A poet laureate (plural: poets laureate) is a

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...

officially appointed by a government or conferring institution, typically expected to compose poems for special events and occasions. Albertino Mussato of

Padua Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the ...

and Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) of

Arezzo Arezzo ( , , ) , also ; ett, 𐌀𐌓𐌉𐌕𐌉𐌌, Aritim. is a city and ''comune'' in Italy and the capital of the province of the same name located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about southeast of Florence at an elevation of above sea level. ...

were the first to be crowned poets laureate after the classical age, respectively in 1315 and 1342. In Britain, the term dates from the appointment of

Bernard André Bernard André, O.E.S.A. (1450–1522), also known as Andreas, was a French Augustinian friar and poet, who was a noted chronicler of the reign of Henry VII of England, and poet laureate. A native of Toulouse, André was tutor to Prince Arthur o ...

Henry VII of England Henry VII (28 January 1457 – 21 April 1509) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizure of the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death in 1509. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor. Henry's mother, Margaret Beaufort ...

. The royal office of Poet Laureate in England dates from the appointment of

John Dryden '' John Dryden (; – ) was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who in 1668 was appointed England's first Poet Laureate. He is seen as dominating the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the per ...

in 1668. In modern times a poet laureate title may be conferred by an organization such as the

Poetry Foundation The Poetry Foundation is an American literary society that seeks to promote poetry and lyricism in the wider culture. It was formed from ''Poetry'' magazine, which it continues to publish, with a 2003 gift of $200 million from philanthropist Rut ...

, which designates a Young People's Poet Laureate, unconnected with the National Youth Poet Laureate and the

United States Poet Laureate The Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress—commonly referred to as the United States Poet Laureate—serves as the official poet of the United States. During their term, the poet laureate seeks to raise the national cons ...

. The office is also popular with regional and community groups. Examples include the Pikes Peak Poet Laureate, which is designated by a "Presenting Partners" group from within the community, the Minnesota poet laureate chosen by the League of Minnesota Poets (est. 1934), the Northampton Poet Laureate chosen by the Northampton Arts Council, and the

Martha's Vineyard Poet Laureate THIS SPACE IS BEING UPDATED.The concept of the position of Martha's Vineyard Poet Laureate (MV Poet Laureate) was formally initiated in 2011 by the Martha's Vineyard Poetry Society. This was the first time in Martha's Vineyard history that a posit ...

chosen by ten judges representing the Martha's Vineyard Poetry Society. Over a dozen national governments continue the poet laureate tradition.

Background

In ancient Greece, the

laurel Laurel may refer to: Plants * Lauraceae, the laurel family * Laurel (plant), including a list of trees and plants known as laurel People * Laurel (given name), people with the given name * Laurel (surname), people with the surname * Laurel (mus ...

was used to form a crown or wreath of honour for poets and heroes. The custom derives from the ancient myth of Daphne and Apollo (Daphne signifying "laurel" in Greek), and was revived in

for Albertino Mussato, followed by

Petrarch Francesco Petrarca (; 20 July 1304 – 18/19 July 1374), commonly anglicized as Petrarch (), was a scholar and poet of early Renaissance Italy, and one of the earliest humanists. Petrarch's rediscovery of Cicero's letters is often credited w ...

's own crowning ceremony in the audience hall of the medieval senatorial palazzo on the Campidoglio on April 8, 1341. Because the Renaissance figures who were attempting to revive the Classical tradition lacked detailed knowledge of the Roman precedent they were attempting to emulate, these ceremonies took on the character of doctoral candidatures. Since the office of poet laureate has become widely adopted, the term "laureate" has come to signify recognition for preeminence or superlative achievement ( cf.

Nobel laureate The Nobel Prizes ( sv, Nobelpriset, no, Nobelprisen) are awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Swedish Academy, the Karolinska Institutet, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee to individuals and organizations who make out ...

). A royal degree in

rhetoric Rhetoric () is the art of persuasion, which along with grammar and logic (or dialectic), is one of the three ancient arts of discourse. Rhetoric aims to study the techniques writers or speakers utilize to inform, persuade, or motivate parti ...

, ''poet laureate'' was awarded at European universities in the Middle Ages. The term therefore may refer to the holder of such a degree, which recognized skill in rhetoric, grammar, and language.

By country

Australia

Australia has no official poet laureate scheme, despite past suggestions. In 1818, former convict Michael Massey Robinson was paid by colony governor

Lachlan Macquarie Major-general (United Kingdom), Major General Lachlan Macquarie, Companion of the Order of the Bath, CB (; gd, Lachann MacGuaire; 31 January 1762 – 1 July 1824) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator from Scotland. Macquarie se ...

for services as poet laureate. Over the years, other poets have been nominated as worthy of such a title, including James Brunton Stephens (1835–1902), Andrew Barton 'Banjo' Paterson (1864–1941), and Les Murray (1938–2019).

Barbados

The first Poet Laureate of Barbados was chosen in 2018. Her name is

Esther Phillips Esther Phillips (born Esther Mae Jones; December 23, 1935 – August 7, 1984) was an American singer, best known for her R&B vocals.Santelli, Robert (2001). ''The Big Book of Blues: A Biographical Encyclopedia''. Penguin Books. p. 376. . She ...

Belgium

The first Poet Laureate of Belgium, Charles Ducal, was chosen in 2014.Dutch-language poet Charles Ducal He was followed by Laurence Vielle, Els Moors, Carl Norac, and Mustafa Kör.

Canada

The Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate is appointed as an officer of the Library of Parliament. The position alternates between an English and French speaking laureate. Candidates must be able to write in both English and French, have a substantial publication history (including poetry) displaying literary excellence and have written work reflecting Canada, among other criteria. Poets who have served in the position include: *

George Bowering George Harry Bowering, (born December 1, 1935) is a prolific Canadian novelist, poet, historian, and biographer. He was the first Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate. He was born in Penticton, British Columbia, and raised in the nearby town o ...

(2002-2004) * Pauline Michel (2004-2006) * John Steffler (2006-2008) * Pierre DesRuisseaux (2009-2011) *

Fred Wah Frederick James Wah, OC, (born January 23, 1939) is a Canadian poet, novelist, scholar and former Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate. Life Wah was born in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, but grew up in the interior (West Kootenay) of British Columbi ...

(2011-2013) * Michel Pleau (2014-2016) * George Elliott Clarke (2016-2017) * Georgette LeBlanc (2018-2019) *

Louise Bernice Halfe Louise Bernice Halfe, is a Cree poet and social worker from Canada. Halfe's Cree name is Sky Dancer. At the age of seven, she was forced to attend Blue Quills Residential School in St. Paul, Alberta. Halfe signed with Coteau Books in 1994 and has ...

a.k.a. Sky Dancer (2021–present)

Provincial and municipal poets laureate

Currently, only the provinces of Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan and Yukon have appointed a poet laureate.

=Alberta

Cities

Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...

's current poet laureate is Wakefield Brewster (2022-2024). He was preceded in office by Natalie Meisner (2020 – 2022), Sheri-D Wilson (2018-2020),

Micheline Maylor Micheline Maylor (born in 1970) is a Canadian poet, academic, critic and editor. Early life Maylor was born in Windsor, Ontario of Voyageur Metis, and English ancestry. She moved to Calgary, Alberta and was raised as a Buddhist by artist paren ...

(2016 – 2018), Derek Beaulieu (2014 – 2016), and

Kris Demeanor Kris Demeanor is a Canadian poet, musician and actor, who received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the 3rd Canadian Screen Awards for his performance in the film ''The Valley Below''. Prior to his performance in th ...

(2012 – 2014)."Kris Demeanor named Calgary’s first poet laureate"
. ''

Calgary Herald The ''Calgary Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Publication began in 1883 as ''The Calgary Herald, Mining and Ranche Advocate, and General Advertiser''. It is owned by the Postmedia Network. History ''The ...

'', March 18, 2012. * Banff has had three poets laureate, Derek Beaulieu (2022-2023), Amelie Patternson (2017-2018) and

Steven Ross Smith Steven Ross Smith (born June 25, 1945) is a Canadian poet, sound poet, fiction writer, arts journalist and arts activist. He is best known for his fluttertongue poems, which have been published in six volumes. One of them, ''fluttertongue 3: disar ...

(2019-2020) *The current Poet Laureate of

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...

Titilope Sonuga Titilope Sonuga, also known as Titi Sonuga, is a Nigerian poet, civil engineer, and actress who spends her time between Lagos and Edmonton, Canada. Early years Titilope Sonuga, who was born in Lagos, Nigeria, relocated to Edmonton, Canada, when ...

(2021-2023). She was preceded in office by Nishi Patel (2019 – 2021), Ahmed “Knowmadic” Ali (2017-2019), Pierrette Requier (2015 – 2017), Mary Pinkoski (2013 – 2015), Anna Marie Sewell (2011 – 2012), Roland Pemberton (2006 – 2011),

E.D. Blodgett Edward Dickinson Blodgett (26 February 1935 – 15 November 2018) was a Canadian poet, literary critic, and translator who won the Governor General's Award for poetry in 1996 for his collection ''Apostrophes: Woman at a Piano'' (BuschekBooks). Bi ...

(2007 – 2009), and

Alice Major Alice Major is a Canadian poet, writer, and essayist, who served as poet laureate of Edmonton, Alberta. She has published 12 collections of poetry and a collection of essays on poetry and science. Her work has received multiple awards, most rece ...

(2005 – 2007).

= British Columbia

Cities

Comox Valley The Comox Valley is a region on the east coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, that includes the city of Courtenay, British Columbia, Courtenay, the town of Comox, British Columbia, Comox, the village of Cumberland, British Columb ...

has had three poets laureate: Lawrence J.W. Cooper (2019-2021), Natalie Nickerson (2017-2019), and Kevin Flesher (2015-2017). *The Poets Laureate of

Nanaimo Nanaimo ( ) is a city on the east coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. As of the Canada 2021 Census, 2021 census, it had a population of 99,863, and it is known as "The Harbour City." The city was previously known as the "H ...

include Kamal Parmar (2021-2023), Tina Biello (2017 – 2020), and Naomi Beth Wakan (2013 – 2016). * New Westminster's Poets Laureate are Elliott Slinn (2021–present), Alan Hill (2017 – 2020), Candice James (2010 – 2016), Don Benson (1999 – 2007), and Edna Anderson (1998 – 1999) *

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

has had one poet laureate, Renée Sarojini Saklikar (2015 – 2018) * Tofino's poets laureate are Christine Lowther (2020-2022) and Joanna Streetly (2018 – 2020) *

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

's poets laureate are Fiona Tinwei Lam (2021–present), Miss Christie Lee (Christie Charles) (2018-2021),

Rachel Rose Rachel Rose (born September 20, 1970) is a Canadian/American poet, essayist and short story writer. She has published three collections of poetry, ''Giving My Body to Science'', ''Notes on Arrival and Departure'', and ''Song and Spectacle''. Her ...

(2014 – 2017),

Evelyn Lau Evelyn Lau (; born July 2, 1971) is a Canadian poet and novelist. Biography Evelyn Lau was born in Vancouver, British Columbia on July 2, 1971 to Chinese-Canadian parents from Hong Kong, who intended for her to become a doctor. Her parents' am ...

(2011 – 2014), Brad Cran (2009 – 2011), and George McWhirter (2007 – 2009). * Victoria's poets laureate are John Barton (2019 – 2022), Yvonne Blomer (2015 – 2018), Janet Marie Rogers (2012 – 2014),

Linda Rogers Linda Rogers (born 10 October 1944) is a Canadian poet and children's writer based in British Columbia. Early life and education Rogers was born October 10, 1944, in Port Alice, British Columbia. Rogers attended the University of British Columbi ...

(2009 – 2011), and Carla Funk (2006 – 2008).

= Manitoba

Cities

* Winnipeg's poets laureate are

Duncan Mercredi Duncan Mercredi (born 1951) is a Cree and Métis poet from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Mercredi was born in Misipawistik Grand Rapids, Manitoba, where he grew up. At sixteen he moved to Cranberry Portage, Manitoba, where he attended high school and mov ...

(2020-2022) and Di Brandt (2018-2019)

= New Brunswick

Cities

* Fredericton's poets laureate are: Fredericton's Poets Laureate are David "Dav" Pond (2022-present), Jordan Trethewey (2021-2022), Jenna Lyn Albert (2019 – 2021) and Ian Letourneau (2016 – 2018). * Moncton's poets laureate or Poets Flyé-es are Kayla Geitzler (English) and Jean-Philippe Raîche (French) (2019 – Present) * Sackville's poets laureate are Laura K. Watson (2021–present) Shoshanna Wingate (2019 – 2021), Marilyn Lerch (2013 – 2017), and Douglas Lochhead (2002 – 2011).

= Newfoundland and Labrador

Cities

* St. John’s poets laureate are

Mary Dalton Mary Dalton (born 1950) is a Canadians, Canadian poet and educator. Life and career Mary Dalton was born in the parish of Harbour Main, Newfoundland and Labrador. She edited ''Newfoundland Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal'' in 1987 and was ...

(2019 – 2022), George Murray (2014 – 2017),

Tom Dawe Tom Dawe, (born October 24, 1940) is a Canadian writer from Newfoundland and Labrador. Life Born in Long Pond, Newfoundland, Dawe has written poetry and children's literature for many years. He is also a visual artist. His work often draws on ...

(2010 – 2013), and

Agnes Walsh Agnes Walsh (born 1950) is a Canadian poet, playwright, actor and storyteller from Newfoundland and Labrador. Born in Placentia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Walsh has won Newfoundland and Labrador Arts and Letters awards for poetry as well as Tic ...

(2006 – 2009).

= Nova Scotia

Cities

* Cape Breton:

Rita Joe Rita Joe, (born Rita Bernard; March 15, 1932 – March 20, 2007) was a Mi'kmaq poet and songwriter, often referred to as the Poet Laureate of the Mi'kmaq people. Biography Rita was born March 15, 1932 in Whycocomagh, Cape Breton Island, N ...

(1932 – 2007) was appointed Lifetime “Poet Laureate of the Mi’kmaq people” * Halifax poets laureate are Dr. Afua Cooper (2018 – 2020), Rebecca Thomas (2016 – 2018), El Jones (2013 – 2015), Tanya Davis (2011 – 2012), Shauntay Grant (2009 – 2011), Lorri Neilsen Glenn (2005 – 2009), and Sue MacLeod (2001 – 2005).

=Ontario

= *In 2021 Ontario named its first poet laureate

Randell Adjei Randell Adjei is a Canadian poet who was named in April 2021 as the first Poet Laureate of Ontario. Primarily a spoken word poet, Adjei published his debut book ''I Am Not My Struggles'' in 2018. He is also the founder and creative director of ...

Cities

* The city of

Barrie Barrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, about north of Toronto. The city is within Simcoe County and located along the shores of Kempenfelt Bay, the western arm of Lake Simcoe. Although physically in Simcoe County, Barrie is politically i ...

has had two poets laureate Victoria Butler (2018 – present) and Damian Lopes (2014 – present) * The city of

Brantford Brantford (Canada 2021 Census, 2021 population: 104,688) is a city in Ontario, Canada, founded on the Grand River (Ontario), Grand River in Southwestern Ontario. It is surrounded by County of Brant, Brant County, but is politically separate with ...

named

John B. Lee John Busteed Lee (born 1951) is a Canadian author and poet who is Poet Laureate of Brantford, Ontario. He has received more than 60 prestigious international awards for poetry. Biography Early life Born in Highgate, Ontario, Lee was rais ...

poet laureate in perpetuity in 2005. * The town of

Cobalt Cobalt is a chemical element with the symbol Co and atomic number 27. As with nickel, cobalt is found in the Earth's crust only in a chemically combined form, save for small deposits found in alloys of natural meteoric iron. The free element, pr ...

named Ann Margetson poet laureate *

Cobourg Cobourg ( ) is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Southern Ontario east of Toronto and east of Oshawa. It is the largest town in and seat of Northumberland County. Its nearest neighbour is Port Hope, to the west. It is ...

’s poets laureate are Jessica Outram (2019 – 2022), Ted Amsden (2011 – 2018), Jill Battson (2009 – 2011), and Eric Winter (1997 – 2009) * Dufferin County's poets laureate is Harry Posner (2017–present) * Emery: Laurence Hutchman (2018 – present) *

Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the five most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...

’s poets laureate are

Jason Heroux Jason Heroux (born 1971) is a Canadian poet. He is the third poet laureate of the city of Kingston, Ontario, Canada, a position to which he was appointed in 2018. He is the author of four books of poetry and three novels; his works have been transl ...

(2019 – present), Helen Humphreys (2015 – 2019), and Eric Folsom (2011 – 2015). *

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

’s poets laureate are Tom Cull (2016 – present), and

Penn Kemp Patricia Penn Anne Kemp (born 1944), better known simply as Penn Kemp, is a Canadians, Canadian poet, novelist, playwright, and sound poet who lives in London, Ontario. Kemp has been publishing her writing since 1972 and was London's first poet lau ...

(2011 – 2013) * Mississauga’s poets laureate are Ayomide Bayowa (2021-2024), Paul Edward Costa (2019 – 2021), Wali Shah (2017 – 2019), and Anna Yin (2015 – 2017). * In Norfolk County

was appointed in 2011. *

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

’s poets laureate are Albert Dumont (Anglophone) (2021-2022) and Gilles Latour (Francophone) (2021-2022), Margaret Michèle Cook (Francophone) and Diana Young (Anglophone) (2019 – 2021),

Andrée Lacelle Andrée or Andree may refer to: People * Andrée (given name) * Andree (surname) Places * Andree, Minnesota, unincorporated community in Stanchfield Township, Isanti County, Minnesota * 1296 Andrée, asteroid * Andrée Land (Svalbard) * Andrée La ...

(Francophone) and Jamaal Jackson Rogers (Anglophone) (2017 – 2019). *

Owen Sound Owen Sound ( 2021 Census population 21,612) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. The county seat of Grey County, it is located at the mouths of the Pottawatomi and Sydenham Rivers on an inlet of Georgian Bay. The primary tourist attract ...

’s poets laureate are Richard-Yves Sitoski (2019 – 2022), Lauren Best (2017-2019), Rob Rolfe & Larry Jensen (2015 – 2017), Terry Burns (2013 – 2014), Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm (2011 – 2012), Kristan Anderson (2008 – 2010), Liz Zetlin (2007 – 2008). *

Greater Sudbury Sudbury, officially the City of Greater Sudbury is the largest city in Northern Ontario by population, with a population of 166,004 at the 2021 Canadian Census. By land area, it is the largest in Ontario and the List of the largest cities and to ...

’s poets laureate are Kyla Heming (2022–present), Vera Constantineau (2020-2022),

Chloé LaDuchesse Chloé LaDuchesse is a Canadian poet from Sudbury, Ontario, whose collection ''Exosquelette'' was a shortlisted finalist for the Governor General's Award for French-language poetry at the 2021 Governor General's Awards, and the 2022 winner of the T ...

(2018 – 2020), Kim Fahner (2016 – 2018), Thomas Leduc (2014 – 2015), Daniel Aubin (2012 – 2013), and

Roger Nash Roger Nash BA, MA, PhD (Exon) is a Canadian philosopher and poet. He was born in Maidenhead, Berkshire, England on 3 November 1942. He grew up in England, Egypt, Cyprus, Singapore and Hong Kong. He has a B.A. from the University of Wales (1965), ...

(2010 – 2011) * The

Poet Laureate of Toronto The Poet Laureate of Toronto is the city's literary ambassador and advocate for poetry, language and the arts. The poet laureate's mandate includes the creation of a legacy project that is unique to the individual. They also attend events across th ...

program was established in 2001, naming Dennis Lee as the first poet laureate. Successors include:

A. F. Moritz Albert Frank Moritz (born April 15, 1947) is a United States-born Canadian poet, teacher, and scholar. Born in Niles, Ohio, Moritz was educated at Marquette University. Since 1975, he has made his home in Toronto, Ontario where he has worked vari ...

(2019 – 2022), Anne Michaels (2016 – 2019), George Elliott Clarke (2012 – 2015),

Dionne Brand Dionne Brand (born 7 January 1953) is a Canadian poet, novelist, essayist and documentarian. She was Toronto's third Poet Laureate from September 2009 to November 2012. She was admitted to the Order of Canada in 2017

(2009 – 2012), and

Pier Giorgio Di Cicco Pier Giorgio Di Cicco (July 5, 1949 - December 22, 2019) was an Italian-Canadian poet. In 2005 he became the second Poet Laureate of Toronto. Born in Arezzo, Italy, his family immigrated to Canada in 1952. Di Cicco was brought up in several North ...

(2004 – 2009). * The city of Windsor poets laureate are Mary Ann Mulhern (2019 – 2022),

Marty Gervais Charles Henry "Marty" Gervais, born in 1946 in Windsor, Ontario, is a Canadian poet, photographer, professor, journalist, and publisher of Black Moss Press. Gervais has also published plays, children's books, non-fiction and, a book of photograp ...

(2011 – 2019) and Vanessa Shields (April 2022- September 2022). * The city of

Woodstock Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. ...

posthumously named Barry C. Butson poet laureate emeritus.

=Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has seve ...

appointed its first poet laureate, John Smith, in 2003.CBC.ca Arts - P.E.I. appoints poet laureate
/ref> *

Julie Pellissier-Lush Julie may refer to: * Julie (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the name Film and television * ''Julie'' (1956 film), an American film noir starring Doris Day * ''Julie'' (1975 film), a Hindi film by K. S. Sethumadhava ...

(2019–present) *

Deirdre Kessler Deirdre ( , Irish: ; sga, Derdriu ) is the foremost tragic heroine in Irish legend and probably its best-known figure in modern times. She is known by the epithet "Deirdre of the Sorrows" (). Her story is part of the Ulster Cycle, the best-know ...

(2016-2019) *

Diane Hicks Morrow Diane may refer to: People *Diane (given name) Film * ''Diane'' (1929 film), a German silent film * ''Diane'' (1956 film), a historical drama film starring Lana Turner * ''Diane'' (2017 film), a mystery film directed by Michael Mongillo * ''D ...

(2013-2016) *

Hugh MacDonald Hugh John Macdonald (born 31 January 1940 in Newbury, Berkshire) is an English musicologist chiefly known for his work within the music of the 19th century, especially in France. He has been general editor of the ''Hector Berlioz: New Edition of ...

(2009-2013) *

David Helwig David Helwig (April 5, 1938 – October 16, 2018) was a Canadian editor, essayist, memoirist, novelist, poet, short story writer and translator. Life and career Helwig was born in Toronto, Ontario, where he spent his early childhood years. When h ...

(2008-2009) *

Frank Ledwell Frank or Franks may refer to: People * Frank (given name) * Frank (surname) * Franks (surname) * Franks, a medieval Germanic people * Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang Curre ...

(2004-2007) * John Smith (2002-2004)

=Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...

appointed its first poet laureate,

Glen Sorestad A glen is a valley, typically one that is long and bounded by gently sloped concave sides, unlike a ravine, which is deep and bounded by steep slopes. Whittow defines it as a "Scottish term for a deep valley in the Highlands" that is "narrower ...

, in 2000. *

Carol Rose GoldenEagle Carol Rose GoldenEagle is a writer and broadcaster, from Saskatchewan. Early life and education Carol Rose GoldenEagle was born, in 1963, in a religious hospital, to a First Nations woman who was unmarried, so Hospital authorities stripped her fr ...

(2021–present) *

Bruce Rice The English language name Bruce arrived in Scotland with the Normans, from the place name Brix, Manche in Normandy, France, meaning "the willowlands". Initially promulgated via the descendants of king Robert the Bruce (1274−1329), it has been a ...

(2019 - 2021) *

Brenda Schmidt Brenda is a feminine given name in the English language. Origin The overall accepted origin for the female name Brenda is the Old Nordic male name ''Brandr'' meaning both ''torch'' and ''sword'': evidently the male name Brandr took root in areas ...

(2017 - 2018) * Gerry Hill (2016 - 2017) * Judith Krause (2014 - 2015) *

Don Kerr Don Kerr is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is the drummer, lead singer and front man of Toronto band, Communism. He plays in Ron Sexsmith's band,Robert Currie (2007 - 2010) *

Louise B. Halfe Louise or Luise may refer to: * Louise (given name) Arts Songs * "Louise" (Bonnie Tyler song), 2005 * "Louise" (The Human League song), 1984 * "Louise" (Jett Rebel song), 2013 * "Louise" (Maurice Chevalier song), 1929 *"Louise", by Clan of ...

(Sky Dancer) (2005 - 2006) *

(2000 - 2004)

=Yukon

= Inaugural

Yukon Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...

Provincial Poet Laureate

PJ Yukon * Pajamas, or PJs Arts and entertainment * ''P.J.'' (film), a 1968 film starring George Peppard * P.J. (Disney), Pete Junior, a Disney cartoon character * P.J. (comics), a character in ''The Family Circus'' comic strip * PJ (singer), Paris Ale ...

has held the office since 1994. The Commissioner of Yukon established the Story Laureate of Yukon role in 2020. The inaugural position was held b
Michael Gates

Dominican Republic

Poets Laureate of

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...

include: Pedro Mir (1984).

Ethiopia

Officially designated Laureate includes

Tsegaye Gebre-Medhin Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin ( am, ጸጋዬ ገብረ መድኅን; 17 August 1936 – 25 February 2006) was an Ethiopian poet and novelist. His novels and poets evoke retrospective narratives, fanciful epics, and nationalistic cannonations. Tsegay is co ...

. Tsegaye's award was granted by His Majesty, Haile-Selasie II.

Germany

Poets Laureate of

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

include:

Hanns Johst Hanns Johst (8 July 1890 – 23 November 1978) was a German poet and playwright, directly aligned with Nazi philosophy, as a member of the officially approved writers’ organisations in the Third Reich. The statement “When I hear the word cult ...

from 1935 to 1946. was declared the Stadtschreiber of three different cities in Germany: Rheinsberg in 1999, Remscheid in 2004, and Trier in 2007.

India

Andhra Pradesh

Saanvi Sharma was the first poet laureate of

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Tamil Nadu

Kannadasan Kannadasan (; 24 June 1927 – 17 October 1981) was an Indian philosopher, poet, film song lyricist, producer, actor, script-writer, editor, philanthropist, and is heralded as one of the greatest and most important lyricists in India. Freq ...

was the poet laureate of

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...

at the time of his death.

Iran

Malek o-Sho'arā Bahār was the poet laureate of

Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar ( fa, مظفرالدین شاه قاجار, Mozaffar ad-Din Ŝāh-e Qājār; 23 March 1853 – 3 January 1907), was the fifth shah of Qajar Iran, reigning from 1896 until his death in 1907. He is often credited with t ...

. He was born in

Mashhad Mashhad ( fa, مشهد, Mašhad ), also spelled Mashad, is the List of Iranian cities by population, second-most-populous city in Iran, located in the relatively remote north-east of the country about from Tehran. It serves as the capital of R ...

in 1884 (died 1951) and was a conservative figure among the modernists.

Ireland

The

Kingdom of Ireland The Kingdom of Ireland ( ga, label=Classical Irish, an Ríoghacht Éireann; ga, label=Modern Irish, an Ríocht Éireann, ) was a monarchy on the island of Ireland that was a client state of England and then of Great Britain. It existed from ...

had a poet laureate; the last holder of the title was

Robert Jephson Robert Jephson (1736 – 31 May 1803) was an Irish dramatist and politician. Life He was born in Ireland, a younger son of John Jephson, Archdeacon of Cloyne. He entered Trinity College, Dublin in 1751, but left without a degree. He then j ...

, who died in 1803. The closest modern equivalent is the title ''

Saoi Saoi (, plural ''Saoithe''; literally "wise one"; historically the title of the head of a bardic school) is the highest honour bestowed by Aosdána, a state-supported association of Irish creative artists. The title is awarded, for life, to an exis ...

'' wise one"held by up to seven members at a time of Aosdána, an official body of those engaged in fine arts, literature, and music. Poets awarded the title include

Máire Mhac an tSaoi Máire Mhac an tSaoi (4 April 1922 – 16 October 2021) was an Irish civil service official, writer of Modernist poetry in the Corca Dhuibhne dialect of Munster Irish, a writer, and highly important figure within Modern literature in Irish. Alo ...

Anthony Cronin Anthony Gerard Richard Cronin (28 December 1923 – 27 December 2016) was an Irish poetry, Irish poet, arts activist, biographer, commentator, critic, editor and barrister. Early life and family Cronin was born in Enniscorthy, County Wexford on ...

, and

Seamus Heaney Seamus Justin Heaney (; 13 April 1939 – 30 August 2013) was an Irish poet, playwright and translator. He received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Jamaica

Thomas MacDermot Thomas MacDermot (26 June 1870 – 8 October 1933) was a Jamaican poet, novelist, and editor, editing the '' Jamaica Times'' for more than 20 years. He was "probably the first Jamaican writer to assert the claim of the West Indies to a distinc ...

was the first poet laureate of Jamaica during colonial times, followed by Je Clare McFarlane.

Mervyn Morris Mervyn Eustace Morris OM (born 21 February 1937) is a poet and professor emeritus at the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica. According to educator Ralph Thompson, "In addition to his poetry, which has ranked him among the top West In ...

was the first poet laureate of Jamaica upon its independence, followed by Lorna Goodison. The current poet laureate of Jamaica is Olive Senior.

Netherlands

The unofficial Poet Laureate of

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

is Tsead Bruinja as ''Dichter des Vaderlands'' (Poet of the Fatherland). The previous laureate was

Ester Naomi Perquin Ester Naomi Perquin (born 16 January 1980) is a Dutch poet. She was born in Utrecht and grew up in Zierikzee. Perquin worked in the prison service to pay for her studies at the school of creative writing in Amsterdam. She was editor for the liter ...

. Gerrit Komrij was the first ''Dichter des Vaderlands''. The title was created by Dutch media.

New Zealand

New Zealand has had an official poet laureate since 1998. Originally sponsored by Te Mata vineyards and known as the Te Mata Estate Poet Laureate, the award is now administered by the

National Library of New Zealand The National Library of New Zealand ( mi, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa) is New Zealand's legal deposit library charged with the obligation to "enrich the cultural and economic life of New Zealand and its interchanges with other nations" (''Nat ...

and the holder is called New Zealand Poet Laureate. The term of office is two years. The symbol of office is a

Tokotoko A tokotoko is a traditional Māori carved ceremonial walking stick. On a marae it is a symbol of authority and status for the speaker holding it. Poets from New Zealand who win the award of New Zealand Poet Laureate are presented with a tokotok ...

, a carved wooden ceremonial orator's staff. The first holder was Bill Manhire, in 1998–99, then Hone Tuwhare (2000–01),

Elizabeth Smither Elizabeth Edwina Smither (born 15 September 1941) is a New Zealand poet and writer. Life and career Smither was born in New Plymouth, and worked there part-time as a librarian. Her first collection of poetry, ''Here Come the Clouds'', was publi ...

(2002–03), Brian Turner (2004–05), Jenny Bornholdt (2006–07),

Michele Leggott Michele Joy Leggott (born 1956) is a New Zealand poet, and an emeritus professor of English at the University of Auckland. She was the New Zealand Poet Laureate between 2007 and 2009. Biography Leggott was born in Stratford, New Zealand, and ...

(2008–09),

Cilla McQueen Priscilla Muriel McQueen (born 22 January 1949 in Birmingham, England) is a poet and three-time winner of the ''New Zealand Book Award'' for Poetry. Early years and education McQueen's family moved to New Zealand when she was four. She was educ ...

(2009–11),

Ian Wedde Ian Curtis Wedde (born 17 October 1946) is a New Zealand poet, fiction writer, critic, and art curator. Biography Born in Blenheim, New Zealand, Wedde lived in East Pakistan and England as a child before returning to New Zealand. He attended ...

(2011–13), Vincent O'Sullivan (2013–15),

C. K. Stead Christian Karlson "Karl" Stead (born 17 October 1932) is a New Zealand writer whose works include novels, poetry, short stories, and literary criticism. He is one of New Zealand's most well-known and internationally celebrated writers. Early l ...

(2015–2017),

Selina Tusitala Marsh Selina Tusitala Marsh (born 21 April 1971) is a New Zealand poet and academic, and was the New Zealand Poet Laureate for 2017–2019. Early life Marsh was born in 1971 in Auckland, New Zealand. Through her mother, Sailigi Tusitala, Marsh is o ...

(2017-2019), and

David Eggleton David Eggleton (born 1952) is a New Zealand poet, critic and writer. Eggleton has been awarded the Ockham New Zealand Book Award for poetry and in 2019 was appointed New Zealand Poet Laureate, a title he held until 2022. Eggleton's work has app ...

(2019-2021).

Nigeria

Poets Laureate of

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

include:

Obo Aba Hisanjani Obo Aba Hisanjani (born 24 November 1949) is a Nigerian poet. He was born in the small village of Ajah, Lagos, Ajah, now a bustling marketplace. He has campaigned against the development and exploitation of the surrounding areas for purely commer ...

North Korea

Beginning around 1994, North Korea had 6 active poets laureate who worked in the epic genre.

Epic poetry An epic poem, or simply an epic, is a lengthy narrative poem typically about the extraordinary deeds of extraordinary characters who, in dealings with gods or other superhuman forces, gave shape to the mortal universe for their descendants. ...

was the chief vehicle of political propaganda during the rule of

Kim Jong-il Kim Jong-il (; ; ; born Yuri Irsenovich Kim;, 16 February 1941 – 17 December 2011) was a North Korean politician who was the second supreme leader of North Korea from 1994 to 2011. He led North Korea from the 1994 death of his father Kim ...

, and the poets worked according to the requests and needs of Kim Jong-il. Some of the poets are Jang Jin-sung (pseudonym),

Kim Man-young Kim or KIM may refer to: Names * Kim (given name) * Kim (surname) ** Kim (Korean surname) *** Kim family (disambiguation), several dynasties **** Kim family (North Korea), the rulers of North Korea since Kim Il-sung in 1948 ** Kim, Vietnamese fo ...

and

Shin Byung-gang Shin may refer to: Biology * The front part of the human leg below the knee * Shinbone, the tibia, the larger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates Names * Shin (given name) (Katakana: シン, Hiragana: しん), a Japanese gi ...

Saint Lucia

Poets Laureate of

Saint Lucia Saint Lucia ( acf, Sent Lisi, french: Sainte-Lucie) is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean. The island was previously called Iouanalao and later Hewanorra, names given by the native Arawaks and Caribs, two Amerindian ...

include:

Derek Walcott Sir Derek Alton Walcott (23 January 1930 – 17 March 2017) was a Saint Lucian poet and playwright. He received the 1992 Nobel Prize in Literature. His works include the Homeric epic poem ''Omeros'' (1990), which many critics view "as Walcot ...

Serbia

Matija Bećković Matija Bećković ( sr-cyr, Матија Бећковић, ; born 29 November 1939) is a Serbian poet, writer and academic. Life Bećković was born in Senta, in the multiethnic province of Vojvodina (then Danube Banate, Kingdom of Yugoslavia), ...

Charles Simić Dušan Simić ( sr-cyr, Душан Симић, ; born May 9, 1938), known as Charles Simic, is a Serbian American poet and former co-poetry editor of the ''Paris Review''. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1990 for ''The World Doesn't ...

Slobodan Selenić Slobodan Selenić (Serbian Cyrillic: Слободан Селенић; 7 June 1933 – 27 October 1995) was a Serbian writer, literary critic, dramatist, academic and university professor of 20th century literature. One of the main themes in his w ...

* Jovan Dučić

Sierra Leone

Poets laureate of

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierra ...

include the Italian authors Roberto Malini and

Dario Picciau Dario is a masculine given name, etymologically related to Darius. Given name *Dario Allevi (born 1965), Italian politician *Dario Argento (born 1940), Italian film director *Dario Badinelli (born 1946), Italian triple jumper *Dario Bellezza (19 ...

Somalia

Poets laureate of Somalia include:

Hadraawi Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame (1943 – 18 August 2022), known by the pseudonym Hadrawi, was a Somali poet, philosopher and songwriter. Having written many notable protest works, Hadrawi has been likened by some to Shakespeare, and his poetry has been ...

Turkey

Mehmet Akif Ersoy Mehmet Akif Ersoy (20 December 1873 – 27 December 1936) was a Turkish people, Turkish pan-Islamist poet, writer, academic, politician, and the author of the İstiklâl Marşı, Turkish National Anthem. Widely regarded as one of the premiere l ...

was the Poet-Laureate, born in 1873 and died on December 27, 1936, famous Turkish poet. He composed the poem to be the National Anthem of the Turkish Republic that written in 1921. Original name of the poem is "İstiklal Marşı"

United Kingdom

England

Portrait of Geoffrey Chaucer (4671380) (cropped) 02

In England, the term "poet laureate" is restricted to the official office of Poet Laureate, attached to the royal household. However, no authoritative historical record exists of the office of Poet Laureate of England. The office developed from earlier practice when minstrels and versifiers were members of the king's retinue. Richard Cœur-de-Lion had a '' versificator regis'' (English: ''king's poet''), Gulielmus Peregrinus (William the Pilgrim), and Henry III had a ''versificator'' named Master Henry. In the fifteenth century, John Kay, a versifier, described himself as

Edward IV Edward IV (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470, then again from 11 April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in England ...

's "humble poet laureate". According to Wharton, King

Henry I Henry I may refer to: 876–1366 * Henry I the Fowler, King of Germany (876–936) * Henry I, Duke of Bavaria (died 955) * Henry I of Austria, Margrave of Austria (died 1018) * Henry I of France (1008–1060) * Henry I the Long, Margrave of the No ...

paid 10

shillings The shilling is a historical coin, and the name of a unit of modern currencies formerly used in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, other British Commonwealth countries and Ireland, where they were generally equivalent to 12 pence or ...

a year to a ''versificator regis''.

Geoffrey Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer (; – 25 October 1400) was an English poet, author, and civil servant best known for ''The Canterbury Tales''. He has been called the "father of English literature", or, alternatively, the "father of English poetry". He wa ...

(1340–1400) was called Poet Laureate, being granted in 1389 an annual allowance of wine. W. Hamilton describes

Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer (; – 25 October 1400) was an English poet, author, and civil servant best known for '' The Canterbury Tales''. He has been called the "father of English literature", or, alternatively, the "father of English poetry". He w ...

, Gower, Kay, Andrew Bernard,

John Skelton John Skelton may refer to: *John Skelton (poet) (c.1460–1529), English poet. * John de Skelton, MP for Cumberland (UK Parliament constituency) *John Skelton (died 1439), MP for Cumberland (UK Parliament constituency) *John Skelton (American footb ...

, Robert Whittington, Richard Edwards and

Samuel Daniel Samuel Daniel (1562–1619) was an English poet, playwright and historian in the late- Elizabethan and early- Jacobean eras. He was an innovator in a wide range of literary genres. His best-known works are the sonnet cycle ''Delia'', the epi ...

as "volunteer Laureates".

studied at the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

in the early 1480s and was advanced to the degree of "poet laureate" in 1488, when he joined the court of King Henry VII to tutor the future

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

. The title of ''laureate'' was also conferred on him by the

University of Louvain A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...

in 1492 and by the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

in 1492–3. He soon became famous for his

satire Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming ...

and

translation Translation is the communication of the Meaning (linguistic), meaning of a #Source and target languages, source-language text by means of an Dynamic and formal equivalence, equivalent #Source and target languages, target-language text. The ...

s and was held in high esteem by the

printer Printer may refer to: Technology * Printer (publishing), a person or a company * Printer (computing), a hardware device * Optical printer for motion picture films People * Nariman Printer ( fl. c. 1940), Indian journalist and activist * Jame ...

William Caxton William Caxton ( – ) was an English merchant, diplomat and writer. He is thought to be the first person to introduce a printing press into England, in 1476, and as a printer (publisher), printer to be the first English retailer of printed boo ...

, who wrote, in the

preface __NOTOC__ A preface () or proem () is an introduction to a book or other literary work written by the work's author. An introductory essay written by a different person is a '' foreword'' and precedes an author's preface. The preface often closes ...

to ( Modern English: ''The Book of the

Aeneid The ''Aeneid'' ( ; la, Aenē̆is or ) is a Latin Epic poetry, epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Troy, Trojan who fled the Trojan_War#Sack_of_Troy, fall of Troy and travelled to ...

, compiled by

Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro (; traditional dates 15 October 7021 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He composed three of the most famous poems in Latin literature: t ...

'') (1490):

But I pray mayster John Skelton, late created poete laureate in the unyversite of Oxenforde, to oversee and correct this sayd booke.

The academic use of the term laureate became associated again with royalty when King

James I James I may refer to: People *James I of Aragon (1208–1276) *James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327) *James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu *James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347) *James I of Cyprus (1334–13 ...

created a pension for

Ben Jonson Benjamin "Ben" Jonson (c. 11 June 1572 – c. 16 August 1637) was an English playwright and poet. Jonson's artistry exerted a lasting influence upon English poetry and stage comedy. He popularised the comedy of humours; he is best known for t ...

in 1617, although there is no formal record extant. He was succeeded by

William Davenant Sir William Davenant (baptised 3 March 1606 – 7 April 1668), also spelled D'Avenant, was an English poet and playwright. Along with Thomas Killigrew, Davenant was one of the rare figures in English Renaissance theatre whose career spanned bot ...

. The royal office Poet Laureate was officially conferred by

letters patent Letters patent ( la, litterae patentes) ( always in the plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, president or other head of state, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, titl ...

in 1668, after Davenant's death, and the post became a regular institution. Dryden's successor Shadwell originated annual birthday and New Year odes. The poet laureate became responsible for writing and presenting official verses to commemorate both personal occasions, such as the monarch's birthday or royal births and marriages, and public occasions, such as coronations and military victories. His activity in this respect varied according to circumstances, and the custom ceased to be obligatory after Pye's death. The office fell into some contempt before Robert Southey, but took on a new lustre from his personal distinction and that of successors

Wordsworth William Wordsworth (7 April 177023 April 1850) was an English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with their joint publication ''Lyrical Ballads'' (1798). Wordsworth's ' ...

and Tennyson. Wordsworth stipulated before accepting the honour that no formal effusions from him should be required. Due to his age, he became the only laureate to write no official poetry. Tennyson was generally happy in his numerous poems of this class. On Tennyson's death there was a considerable feeling that there was no acceptable successor.

William Morris William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was a British textile designer, poet, artist, novelist, architectural conservationist, printer, translator and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts Movement. He ...

and

Swinburne Algernon Charles Swinburne (5 April 1837 – 10 April 1909) was an English poet, playwright, novelist, and critic. He wrote several novels and collections of poetry such as ''Poems and Ballads'', and contributed to the famous Eleventh Edition ...

were hardly suitable as court poets. Eventually the undesirability of breaking the tradition for temporary reasons, and severing the one official link between literature and the state, prevailed over the protests against allowing someone of inferior genius to follow Tennyson. Abolition was similarly advocated when Warton and Wordsworth died. Alfred Lord Tennyson 1908-1892 Poet Laureate lived here

Alfred Lord Tennyson 1908-1892 Poet Laureate lived here

Edward Gibbon Edward Gibbon (; 8 May 173716 January 1794) was an English historian, writer, and member of parliament. His most important work, ''The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'', published in six volumes between 1776 and 1788, is k ...

condemned the position's artificial approach to poetry: The salary has varied, but traditionally includes some alcohol.

first received a pension of 100

mark Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * Fi ...

s, and later an annual "terse of Canary wine". Dryden had a pension of £300 and a butt of Canary wine. Pye received £27 instead of the wine. Tennyson drew £72 a year from the

Lord Chamberlain The Lord Chamberlain of the Household is the most senior officer of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, supervising the departments which support and provide advice to the Sovereign of the United Kingdom while also acting as the main cha ...

's department, and £27 from the

Lord Steward The Lord Steward or Lord Steward of the Household is an official of the Royal Households of the United Kingdom, Royal Household in England. He is always a peerage, peer. Until 1924, he was always a member of the Government. Until 1782, the offic ...

's "in lieu of the butt of sack". The modern annual salary is £5,750. On 10 May 2019

Simon Armitage Simon Robert Armitage (born 26 May 1963) is an English poet, playwright, musician and novelist. He was appointed Poet Laureate on 10 May 2019. He is professor of poetry at the University of Leeds. He has published over 20 collections of poetr ...

was appointed after the end of Carol Ann Duffy's ten-year tenure. There are other, non-official, laureate titles, such as the commercially sponsored " Children's Laureate" for an "eminent writer or illustrator of children's books to celebrate outstanding achievement in their field", and the Poetry Foundation's Young People's Poet Laureate.

Scotland

Scotland has a long tradition of

makar A makar () is a term from Scottish literature for a poet or bard, often thought of as a royal court poet. Since the 19th century, the term ''The Makars'' has been specifically used to refer to a number of poets of fifteenth and sixteenth cent ...

s and poetry. In 2004 the

Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyro ...

appointed Professor Edwin Morgan as the first Makar or National Poet for Scotland. On his death in January 2011 he was succeeded by Liz Lochhead. Kathleen Jamie became Scotland's fourth Makar in 2021.

Wales

Wales has had a long tradition of poets and bards under royal patronage, with extant writing from medieval royal poets and earlier. The office of National Poet for Wales was established in April 2005. The first holder, Gwyneth Lewis, was followed by Gwyn Thomas.

United States

Amanda Gorman with Tracy K Smith - 2017 crop

The United States Library of Congress appointed a

Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress The Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress—commonly referred to as the United States Poet Laureate—serves as the official poet of the United States. During their term, the poet laureate seeks to raise the national cons ...

from 1937 to 1984. An Act of Congress changed the name in 1985 to ''

Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress The Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress—commonly referred to as the United States Poet Laureate—serves as the official poet of the United States. During their term, the poet laureate seeks to raise the national cons ...

''. Poets laureate receive a

US$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

35,000 stipend and are given the responsibility of overseeing an ongoing series of poetry readings and lectures at the library, and a charge to promote poetry. No other duties are specified, and laureates are not required to compose for government events or in praise of government officials. However, after the terrorist attacks in New York, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001, the then poet laureate, Billy Collins, was asked to write a poem to be read in front of a special joint session of Congress. Collins wrote "The Names", which he read on September 6, 2002, and which is available in streaming audio and video. The original intent of the stipend was to provide poets laureate with a full income, so that they could devote their time entirely to writing poetry. The amount has not been adjusted for

inflation In economics, inflation is an increase in the general price level of goods and services in an economy. When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services; consequently, inflation corresponds to a reductio ...

and is now considered a moderate bonus intended to supplement a poet's already existing income. Most Poets Laureate earn the bulk of their income through university employment. Ada Limón is the current poet laureate. Previous poets laureate include

Joy Harjo Joy Harjo ( ; born May 9, 1951) is an American poet, musician, playwright, and author. She served as the 23rd United States Poet Laureate, the first Native American to hold that honor. She was also only the second Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetr ...

Tracy K. Smith Tracy K. Smith (born April 16, 1972) is an American poet and educator. She served as the 22nd Poet Laureate of the United States from 2017 to 2019. She has published four collections of poetry, winning the Pulitzer Prize for her 2011 volume ''Life ...

(two terms), Juan Felipe Herrera, Philip Levine, W. S. Merwin, Kay Ryan, Charles Simic, Ted Kooser,

Louise Glück Louise Elisabeth Glück ( ; born April 22, 1943) is an American poet and essayist. She won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Literature, whose judges praised "her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal". He ...

, Billy Collins, Rita Dove,

Elizabeth Bishop Elizabeth Bishop (February 8, 1911 – October 6, 1979) was an American people, American poet and short-story writer. She was Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 1949 to 1950, the Pulitzer Prize winner for Poetry in 1956, the N ...

Robert Frost Robert Lee Frost (March26, 1874January29, 1963) was an American poet. His work was initially published in England before it was published in the United States. Known for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloq ...

Karl Shapiro Karl Jay Shapiro (November 10, 1913 – May 14, 2000) was an American poet. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1945 for his collection ''V-Letter and Other Poems''. He was appointed the fifth Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to th ...

, Allen Tate,

Robert Penn Warren Robert Penn Warren (April 24, 1905 – September 15, 1989) was an American poet, novelist, and literary critic and was one of the founders of New Criticism. He was also a charter member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers. He founded the liter ...

, Richard Wilbur,

Joseph Brodsky Iosif Aleksandrovich Brodsky (; russian: link=no, Иосиф Александрович Бродский ; 24 May 1940 – 28 January 1996) was a Russian and American poet and essayist. Born in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), USSR in 1940, ...

, Stanley Kunitz, Robert Hass, Donald Hall, Robert Pinsky (three terms), Mark Strand, Audre Lorde, and Maxine Kumin. Amanda Gorman was the United States's first National Youth Poet Laureate appointed in 2017. A number of American state legislatures have also created an office of poet laureate. The holders may be locally or nationally prominent. The U.S. states of New Jersey, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Pennsylvania do not currently have a state poet laureate position.

District of Columbia

The United States' capital, the

District of Columbia ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, created the position of Poet Laureate of the District of Columbia in 1984 during the mayoralty of Marion Barry.DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities
"History of the Office of the Poet Laureate"
Retrieved 22 January 2014. The position is filled by appointment from the mayor of the district the

DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities The D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH) is an agency of the District of Columbia government. As of October 2022, the Interim Executive Director is David Markey. CAH was created as an outgrowth of the U.S. Congress Act that established ...

. The District of Columbia's poet laureate program is currently stalled. Only two poets laureate have been appointed since the creation of the position. Sterling Allen Brown was appointed by Mayor Marion Barry, serving from 1984 until his death in 1989.

Dolores Kendrick Dolores Kendrick (September 7, 1927 – November 7, 2017) was an American poet, and served as the second Poet Laureate of the District of Columbia. Her book ''The Women of Plums: Poems in the Voices of Slave Women'' won the Anisfield-Wolf Award. ...

was appointed by Mayor

Anthony A. Williams Anthony Allen Williams (born July 28, 1951) is an American politician who was the fifth mayor of the District of Columbia, for two terms, from 1999 to 2007. His predecessor had served twice, as the second and fourth mayor. Williams had previously ...

, serving from 1999 until her death in 2017.

Alabama

The office of

Poet Laureate of Alabama The Poet Laureate of Alabama is the poet laureate for the U.S. state of Alabama. The position was established in 1931 by an act of the Alabama Legislature. Poets Laureate, who must have been Alabama residents for at least 15 years, are chosen by t ...

was created for Samuel Minturn Peck in 1930. The post has been continuously filled since 1954 on a four-year renewable basis. Poets laureate serve at the pleasure of the

governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

. Successors include

Helen Norris Helen Norris Bell (June 22, 1916 – November 18, 2013) was an American novelist and short story author who was Poet Laureate of Alabama from 1999 to 2003. Although most of Norris' work can be considered southern literature she also wrote m ...

, Sue Walker, and

Andrew Glaze Andrew Glaze (April 21, 1920 – February 7, 2016) was an American poet, playwright and novelist. Much of Glaze's poetry reflects his coming of age in the American South, and his eventual return there. He also lived and wrote in New York City fo ...

Alaska

Originally created as the position of Poet Laureate in 1963 (House Resolution 25). The official name was changed in 1996 to recognize and honor all genres of writing.Library of Congress
U.S. State Poets Laureate: Alaska
. Retrieved 31 January 2014. The position is selected by the Alaska State Council on the Arts.

Arizona

The state of

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

established a state Poet Laureate position in 2013, appointing Alberto Ríos as the inaugural Poet Laureate.

Arkansas

Charles T. Davis was the first poet laureate of Arkansas, appointed in 1923.

California

The state of

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

established a state

Poet Laureate A poet laureate (plural: poets laureate) is a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring institution, typically expected to compose poems for special events and occasions. Albertino Mussato of Padua and Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) ...

under Governor Hiram Warren Johnson and appointed

Ina Donna Coolbrith Ina Donna Coolbrith (born Josephine Donna Smith; March 10, 1841 – February 29, 1928) was an American poet, writer, librarian, and a prominent figure in the San Francisco Bay Area literary community. Called the "Sweet Singer of California", sh ...

on June 30, 1915. Coolbrith was later acknowledged as the "Loved Laurel-Crowned Poet of California" by a 1919 state Senate resolution, retaining the title until her death in 1928. Juan Felipe Herrera was appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown in March 2012. The position is currently vacant. It was last held by Dana Gioia from 2015 to 2018.

=Counties

= * Kern County's first poet laureate was chosen in 2016: Don Thompson. * Lake County's first poet laureate, Jim Lyle, was chosen in 1998. *

Marin County Marin County is a county located in the northwestern part of the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 262,231. Its county seat and largest city is San Rafael. Marin County is acros ...

's first Poet Laureate was appointed in 2008:

Albert Flynn DeSilver Albert Flynn DeSilver is an American poet, memoirist, novelist, meditation teacher, speaker, and workshop leader. He received a BFA in photography from the University of Colorado in 1991 and an MFA in New Genres from the San Francisco Art Inst ...

* Napa County's first poet laureate was appointed in 2002: Dorothy Lee Hansen. *

San Mateo County San Mateo County ( ), officially the County of San Mateo, is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 764,442. Redwood City is the county seat, and the third most populated city following Daly ...

's first poet laureate was appointed in 2014: Caroline Goodwin. She was followed by Lisa Rosenberg in 2017 and

Aileen Casinetto Aileen is a feminine given name. Its common used in Ireland. It comes from the Turkish name Aylin, which means "Halo of the moon". Notable people with the name include: * Aileen Adams (born 1923), British consultant anaesthetist *Aileen Allen (1 ...

in 2019. *

Santa Clara County Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is the sixth-most populous county in the U.S. state of California, with a population of 1,936,259, as of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Santa Clara County and neighboring Sa ...

appointed its first Poet Laureate in 2009: Nils Peterson

=Cities

Luis Rodriguez and Ruben Martinez (29992983981)

* Albany chose its first poet laureate, Christina Hutchins, in 2008. *

Anaheim Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...

selected its first poet laureate, Grant Hier, in 2018. *

Benicia Benicia ( , ) is a waterside city in Solano County, California, located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. It served as the capital of California for nearly thirteen months from 1853 to 1854. The population was 26,997 at the ...

appointed its first poet laureate in 2006,

Joel Fallon Joel Fallon (June 16, 1931 - August 11, 2016) was the first Poet laureate of Benicia, California. He is the namesake of the Joel Fallon poetry scholarship awarded annually since 2015 to high school students in Benicia, California. He was a foundi ...

. He was followed by Robert Shelby, Ronna Leon, Lois Requist, Don Peery, Johanna Ely, Tom Stanton, and Mary Susan Gast. *

Berkeley Berkeley most often refers to: *Berkeley, California, a city in the United States **University of California, Berkeley, a public university in Berkeley, California * George Berkeley (1685–1753), Anglo-Irish philosopher Berkeley may also refer ...

selected its first Poet Laureate in 2017: Rafael Jesús González Before this, in 2004,

Julia Vinograd Julia Shalett Vinograd (December 11, 1943 – December 5, 2018) was a poet. She is well known as "The Bubble Lady" to the Telegraph Avenue community of Berkeley, California, a moniker she gained from blowing bubbles at the People's Park demonstra ...

had been recognised officially as Berkeley's unofficial poet laureate. *

Cupertino Cupertino ( ) is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States, directly west of San Jose on the western edge of the Santa Clara Valley with portions extending into the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The population was 57,8 ...

's first Poet Laureate, Dave Denny, was selected in 2010. * El Cerrito selected its first poet laureate, Maw Shein Win in summer 2016. * Fairfield's first poet laureate was Juanita J. Martin. She was succeeded by Bonnie DiMichele and Suzanne Bruce. * East Palo Alto's Poet Laureate is Kalamu Chaché. * Fresno selected James Tyner as its first poet laureate in 2013. * Livermore's first poet laureate was

Connie Post Connie Post is an American poet. She served as the first poet laureate of Livermore, California, from 2005 to 2009. She hosted multiple poetry shows including Wine and Words, Ravenswood, and Valona Deli Second Sunday Poetry Series. Post is widely p ...

. *

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

selected its first poet laureate,

Eloise Klein Healy Eloise Klein Healy (born 1943) is an American poet. She has published five books of poetry and three chapbooks. Her collection of poems, ''Passing'', was a finalist for the 2003 Lambda Literary Awards in Poetry and the Audre Lorde Award from The ...

, in December 2012. *

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

's poet laureate program began in 2004 with three laureates: Brenda Quintanilla (student),

Donte Clark Donte is a given name. Notable people with the given name include: *Donté Clark (born 1977), American poet *Donté Forbes (born 2005) Jamaican football player *Donté Curry (born 1978), American football player * Donte Foster (born 1990), Americ ...

(non-senior adult), Lincoln Bergman (senior). *

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

's first poets laureate were

Dennis Schmitz Dennis Schmitz (August 11, 1937 – September 12, 2019) was an American poet. Life Dennis Schmitz grew up in Dubuque, Iowa. He graduated from Loras College and the University of Chicago, where he met and married Loretta D'Agostino in 1960; they ...

and

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, who served two years beginning in 2000. *

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

's first poet laureate, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, was selected in 1998. He was followed by Janice Mirikitani, Devorah Major, Jack Hirschman, Diane di Prima,

Alejandro Murguía Alejandro Murguía (born August 15, 1949) is an American poet, short story writer, and editor. He is known for his writings about the San Francisco's Mission District. He lives in San Francisco, where he teaches at San Francisco State University. ...

, and

Kim Shuck Kim Shuck is a Tsalagi (Cherokee)/Euro-American poet, author, weaver, and bead work artist who draws from Southeastern Native American culture and tradition as well as contemporary urban Indian life. She was born in San Francisco, California a ...

. The current poet laureate is

Tongo Eisen-Martin Tongo Eisen-Martin is an American poet and activist. He is the current poet laureate of San Francisco, California. Biography Tongo Eisen-Martin was born in 1980 in San Francisco, California to a revolutionary mother Arlene Eisen. His parents nam ...

. * Santa Barbara's first poet laureate was

Barry Spacks Barry Bernard Spacks (February 21, 1931 – January 28, 2014), was a prize-winning poet, novelist and first List of municipal poets laureate in California#Santa Barbara, poet laureate of Santa Barbara, California. Born in Philadelphia, Penns ...

, appointed in 2005. He was followed by Perie Longo,

David Starkey David Robert Starkey (born 3 January 1945) is an English historian and radio and television presenter, with views that he describes as conservative. The only child of Quaker parents, he attended Kendal Grammar School before studying at Cambr ...

, Paul Willis, Chryss Yost, Sojourner Kincaid Rolle, Enid Osborn, and Laure-Anne Bosselaar. The current poet laureate is

Emma Trelles Emma Trelles is a Latina poet, writer, professor, and current poet laureate of Santa Barbara, California. Life Trelles earned an MFA from Florida International University in the 1990s, where she was mentored by the poet Campbell McGrath and f ...

. * Vallejo's first poet laureate was Genea Brice appointed in 2015, followed by

D.L. Lang D.L. Lang (born 1983, Bad Hersfeld, West Germany) is an American poet. She has published twelve full-length books of poetry, and served as the Poet Laureate of Vallejo, California. Early life Diana Lucille Lang (née Kettle) was born in Bad He ...

in 2017, and

Jeremy Snyder Jeremy Snyder is an American poet. He served as poet laureate of Vallejo, California from 2020 through 2023. Background Snyder was born in Vallejo, California, educated at the University of Montana, and served in the United States Navy. Poetry J ...

currently holds the position.

Colorado

Colorado Poets Laureate are currently appointed to four-year terms. They are nominated by Colorado Creative Industries and Colorado Humanities & Center for the Book, and chosen by the Governor. Alice Polk Hill was the first poet laureate of Colorado serving from 1919 to 1921. Successors include

Thomas Hornsby Ferril Thomas Hornsby Ferril (1896–1988) was a poet in the U.S. state of Colorado. A journalist who specialized in corporate public relations, he studied and wrote poetry as an avocation. In his later years of life (1979-1988) he was named poet laure ...

, Mary Crow, David Mason and Bobby LeFebre. The State of

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

also appointed singer/songwriter writer

John Denver Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. (December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997), known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor, activist, and humanitarian whose greatest commercial success was as a solo singe ...

in 1974.

=Cities

= *

Chris Ransick Chris Ransick (1962 – 2019) was a writer of literary fiction and poetry from Colorado. Ransick was appointed by Mayor John Hickenlooper as the poet laureate for the City of Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capi ...

served as poet laureate of Denver 2006 to 2010. * Janice Gould served as poet laureate of Pikes Peak from 2014 to 2016.

Connecticut

The Poet Laureate of Connecticut was established in 1985 by Public Act 85-221 of the

Connecticut General Assembly The Connecticut General Assembly (CGA) is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is a bicameral body composed of the 151-member House of Representatives and the 36-member Senate. It meets in the state capital, Hartford. Th ...

. Five-year residents of the state with a demonstrated career in poetry are eligible for the honorary appointment as an advocate for poetry and literary arts. James Merill was the first poet laureate of Connecticut, serving from 1985 to 1995. His successors include

Leo Connellan Leo Connellan (November 30, 1928 – February 22, 2001) was an American poet of the Beat Generation born in Portland, Maine, who served as Connecticut's Poet Laureate from 1996 until his death in 2001. Life Leo Connellan grew up in Rockla ...

, Marilyn Nelson,

John Hollander John Hollander (October 28, 1929 – August 17, 2013) was an American poet and literary critic. At the time of his death, he was Sterling Professor Emeritus of English at Yale University, having previously taught at Connecticut College, Hunter C ...

, Dick Allen, Margaret Gibson.

Antoinette Brim-Bell Antoinette is a given name, that is a diminutive feminine form of Antoine and Antonia (from Latin ''Antonius''). People with the name include: Nobles * Antoinette de Maignelais, Baroness of Villequier by marriage (1434–1474), mistress of Ch ...

is the current poet laureate for Connecticut.

Delaware

Poets are appointed to the position by the governor. The first poet laureate of Delaware was Edna Deemer Leach appointed in 1947.

Nnamdi Chukwuocha Nnamdi O. Chukwuocha (born November 16, 1970) is an American politician and poet. He is a Democratic member of the Delaware House of Representatives, representing District 1. He is also the current Poet Laureate of Delaware, along with his twi ...

and Albert Mills—twin brothers who are known as the "Twin Poets"—were appointed 17th Poets Laureate of the State of Delaware on December 13, 2015. According to the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

, they are the first co-laureates appointed by a state and the first siblings to share the position. Predecessors include

Fleda Brown Fleda Brown (born 1944 in Columbia, Missouri) is an American poet and author. She is also known as Fleda Brown Jackson. Biography Fleda Brown was born in Columbia, Missouri, and raised in Fayetteville, Arkansas. In 1978 she joined the Universi ...

and

JoAnn Balingit JoAnn Balingit is an American poet and nonfiction writer who served as the 16th poet laureate of Delaware. Appointed to the position by governor Ruth Ann Minner from May 2008 until 2015, she was the first person of color to hold the title. She is ...

Florida

Poets Laureate of Florida are appointed by the governor and the Division of Arts and Culture. They first served lifetime, unpaid appointments, until June 20, 2014, when HB 513 established a four-year term. The first poet laureate of Florida was

Franklin L. Wood Franklin may refer to: People * Franklin (given name) * Franklin (surname) * Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class Places Australia * Franklin, Tasmania, a township * Division of Franklin, federal electoral di ...

, appointed in 1929 and died soon after assuming office. Vivian Laramore Rader was appointed in 1931 and served until her death in 1975. Edmund Skellings was appointed in 1980. A stroke that impaired his speech and limited his ability to do all of his official duties. He died August 19, 2012, leaving the post vacant.Florida needs a poet laureate but with term limits this time
October 24, 2013 Time

Peter Meinke Peter Meinke (born 1932 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American poet and author. He has published 18 books of poems and short stories. ''The Piano Tuner'', won the 1986 Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction. His poetry has received many awards, ...

currently holds this position and was appointed on June 15, 2015.

Georgia

Frank Lebby Stanton Frank Lebby Stanton (February 22, 1857 – January 7, 1927), frequently credited as Frank L. Stanton, Frank Stanton or F. L. Stanton, was an American lyricist. He was also the initial columnist for the ''Atlanta Constitution'' and became the ...

served from 1925 to 1927 as Georgia's first poet laureate. Successors include

Ernest Neal Ernest Neal (1858–1943), was the 2nd Poet Laureate of Georgia. He was born in Sparta, Georgia (U.S.) in 1858. He lived in Dahlonega for some time, but Calhoun, GA was his home. Biography Neal became Georgia's 2nd Poet Laureate on August 2 ...

, Conrad Aiken,

David Bottoms David Bottoms (born 1949 in Canton, Georgia) is an American poet. Biography Bottoms' first book, ''Shooting Rats at the Bibb County Dump'', was selected by Robert Penn Warren as winner of the 1979 Walt Whitman Award of the Academy of American ...

Judson Mitcham Judson Mitcham (born 1948) is an American author and poet best known for being the state of Georgia's tenth official poet laureate between 2012 and 2019. He is the only writer to win the Townsend Prize for Fiction twice. His poetry is featured re ...

, and

Chelsea Rathburn Chelsea Rathburn (born Jacksonville, Florida) is an American poet. Chelsea Rathburn was raised in Miami, Florida, and earned a bachelor's degree at Florida State University and an MFA in creative writing at the University of Arkansas. Her work has ...

Hawaii

Prior to statehood

Don Blanding Donald Benson Blanding (November 7, 1894—June 9, 1957) was an American poet, sometimes described as the "poet laureate of Hawaii." He was also a journalist, cartoonist, author and speaker. Early life Blanding was born in Kingfisher, Oklahoma ...

, originally from Oklahoma, was unofficially referred to as the poet laureate of Hawaii. In 1951 Hawaii Territoral Senator

Thelma Akana Harrison Thelma Alice Kalaokona Moore Akana Harrison (July 17, 1905 – July 1, 1972) was an American public health nurse and politician who served as a Republican Senator for Oahu in the Hawaii Territorial Legislature. She was the first woman to be r ...

in concurrent resolution 28, declared

Lloyd Stone Lloyd Stone (June 29, 1912 – March 9, 1993) was an American poet best known for the poem "This is my song (1934 song), This Is My Song". Stone was also an illustrator and composer. Early life Lloyd Shelbourne Stone was born on June 29, 1912, in ...

, who was originally from California, poet laureate. When the modern program was established, Native Hawaiian Kealoha was appointed on on May 3, 2012 by Governor Neil Abercrombie., and he is the first poet laureate for the state of Hawaii, serving through 2022.

Idaho

Irene Welch Grissom Irene Althea Welch Grissom (December 3, 1873 – July 14, 1965) was the first Poet Laureate of Idaho from 1923 to 1948. Early life Irene Althea Welch Grissom was born on December 3, 1873, in Greeley, Colorado, the daughter of William Pringle Wel ...

served from 1923 to 1948 as Idaho's first poet laureate. Sudie Stuart Hager served as the second poet laureate from 1949 to 1982. After 1982 the title was changed to Writer in Residence.

Illinois

Illinois appointed its first poet laureate,

Howard Austin Howard Austin (July 27, 1886 – April 1, 1962) was an American poet, accountant, and improvisational performer. He was named the first poet laureate of Illinois in 1936. Early life and career Austin was born on his family's farm near Blue ...

, in 1936, followed by

Carl Sandburg Carl August Sandburg (January 6, 1878 – July 22, 1967) was an American poet, biographer, journalist, and editor. He won three Pulitzer Prizes: two for his poetry and one for his biography of Abraham Lincoln. During his lifetime, Sandburg ...

(1962–1967), and

Gwendolyn Brooks Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks (June 7, 1917 – December 3, 2000) was an American poet, author, and teacher. Her work often dealt with the personal celebrations and struggles of ordinary people in her community. She won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetr ...

(1968–2000), all with lifetime appointments. The post is now a four-year renewable award. The poet laureate from 2003 to 2017 was Kevin Stein. In 2020, Angela Jackson was named Illinois Poet Laureate. Singer songwriter John Prine was posthumously named an Honorary Poet Laureate.

Indiana

Joyce Brinkman was appointed as the first poet laureate of Indiana, serving from 2005 to 2008

Iowa

The position was created July 1, 1999 by Subchapter 303.89 of the Iowa Code with a two-year renewable term. Marvin Bell was Iowa's first Poet Laureate, from 2000 to 2004, followed by

Robert Dana Robert Dana (June 2, 1929 – February 6, 2010) was an American poet, who taught writing and English literature at Cornell College and many other schools, revived ''The North American Review'' and served as its editor during the years 1964–1968 ...

from 2004 to 2008, and Mary Swander from 2009 to 2019. Debra Marquart is the current Poet Laureate of Iowa. Her two year term started in May 2019.

Kansas

Jonathan Holden served as Kansas' first poet laureate from 2005 to 2007.

Kentucky

James Thomas Cotton Noe served as Kentucky's first poet laureate from 1926 to 1953.

Louisiana

Emma Wilson Emery served as Louisiana's first poet laureate from 1942 to 1970. The current poet laureate of Louisiana is

Mona Lisa Saloy Mona Lisa Saloy is an American poet and folklorist. She is the Poet Laureate of Louisiana since 2021. Biography Mona Lisa Saloy was born in New Orleans and got her education in the University of Washington, where she graduated in 1979 with a BA ...

appointed in April 2021. Predecessors include

Ava Leavell Haymon Ava Leavell Haymon was the 2013–2015 Poet Laureate of Louisiana. Career She is the author of four collections of poetry, includinEldest DaughterJulie Kane, Peter Cooley, and

John Warner Smith John Warner Smith (born December 22, 1952) is an American poet and educator. He formerly held the position as the Louisiana Poet Laureate. His poems have appeared in numerous published works. Life, education, and career Smith is a native of Mor ...

Maine

Kate Barnes served as Maine's first poet laureate from 1996 to 1999. The current poet laureate of Maine is Julia Bouwsna. Predecessors include

Wesley McNair Wesley McNair (born 1941) is an American poet, writer, editor, and professor. He has authored 10 volumes of poetry, most recently, ''Lovers of the Lost: New & Selected Poems''Godine 2010), ''The Lost Child: Ozark Poems'' (Godine, 2014), ''The Unf ...

, Baron Wormser, and

Betsy Sholl Elizabeth "Betsy" Sholl (born 1945) is an American poet who was poet laureate of Maine from 2006 to 2011 and has authored nine collections of poetry. Sholl has received several poetry awards, including the 1991 AWP Award, and the 2015 Maine Liter ...

Maryland

The current Poet Laureate of Maryland is Grace Cavalieri.

=Cities

= *The city of

Takoma Park Takoma Park is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Washington, and part of the Washington metropolitan area. Founded in 1883 and incorporated in 1890, Takoma Park, informally called "Azalea City", is a Tree Ci ...

Poet Laureate program, established in 2005, honors the achievements of a local poet, encouraging a wider appreciation of poetry and literature. Kathleen O’Toole currently holds the office. Poet Laureate emeritus include Donald Berger (2005-2007), Anne Becker (2007-2011), and Merrill Leffler (2011-2018).

Massachusetts

The state of Massachusetts does not currently have a poet laureate position. However, many cities in Massachusetts have appointed poets laureate.

=Cities

Miriam Levine Miriam Levine (born 1939) is an American memoirist, poet and novelist. Levine was the first Poet Laureate of Arlington, Massachusetts. Biography Levine was born in Paterson, New Jersey, the daughter of Gertrude and Joseph Levine. She spent her e ...

was appointed the first poet laureate of Arlington in 2015 *

Sam Cornish Samuel James Cornish (December 22, 1935 - August 20, 2018) was Boston’s first poet laureate. He was associated with the Black Arts Movement. He taught at Emerson College. Cornish was an educator, a bookseller, and a prolific poet who made sens ...

was appointed the first Boston poet laureate in 2008, succeeded in 2015 by Danielle Legros Georges. The current Poet Laureate of Boston is

Porsha Olayiwola Porsha Olayiwola is a Black American poet based in Boston, Massachusetts. Early life Of Nigerian descent (her father being a Yoruba man from Lagos), Olayiwola was born in Chicago. When Olayiwola was a child, her father was abruptly deported to N ...

. *Martin Espada was the first poet laureate of Northampton in 2003. Successors include

Janet Aalfs Janet Elizabeth Aalfs (born August 14, 1956) is an American poet and martial artist. She is a founding member of Valley Women's Martial Arts and the National Women's Martial Arts Federation, and founder and director of Lotus Peace Arts. She serve ...

and Patrick Donnelly. *Stephan Delbos was appointed the first poet laureate of Plymouth in 2020.

Michigan

Edgar A. Guest served as Michigan Poet Laureate from 1952 through 1959 having been appointed Poet Laureate through Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 38 (1952) of the Michigan Legislature. State lawmakers made three separate unsuccessful attempts to reinstate a poet laureate position in 2000, 2005, and 2019.

Minnesota

In May 2007, Gov.

Pawlenty Timothy James Pawlenty (; born November 27, 1960) is an American attorney, businessman, and politician who served as the 39th governor of Minnesota from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Republican Party, Pawlenty served in the Minnesota House of ...

reversed his opposition and signed Section 4, Chapter 148 of the Minnesota Session Laws 2007, establishing the state poet laureate.

Robert Bly Robert Elwood Bly (December 23, 1926 – November 21, 2021) was an American poet, essayist, activist and leader of the mythopoetic men's movement. His best-known prose book is '' Iron John: A Book About Men'' (1990), which spent 62 weeks on ' ...

was appointed the first Minnesota poet laureate on February 27, 2008, succeeded on August 23, 2011 by

Joyce Sutphen Joyce Sutphen (born August 10, 1949) is an American poet who served as Minnesota's Poet Laureate from 2011 to 2021. She was the state's second laureate, appointed by Governor Mark Dayton in August, 2011 to succeed Robert Bly. Sutphen is professor ...

. Dr.

Gwen Westerman Gwen Westerman (also known as Gwen Nell Westerman) is a Dakota educator, writer and artist. She is the Director of the Native American Literature Symposium. She was appointed by Governor Tim Walz as Minnesota's third Poet Laureate in September 20 ...

was appointed as the third Minnesota poet laureate on September 9, 2021 by Governor

Tim Walz Timothy James Walz ( ; born April 6, 1964) is an American politician and retired educator. A member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), he has served as the 41st governor of Minnesota since 2019. Born in West Point, Nebraska, Walz ...

Mississippi

In 1963, Governor Ross Barnett appointed Mississippi's first Poet Laureate, Maude Willard Leet Prenshaw. In 1973, Louise Moss Montgomery was named laureate by Gov. William Waller. Gov. Cliff Finch appointed Winifred Hamrick Farrar laureate in 1978. All three poets laureate served lifetime terms. Beginning in 2012, Mississippi poets laureate now serve four-year terms. Natasha Tretheway served as the Poet Laureate of Mississippi from 2012 to 2016. On August 10, 2016, Beth Ann Fennelly assumed the position.

Missouri

Walter Bargen served as Missouri's first poet laureate from 2008 to 2010.

Montana

Sandra Alcosser was Montana's first poet laureate, serving in the position from 2005 to 2007.

Nebraska

John G. Neihardt was appointed as Nebraskas first poet laureate in 1921, and served until November 3, 1973.

Nevada

Mildred Breedlove served as the first poet laureate of Nevada from 1957 to 2007.

New Hampshire

Paul Scott Mowrer was appointed as New Hampshire's first poet laureate, and served from 1968 to 1971. The current poet laureate of New Hampshire is Alexandria Peary, appointed October 2019. Predecessors include

W. E. Butts Walter E. Butts (September 12, 1944 – March 31, 2013) was an American poet and the Poet Laureate of New Hampshire. His book ''Sunday Evening at the Stardust Café'' was a finalist for the 2005 Philip Levine Prize in Poetry from the California ...

Richard Eberhart Richard Ghormley Eberhart (April 5, 1904 – June 9, 2005) was an American poet who published more than a dozen books of poetry and approximately twenty works in total. "Richard Eberhart emerged out of the 1930s as a modern stylist with romanti ...

Patricia Fargnoli Patricia Fargnoli (November 16, 1937 – February 18, 2021) was an American poet and psychotherapist. She was the New Hampshire Poet Laureate from December 2006 to March 2009. Biography Fargnoli was an alumna of Trinity College (Connecticut), Tri ...

, Cynthia Huntington, and Jane Kenyon.

New Jersey

New Jersey had a poet laureate program until from 2000 to 2003, appointing poet

Gerald Stern Gerald Daniel Stern (February 22, 1925 – October 27, 2022) was an American poet, essayist, and educator. The author of twenty collections of poetry and four books of essays, he taught literature and creative writing at Temple University, Indi ...

followed by

Amiri Baraka Amiri Baraka (born Everett Leroy Jones; October 7, 1934 – January 9, 2014), previously known as LeRoi Jones and Imamu Amear Baraka, was an American writer of poetry, drama, fiction, essays and music criticism. He was the author of numerous bo ...

. The position was eliminated in 2003.

New Mexico

In 2020 New Mexico appointed its first poet laureate,

Levi Romero Levi Jose Romero (born April 12, 1984) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. Romero played in the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers minor league systems from 2003 to 2008. He also played for the Yomiuri Giants and Fukuoka SoftBa ...

=Cities

= *Hakim Bellamy was appointed the first poet laureate of Albuquerque in 2012. *Kayt Peck was appointed the first poet laureate of Las Vegas, New Mexico in 2021. *

Arthur Sze Arthur Sze (; ; born December 1, 1950) is an American poet, translator, and professor. Since 1972, he has published ten collections of poetry. Sze's ninth collection ''Compass Rose'' (2014) was a finalist for the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. Sz ...

was appointed the first poet laureate of Santa Fe in 2006.

Valerie Martínez Valerie Martínez (born 1961) is an American poet, educator, arts administrator, consultant, and collaborative artist. She served as the poet laureate of Santa Fe, New Mexico from 2008 to 2010. LifeValerie Martinezwas born and raised in Santa Fe, ...

is among his successors. *Bonnie Buckley Maldonado was appointed the first poet laureate of Silver City in 2012. *Sawnie Morris was appointed the first poet laureate of Taos in 2018.

New York

The position of New York State Poet Laureate (official title: State Poet) was established by a special mandate of the New York State Legislature on August 1, 1985. Willie Perdomo is the current New York state poet laureate. Predecessors include

John Ashbery John Lawrence Ashbery (July 28, 1927 – September 3, 2017) was an American poet and art critic. Ashbery is considered the most influential American poet of his time. Oxford University literary critic John Bayley wrote that Ashbery "sounded, in ...

, Billy Collins,

Jane Cooper Jane Cooper (October 9, 1924 – October 26, 2007) was an American poet. Awards * Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters * Maurice English Poetry Award (1985) * Shelley Memorial Award (1977) * Bunting Institute of Radc ...

Robert Creeley Robert White Creeley (May 21, 1926 – March 30, 2005) was an American poet and author of more than sixty books. He is usually associated with the Black Mountain poets, though his verse aesthetic diverged from that school. He was close with Char ...

, Richard Howard, Marie Howe, Stanley Kunitz, Audre Lorde, Sharon Olds, Alicia Ostriker, and Jean Valentine. In 1988 New York also established position for other genres of writing entitled New York State Author. In 2016,

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Andrew Cuomo Andrew Mark Cuomo ( ; ; born December 6, 1957) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 56th governor of New York from 2011 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected to the same position that his father, Mario Cuo ...

also named Joseph Tusiani Poet Laureate Emeritus. In 2004, Ishle Yi Park became first female and the first

Korean American Korean Americans are Americans of Korean ancestry (mostly from South Korea). In 2015, the Korean-American community constituted about 0.56% of the United States population, or about 1.82 million people, and was the fifth-largest Asian Americans ...

poet laureate of the New York City borough of

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

North Carolina

The 1935

General Assembly A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company. Specific examples of general assembly include: Churches * General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of presby ...

created the office of state poet laureate and empowers the Governor to appoint a

North Carolina Poet Laureate The North Carolina Poet Laureate is the poet laureate for the US state of North Carolina. At first a life appointment, the term of office is now two years. The program is run by the North Carolina Arts Council. Laureates are appointed by the Governo ...

Jaki Shelton Green Jaki Shelton Green is an Poetry of the United States, American poet. In November 2009, she was named the first Piedmont Laureate by a collection of Research Triangle, Triangle-area arts councils. She currently resides in Mebane, North Carolina. Gr ...

has been North Carolina's Poet Laureate since 2018.

=Cities

= *The city of Durham, North Carolina selected DJ Rogers as its first poet laureate in 2022.

North Dakota

Corbin A. Waldron was the first poet laureate of North Dakota from 1957 to 1978.

Ohio

The state of

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

created the position of Poet Laureate in 2014. Dr.

Amit Majmudar Amit Majmudar (born 1979) is an American novelist and poet. In 2015, he was named the first Poet Laureate of Ohio. Life Majmudar, a son of Indian immigrants, grew up in the Cleveland area. He earned a BS at the University of Akron and an MD at No ...

of Dublin, Ohio was named the first state Poet Laureate by Gov. John Kasich, for a two-year term beginning January 1, 2016.

Kari Gunter-Seymour Kari or KARI may refer to: Places *Kari, Jhunjhunu, a village in Rajasthan, India * , a village in Mouhoun Province, Burkina Faso *Kari, Tikamgarh, a town in Madhya Pradesh, India * Kari, Iran, a village in Bushehr Province, Iran * Kari-ye Bozorg ( ...

is the current Poet Laureate of Ohio. Her term began on June 10, 2020.

Oklahoma

The state of Oklahoma named

Violet McDougal Violet McDougal (1893–1989) was an American poet. She was the first poet laureate of the state of Oklahoma, serving from 1923 to 1931. Biography McDougal was born in Tennessee, 1893. She attended the University of Oklahoma, the University of Mis ...

its first

poet laureate A poet laureate (plural: poets laureate) is a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring institution, typically expected to compose poems for special events and occasions. Albertino Mussato of Padua and Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) ...

in 1923.

Joe Kreger Joe Russel Kreger (born 1939 in Tonkawa, Oklahoma) served twice as poet laureate of the American state of Oklahoma. He was previously appointed in 1998 after the death of Betty Shipley, and reappointed in 2021. Kreger was the first poet laureate ...

who first served from 1998 to 2001 has received a second term as Oklahoma's poet laureate from 2021 to 2022.

=Cities

= *

Norman, Oklahoma Norman () is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, with a population of 128,097 as of 2021. It is the largest city and the county seat of Cleveland County, Oklahoma, Cleveland County, and the second-largest city in the Oklahoma C ...

selected its first poet laureate, Dr. Julie Ann Ward, in April 2022. Norman is the first city in Oklahoma to have its own poet laureate.

Oregon

The position of

Oregon Poet Laureate The position of Oregon Poet Laureate has existed since 1923. The incumbent is Anis Mojgani. Oregon Poets Laureate are appointed by the Governor of Oregon. Since 2006, the Poet Laureate program is administered by the Oregon Cultural Trust.http:/ ...

was established in 1923, appointing

Edwin Markham Edwin Markham (born Charles Edward Anson Markham; April 23, 1852 – March 7, 1940) was an American poet. From 1923 to 1931 he was Poet Laureate of Oregon. Life Edwin Markham was born in Oregon City, Oregon, and was the youngest of 10 children; ...

as the first poet laureate.

Anis Mojgani Anis Mojgani (Persian: انیس مژگانی) (born June 13, 1977) is an American spoken word poet, visual artist and musician based in Portland, Oregon. Mojgani has been characterized as a "geek genius" with "fiercely hopeful word arias." Ear ...

was appointed to the position in 2020.

Pennsylvania

Yolanda Wisher speaks at Temple University Libraries October 2016

Samuel John Hazo Samuel John Hazo (born 19 July 1928) is a poet, playwright, fiction novelist, and the founder and director of the International Poetry Forum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is also McAnulty Distinguished Professor of English Emeritus at Duquesne ...

served as Pennsylvania's first and only poet laureate from 1993 to 2003 before Governor Bob Casey eliminated the position. Florence Van Leer Earle Coates was elected poet laureate of Pennsylvania by the state Federation of Women's Clubs in 1915.

= Counties

= * Bucks County named Nicole Steinberg first poet laureate in 2021. * Lancaster County's Lancaster Literary Guild named Barbara Buckman Strasko the first poet laureate of the county.

= Cities

= *

Harrisburg Harrisburg is the capital city of the Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the List of c ...

named Rick Kearns poet laureate in 2014. *

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

named

Airea D. Matthews Airea D. Matthews is an American poet. She is an Associate Professor of Creative Writing and the co-director of the Creative Writing Program at Bryn Mawr College. She was named the 2022-2023 Poet Laureate of Philadelphia. Education and early life ...

poet laureate of the city in 2022. Her predecessors include:

Trapeta Mayson Trapeta B. Mayson (born 1967) is a Liberian-born poet, teacher, social worker, and non-profit administrator residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US. Her writing primarily centers on the experiences of immigrants to the United States, the stru ...

Raquel Salas Rivera Raquel Salas Rivera (born December 26, 1985) is a bilingual Puerto Rican poet who writes in Spanish and English, focusing on the experience of being a migrant to the United States, the colonial status of Puerto Rico, and of identifying as a quee ...

, Sonia Sanchez,

Frank Sherlock Frank Sherlock is an American poet, and second Poet Laureate of Philadelphia. He was a 2013 Pew Fellow in the Arts. Life Frank Sherlock was the 2014-15 Poet Laureate of Philadelphia, and a 2013 Pew Fellow in the Arts for Literature. His most re ...

, and

Yolanda Wisher Yolanda Wisher (born 1976) is an American poet, educator and spoken word artist who focuses on the experience of being African-American. She is a graduate of Temple University and was selected as the third Poet Laureate of Philadelphia in 2016. ...

Rhode Island

The State Poet of Rhode Island, established in 1987, is codified in Chapter 42-100 of the State of Rhode Island General Laws. The five-year appointment by the Governor carries an annual salary of $1,000. Michael Steven Harper served as Rhode Island's first poet laureate from 1988 to 1993.

South Carolina

Archibald Rutledge was the first poet laureate of South Carolina, serving from 1934 to 1973.

South Dakota

Charles "Badger" Clark was the first poet laureate of South Dakota appointed in 1937.

Tennessee

"Pek" Gunn, a native of Bold Spring, Tennessee and a close friend and politically ally of former

Governor of Tennessee The governor of Tennessee is the head of government of the U.S. state of Tennessee. The governor is the only official in Tennessee state government who is directly elected by the voters of the entire state. The current governor is Bill Lee, a ...

Frank Clement, was the first Tennessean given the title of State Poet Laureate, in the 1970s.

Margaret Britton Vaughn Margaret Britton Vaughn (born 1938 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee) is Tennessee's poet laureate. Personal life Vaughn was born on July 16, 1938 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Her father, Winfred Vaughn, a fire fighter, was killed in the line of duty ...

is the current Poet Laureate, she is serving her lifetime appointment since 1999.

Texas

The state of

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

established a Poet Laureate in 1932 ( historical list of Texas poets laureate). The term as of 2016 is one year.

=Cities

= *In April 2012,

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

became the first Texas city to appoint a Poet Laureate
Carmen Tafolla
The San Antonio Poet Laureate serves a two-year term.

Laurie Ann Guerrero Laurie Ann Guerrero is a Chicana poet from San Antonio, Texas. She was the poet laureate of San Antonio from 2014 to 2016 and the Poet Laureate of Texas from 2016 to 2017. In the fall semester of 2017, she became the first writer-in-residence ...

was appointed on April 1, 2014.

Utah

The state of

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

has appointed a Poet Laureate since 1997. The first was David Lee (January 24, 1997, to December 2002), followed by Ken Brewer (January 24, 2003, to March 15, 2006), Katharine Coles (October 27, 2006, to May 2012),

Lance Larsen Lance Larsen (born 1961 in Pocatello, Idaho) is an American poet. He served as poet laureate of Utah from 2012 to 2017. In 2007 he received the Literature Fellowship in Poetry from the National Endowment for the Arts. He has been published widely ...

, appointed May 3, 2012, by Governor Gary Herbert, and

Paisley Rekdal Paisley Rekdal is an American poet who is currently serving as Poet Laureate of Utah. She is the author of a book of essays entitled ''The Night My Mother Met Bruce Lee: Observations on Not Fitting In,'' the memoir ''Intimate,'' as well as five bo ...

, appointed by Governor Gary Herbert in May 2017. The current Poet Laureate in Utah is

Lisa Bickmore Lisa or LISA may refer to: People People with the mononym * Lisa Lisa (born 1967), American actress and lead singer of the Cult Jam * Lisa (Japanese musician, born 1974), stylized "LISA", Japanese singer and producer * Lisa Komine (born 1978), J ...

appointed in April 2022.

Vermont

was the first poet laureate of Vermont, serving from 1961 to 1963.

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia has appointed a Poet Laureate since December 18, 1936. The first was Carter Warner Wormeley, appointed for life. Appointments from 1942 until 1992 were for one year, with many reappointed for multiple terms. In 1992, the term was increased to two years. Since 1998 appointments are made from list of nominees presented by the Poetry Society of Virginia, established at the

College of William & Mary The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III ...

Williamsburg, Virginia Williamsburg is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 15,425. Located on the Virginia Peninsula ...

, in 1923. The current Poet Laureate is Luisa A. Igloria.

Washington

Ella Higginson, circa 1894-1897 (PORTRAITS 2063)

The

State of Washington Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...

has officially appointed a Poet Laureate since 2007, though Poets Laureate have been unofficially appointed by the Washington State Federation of Women's Clubs since 1931, when Ella Rhoads Higginson was named as the State's first Poet Laureate. Samuel Green was named as Washington's first official Poet Laureate in 2007, and served until 2009. Poets Laureate of Washington are appointed for a two-year term by the Governor of Washington. The current Poet Laureate of Washington is Rena Priest, a member of the

Lummi Nation The Lummi ( ; Lummi: ''Xwlemi'' ; also known as Lhaq'temish (), or ''People of the Sea''), governed by the Lummi Nation, are a Native American tribe of the Coast Salish ethnolinguistic group. They are based in the coastal area of the Pacific No ...

, and the first Indigenous person appointed to the post. She was appointed in 2021, and will serve until 2023.

West Virginia

Karl Myers served as the first poet laureate of West Virginia from 1927 to 1937.

Wisconsin

The current Poet Laureate of

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

is Dasha Kelly Hamilton, 2021–2022.

Wyoming

Eugene Gagliano has been the Poet Laureate of Wyoming since July 2016.

References

External links

Poet Laureate of Canada
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007132337/http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/poet/index.asp?lang=e , date=October 7, 2008
Map of Canadian Poets Laureate

List of U.S. Poets Laureate at the Library of Congress

* ttp://www.winonadailynews.com/news/article_f1f6ef90-bad8-11de-9472-001cc4c002e0.html Poet Laureate of Winona, Minnesota (2009 -) Positions within the British Royal Household Poets