write a poem for every occasion. "If I felt, in the event of a royal wedding, inspired to write about people coming together in marriage or civil partnership, I would just be grateful to have an idea for the poem," she told the BBC. "And if I didn't, I'd ignore it." Duffy said she would give the annual salary of just over $8,500 to the Poetry Society to fund a prize for the best collection published every year. The laureate traditionally also receives a "butt of sack" — about 600 bottles' worth of sherry, donated by the Sherry Institute of Spain. "Andrew hasn't had his yet so I've asked for mine up front," Duffy said.

Advertisement John Dryden (1631-1700) - Poetical works of John Dryden ; v.1. (Annotated edition of the English poets). John Dryden (1631-1700) - Poetical works of John Dryden ; v.1. (Annotated edition of the English poets). 1854-07-02 Poetical works of John Dryden ; v.1. (Annotated edition of the English poets). 1854 RCIN 1087232 References Description John Dryden (1631-1700) was a poet, literary critic, translator and playwright. He wrote his first poems when working in the civil service under Oliver Cromwell. However, it was after the Restoration that Dryden really established himself as a poet and playwright, with odes addressed to the returned King Charles II. He was appointed the first official Poet Laureate in 1668, serving King Charles II and then King James II. Dryden held the post until after the revolution of 1688, at which point it was taken from him and given to his rival and antagonist Thomas Shadwell.

People involved References Alternative titles Description John Dryden (1631-1700) was a poet, literary critic, translator and playwright. He wrote his first poems when working in the civil service under Oliver Cromwell. However, it was after the Restoration that Dryden really established himself as a poet and playwright, with odes addressed to the returned King Charles II. He was appointed the first official Poet Laureate in 1668, serving King Charles II and then King James II. Dryden held the post until after the revolution of 1688, at which point it was taken from him and given to his rival and antagonist Thomas Shadwell. Provenance Poet laureate John Masefield's unseen tributes to George VI revealed | Books | The Guardian Poet laureate John Masefield's unseen tributes to George VI revealed Handwritten work given privately to the recently-crowned king made available for the first time Close This article is 2 years old Three unknown poems by John Masefield , which were written out by hand by the poet laureate for George VI and Queen Elizabeth, have been discovered.

The poems, which Masefield scholar Dr Philip Errington said revealed "a very personal side to the role of Laureate", were found during preparations for a new exhibition of works by poet laureates at the Palace of Holyroodhouse next month. They are the only copies in existence, and show the poet's "close and affectionate relationship with the king", said the Royal Collection Trust, which is putting on the exhibition. In Lines for January 20th - composed in 1940 for the fourth anniversary of the death of King George V – Masefield writes of how "I think of One who died", adding "He was most good to me", and "Thinking of Him / My old eyes become dim". Song of the Birds for The Queen's Majesty, written in 1937, marks the coronation of George VI, asking the returning migratory birds to be near Queen Elizabeth – the future queen mother – "in the midnight long / Uplift the moonrise of your song, / To bring her peace, / And make all troubles cease".

The final poem, A Prayer for the King's Majesty, also focuses on George VI's coronation in May 1937, and sees the poet asking: "Grant that our King may make this ancient land / A Realm of brothers, working mind and hand / To make the Life of Man a fairer thing: / God, grant this living glory to the King." Masefield was the poet laureate from 1930-1967. He is known both for his poetry – including the poems Sea-Fever and Cargoes - and for his children's books, The Box of Delights and The Midnight Folk. "'Masefield's tenure as poet laureate covered the abdication of Edward VIII, the second sorld war, the death of two kings, the coronations of George VI and the present queen and the birth of Prince Charles," said Errington, who is archivist of the John Masefield Society. "His 'official' laureateship verse was published in the Times and even included a poem on the assassination of John F Kennedy. However these newly discovered poems reveal a very personal side to the role of laureate.

It is rare for entirely unknown and unrecorded poems by Masefield to come to light." The poems will be displayed as part of the Poetry for the Palace: Poets Laureate from Dryden to Duffy exhibition in August. "Many of the laureate poems in the Royal Library were personally presented by the authors to the reigning monarch," said Royal Collection Trust librarian Oliver Urquhart Irvine. "Although many were subsequently published in newspapers or books, these three poems by Masefield are the only versions known to exist. We are delighted to be able to display these unique and moving works for the very first time." The exhibition, marking the halfway point in the tenure of current laureate Carol Ann Duffy, will be the first to explore the tradition of the poet laureate. As well as the works by Masefield, it will feature manuscripts dating back to the 17th century, when John Dryden became the first ever laureate in 1668, appointed by Charles II. Dryden was not only the first ever laureate, he was also the first to be dismissed, after he refused to swear allegiance to William III and Mary II in 1689.

The exhibition will include a copy of the poem he wrote to mark the death of Charles II in 1685. It will also feature a musical score by Henry Purcell for an ode by the third poet laureate, Nahum Tate. Tate, best known today for the carol "While shepherds watch their flocks by night", wrote the ode "Celebrate this Festival for the 31st birthday of Queen Mary" in 1693. The Royal Collection Trust said that it was part of the duty of laureates to write regularly for their sovereigns until William Wordsworth took on the role at the age of 73, on the understanding he would not have to write anything at all. Today, laureates can write as much or as little as they choose; so far Duffy's poems include "Rings" , written for the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and "The Crown" , written for the 60th anniversary of The Queen's Coronation.

Edinburgh Art Festival show explores appointed poets from Dryden to Duffy – noting falling deference to the monarch but revived delight in the perk of the sherry sack Published: 6 Aug 2014 Three unseen works written by the poet laureate for the newly-crowned monarch Published: 2 Jul 2014 Tamasin and Daniel Day-Lewis hand over poet laureate's archive including manuscripts and letter from WH Auden Published: 29 Oct 2012 Thanks to the recently relaunched Poetry Archive, you can listen to the likes of Tennyson and Sylvia Plath reading their own verse, writes Anna Baddeley Published: 6 Jul 2014 Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom - 必应 Sign in Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom The British Poet Laureate is an honorary position appointed by the monarch of the United Kingdom on the advice of the Prime Minister. The role does not entail any specific duties, but there is an expectation that the holder will write verse for significant national occasions.

The origins of the laureateship date back to 1616 when a pension was provided to Ben Jonson, but the first official holder of the position was John Dryden, appointed in 1668 by Charles II. On the death of Alfred, Lord Tennyson, who held the post between November 1850 and Octob ... (展开) ber 1892, there was a break of four years as a mark of respect; Tennyson's laureate poems "Ode on the Death of the Duke of Wellington" and "The Charge of the Light Brigade" were particularly cherished by the Victorian public. Three poets, Thomas Gray, Samuel Rogers and Walter Scott, turned down the laureateship. The holder of the position as at 2015 is Carol Ann Duffy, who was appointed in May 2009 on a fixed ten-year term. Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom ... The British Poet Laureate is an honorary position appointed by the monarch of the United Kingdom on the advice of the Prime ... © 2016 Microsoft 新的隐私声明和 Cookie 新的法律声明 广告 帮助 反馈 Laureate of the United...

A poet laureate (plural: poets ... poets laureate) is a poet officially appointed by a ... Unlike the butt of sack traditionally offered to United Kingdom poets ... United States Poet Laureate ... was modeled on the Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom. ... in the Washington area and among the oldest in the United States. Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom. No description defined. Statements. instance of. title of honor. 0 references. position. 0 references. country. United Kingdom. 0 ...

Question: Who was the first Poet Laureate appointed in 1668?
Answer: John Dryden