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A poet laureate (plural: poets laureate) is a
The
. '' Calgary Herald'', March 18, 2012. * Banff has had three poets laureate,
/ref> * Julie Pellissier-Lush (2019–present) * Deirdre Kessler (2016-2019) * Diane Hicks Morrow (2013-2016) * Hugh MacDonald (2009-2013) * David Helwig (2008-2009) * Frank Ledwell (2004-2007) * John Smith (2002-2004)
Michael Gates
Officially designated Laureate includes Tsegaye Gebre-Medhin. Tsegaye's award was granted by His Majesty, Haile-Selasie II.
Malek o-Sho'arā Bahār was the poet laureate of Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar. He was born in Mashhad in 1884 (died 1951) and was a conservative figure among the modernists.
Poets Laureate of Saint Lucia include: Derek Walcott.
Poets laureate of Somalia include: Hadraawi.
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 
Scotland has a long tradition of makars and poetry. In 2004 the Scottish Parliament appointed Professor Edwin Morgan as the first Makar or National Poet for Scotland. On his death in January 2011 he was succeeded by
The
"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
U.S. State Poets Laureate: Alaska
. Retrieved 31 January 2014. The position is selected by the Alaska State Council on the Arts.
The state of
* Albany chose its first poet laureate, Christina Hutchins, in 2008.
* Anaheim selected its first poet laureate, Grant Hier, in 2018.
* Benicia appointed its first poet laureate in 2006, Joel Fallon. He was followed by Robert Shelby, Ronna Leon, Lois Requist, Don Peery, Johanna Ely, Tom Stanton, and Mary Susan Gast.
* Berkeley selected its first Poet Laureate in 2017: Rafael Jesús González Before this, in 2004, Julia Vinograd had been recognised officially as Berkeley's unofficial poet laureate.
* Cupertino's first Poet Laureate, Dave Denny, was selected in 2010.
* El Cerrito selected its first poet laureate,
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,
Poets are appointed to the position by the governor. The first poet laureate of Delaware was Edna Deemer Leach appointed in 1947. Nnamdi Chukwuocha 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
October 24, 2013 Time Peter Meinke currently holds this position and was appointed on June 15, 2015.
Prior to statehood Don Blanding, originally from Oklahoma, was unofficially referred to as the poet laureate of Hawaii. In 1951 Hawaii Territoral Senator Thelma Akana Harrison in concurrent resolution 28, declared Lloyd Stone, who was originally from California, poet laureate. When the modern program was established, Native Hawaiian Kealoha (poet), 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.
Illinois appointed its first poet laureate, Howard Austin, in 1936, followed by Carl Sandburg (1962–1967), and Gwendolyn Brooks (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.
James Thomas Cotton Noe served as Kentucky's first poet laureate from 1926 to 1953.
*Miriam Levine was appointed the first poet laureate of Arlington in 2015
*Sam Cornish 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.
*Martin Espada was the first poet laureate of Northampton in 2003. Successors include Janet Aalfs and Patrick Donnelly (poet), Patrick Donnelly.
*Stephan Delbos was appointed the first poet laureate of Plymouth in 2020.
In May 2007, Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Pawlenty reversed his opposition and signed Section 4, Chapter 148 of the Minnesota Session Laws 2007, establishing the state poet laureate. Robert Bly was appointed the first Minnesota poet laureate on February 27, 2008, succeeded on August 23, 2011 by Joyce Sutphen. Dr. Gwen Westerman was appointed as the third Minnesota poet laureate on September 9, 2021 by Governor Tim Walz.
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,
The state of Oklahoma named Violet McDougal its first Poets Laureate of Oklahoma, poet laureate in 1923. Joe Kreger who first served from 1998 to 2001 has received a second term as Oklahoma's poet laureate from 2021 to 2022.
Samuel John Hazo 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.
The state of Texas established a Poet Laureate in 1932 (Poets Laureate of Texas, historical list of Texas poets laureate). The term as of 2016 is one year.
Carmen Tafolla
The San Antonio Poet Laureate serves a two-year term. Laurie Ann Guerrero was appointed on April 1, 2014.
The State of 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 (poet), 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, and the first Indigenous person appointed to the post. She was appointed in 2021, and will serve until 2023.
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
* [http://www.winonadailynews.com/news/article_f1f6ef90-bad8-11de-9472-001cc4c002e0.html Poet Laureate of Winona, Minnesota (2009 -)] Positions within the British Royal Household Poets laureate, Poets
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 wri ...
officially appointed by a government or conferring institution, typically expected to compose poems for special events and occasions. Albertino Mussato
Albertino Mussato (1261–1329) was a statesman, poet, historian and playwright from Padua. He is credited with providing an impetus to the revival of literary Latin, and is characterized as an early humanist. He was influenced by his teacher, the ...
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
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 ...
(Petrarch) of Arezzo 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 ...
by 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 Beauf ...
. 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 Ru ...
, which designates a Young People's Poet Laureate, unconnected with the National Youth Poet Laureate
The National Youth Poet Laureate is a title held in the United States by a young person who demonstrates skill in the arts, particularly poetry and/or spoken word, is a strong leader, is committed to social justice, and is active in civic discours ...
and the United States Poet Laureate.
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 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, thelaurel
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
A wreath () is an assortment of flowers, leaves, fruits, twigs, or various materials that is constructed to form a circle .
In English-speaking countries, wreaths are used typically as household ornaments, most commonly as an Advent and Chri ...
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 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 ...
for Albertino Mussato
Albertino Mussato (1261–1329) was a statesman, poet, historian and playwright from Padua. He is credited with providing an impetus to the revival of literary Latin, and is characterized as an early humanist. He was influenced by his teacher, the ...
, 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 ...
's own crowning ceremony in the audience hall of the medieval senatorial palazzo on the Campidoglio
The Capitolium or Capitoline Hill ( ; it, Campidoglio ; la, Mons Capitolinus ), between the Forum and the Campus Martius, is one of the Seven Hills of Rome.
The hill was earlier known as ''Mons Saturnius'', dedicated to the god Saturn. ...
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.
The abbreviation ''cf.'' (short for the la, confer/conferatur, both meaning "compare") is used in writing to refer the reader to other material to make a comparison with the topic being discussed. Style guides recommend that ''cf.'' be used onl ...
Nobel laureate). A royal degree in rhetoric, ''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 convictMichael Massey Robinson
Michael Massey Robinson (1744Also reported as 1747 and 1754. SeRobinson at austlitfor details – 22 December 1826) was a poet and author of the first published verse in Australia.
Biography
Legal troubles
Robinson was an educated man and ...
was paid by colony governor Lachlan Macquarie for services as poet laureate. Over the years, other poets have been nominated as worthy of such a title, including James Brunton Stephens
James Brunton Stephens (17 June 1835 – 29 June 1902) was a Scottish-born Australian poet, and author of ''Convict Once''.
Early life
Stephens was born in Bo'ness, on the Firth of Forth, Scotland; the son of John Stephens, the parish scho ...
(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.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
The Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate (french: Poète officiel du Parlement du Canada) is the national poet laureate of Canada. The current poet laureate is Louise Bernice Halfe.
The position is an office of the Library of Parliament.
Role
A ...
is appointed as an officer of the Library of Parliament
The Library of Parliament (french: Bibliothèque du Parlement) is the main information repository and research resource for the Parliament of Canada. The main branch of the library sits at the rear of the Centre Block on Parliament Hill in Otta ...
. 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 (2002-2004)
* Pauline Michel
Pauline Michel (born 1944 in Asbestos, Quebec) is a Canadian novelist, poet, playwright, songwriter and screenwriter.
Michel has a Bachelor of Education from the Université de Sherbrooke as well a teaching certificate from École normale Margu ...
(2004-2006)
* John Steffler
John Steffler (born November 13, 1947) is a Canadian poet and novelist. He served as Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate from 2006 to 2008.
Biography
John Steffler was born in Toronto, Ontario, on November 13, 1947, and grew up in a rural area n ...
(2006-2008)
* Pierre DesRuisseaux
Pierre DesRuisseaux (7 July 1945 – 18 January 2016) was a Canadian poet. He was named the fourth Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate on April 28, 2009.
DesRuisseaux graduated with a degree in philosophy from the Université de Montréal. DesRu ...
(2009-2011)
* Fred Wah (2011-2013)
* Michel Pleau
Michel Pleau (born May 25, 1964)Pleau, Michel
L'infocentre litteraire des écrivains qué ...
(2014-2016)
* L'infocentre litteraire des écrivains qué ...
George Elliott Clarke
George Elliott Clarke, (born February 12, 1960) is a Canadian poet, playwright and literary critic who served as the Poet Laureate of Toronto from 2012 to 2015 and as the 2016–2017 Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate. His work is known larg ...
(2016-2017)
* Georgette LeBlanc
Georgette Leblanc (8 February 1869, Rouen – 27 October 1941, Le Cannet) was a French operatic soprano, actress, author, and the sister of novelist Maurice Leblanc. She became particularly associated with the works of Jules Massenet and w ...
(2018-2019)
* Louise Bernice Halfe 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's current poet laureate is Wakefield Brewster (2022-2024). He was preceded in office by Natalie Meisner (2020 – 2022),
Sheri-D Wilson
Sheri-D Wilson, CM D. Litt, (aka "The Mama of Dada") is a Canadian poet, spoken word artist, educator, speaker, producer and activist.
From 2018-2020, Sheri-D Wilson was Poet Laureate of Calgary. In 2019 Sheri-D was appointed one of the country ...
(2018-2020), Micheline Maylor (2016 – 2018), Derek Beaulieu
Derek Alexander Beaulieu (born December 7, 1973 in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian poet, publisher and anthologist.
Beaulieu studied contemporary Canadian poetics at the University of Calgary and Creative Writing at Roehampton University. His wor ...
(2014 – 2016), and Kris Demeanor (2012 – 2014)."Kris Demeanor named Calgary’s first poet laureate". '' Calgary Herald'', March 18, 2012. * Banff has had three poets laureate,
Derek Beaulieu
Derek Alexander Beaulieu (born December 7, 1973 in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian poet, publisher and anthologist.
Beaulieu studied contemporary Canadian poetics at the University of Calgary and Creative Writing at Roehampton University. His wor ...
(2022-2023), Amelie Patternson (2017-2018) and Steven Ross Smith (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 ...
is Titilope Sonuga (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 (2007 – 2009), and Alice Major (2005 – 2007).
= British Columbia
=Cities * Comox Valley 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 include Kamal Parmar (2021-2023), Tina Biello (2017 – 2020), and Naomi Beth Wakan (2013 – 2016). *
New Westminster
New Westminster (colloquially known as New West) is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada, and a member municipality of the Metro Vancouver Regional District. It was founded by Major-General Richard Moody as the capi ...
'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 has had one poet laureate, Renée Sarojini Saklikar Renée Sarojini Saklikar is an Indian-born Canadian lawyer, poet and author. Raised in New Westminster in Greater Vancouver,Smith, Charlie.Renee Sarojini Saklikar draws large crowd to SFU Woodward's for launch of new book of poemsArchive. '' The Ge ...
(2015 – 2018)
*Tofino
Tofino ( ) is a town of approximately 2,516 residents on the west coast of Vancouver Island in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The District of Tofino is located at the western terminus of Highway 4 on the tip of the Esowista Peninsu ...
'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 (2014 – 2017), Evelyn Lau (2011 – 2014), Brad Cran (2009 – 2011), and George McWhirter
George McWhirter (born September 26, 1939 in Belfast, Northern Ireland) is an Irish-Canadian writer, translator, editor, teacher and Vancouver's first Poet Laureate.
The son of a shipyard worker, George McWhirter was raised in a large extended f ...
(2007 – 2009).
*Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
's poets laureate are John Barton (2019 – 2022), Yvonne Blomer (2015 – 2018), Janet Marie Rogers (2012 – 2014), Linda Rogers (2009 – 2011), and Carla Funk (2006 – 2008).
= Manitoba
=Cities * Winnipeg's poets laureate are Duncan Mercredi (2020-2022) and
Di Brandt
Di Brandt (born 31 January 1952) (née Janzen) often stylized as di brandt, is a Canadian poet and scholar from Winnipeg, Manitoba. She became Winnipeg's first Poet Laureate in 2018.
Life and career
Brandt grew up in Reinland, a Mennonite farmin ...
(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
Douglas Grant Lochhead (pronounced ''Lock''-heed) FRSC (March 25, 1922 – March 15, 2011) was a Canadian poet, academic librarian, bibliographer and university professor who published more than 30 collections of poetry over five decades, from 19 ...
(2002 – 2011).
= Newfoundland and Labrador
=Cities * St. John’s poets laureate are Mary Dalton (2019 – 2022), George Murray (2014 – 2017), Tom Dawe (2010 – 2013), and Agnes Walsh (2006 – 2009).
= Nova Scotia
=Cities *
Cape Breton
Cape Breton Island (french: link=no, île du Cap-Breton, formerly '; gd, Ceap Breatainn or '; mic, Unamaꞌki) is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America and part of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada.
The island accounts for 18. ...
: 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.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 ...
has had two poets laureate Victoria Butler (2018 – present) and Damian Lopes (2014 – present)
* The city of Brantford
Brantford ( 2021 population: 104,688) is a city in Ontario, Canada, founded on the Grand River in Southwestern Ontario. It is surrounded by Brant County, but is politically separate with a municipal government of its own that is fully independ ...
named John B. Lee 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, p ...
named Ann Margetson poet laureate
* Cobourg’s poets laureate are Jessica Outram (2019 – 2022), Ted Amsden (2011 – 2018), Jill Battson (2009 – 2011), and Eric Winter (1997 – 2009)
* Dufferin County
Dufferin County is a county and census division located in Central Ontario, Canada. The county seat is Orangeville, and the current Warden is Wade Mills. The current chief administrative officer is Sonya Pritchard. Dufferin covers an area of , ...
's poets laureate is Harry Posner (2017–present)
* Emery: Laurence Hutchman (2018 – present)
* Kingston’s poets laureate are Jason Heroux (2019 – present), Helen Humphreys
Helen Humphreys (born March 29, 1961) is a Canadian poet and novelist.
Personal life
Humphreys was born in Kingston-on-Thames, England. Her brother Martin and sister Cathy were born after the family moved to Canada. She now lives in Kingsto ...
(2015 – 2019), and Eric Folsom (2011 – 2015).
* London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, 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 dow ...
’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 John B. Lee was appointed in 2011.
* Ottawa’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 (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 attractio ...
’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
Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm is an Anishinaabe writer of mixed ancestry from the Chippewas of Nawash First Nation in Canada. She lives and works at Neyaashiinigmiing, Cape Croker Reserve on the Saugeen Peninsula in southwestern Ontario, and in Ottawa, ...
(2011 – 2012), Kristan Anderson (2008 – 2010), Liz Zetlin (2007 – 2008).
* Greater Sudbury’s poets laureate are Kyla Heming (2022–present), Vera Constantineau (2020-2022), Chloé LaDuchesse (2018 – 2020), Kim Fahner (2016 – 2018), Thomas Leduc (2014 – 2015), Daniel Aubin (2012 – 2013), and Roger Nash (2010 – 2011)
* The Poet Laureate of Toronto program was established in 2001, naming Dennis Lee as the first poet laureate. Successors include: A. F. Moritz (2019 – 2022), Anne Michaels
Anne Michaels (born 15 April 1958) is a Canadian poet and novelist whose work has been translated and published in over 45 countries. Her books have garnered dozens of international awards including the Orange Prize, the Guardian Fiction Prize, t ...
(2016 – 2019), George Elliott Clarke
George Elliott Clarke, (born February 12, 1960) is a Canadian poet, playwright and literary critic who served as the Poet Laureate of Toronto from 2012 to 2015 and as the 2016–2017 Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate. His work is known larg ...
(2012 – 2015), Dionne Brand (2009 – 2012), and Pier Giorgio Di Cicco (2004 – 2009).
* The city of Windsor
Windsor may refer to:
Places Australia
* Windsor, New South Wales
** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area
* Windsor, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland
**Shire of Windsor, a former local government authority around Wi ...
poets laureate are Mary Ann Mulhern (2019 – 2022), Marty Gervais (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. Billed as "an Aq ...
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. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...
appointed its first poet laureate, John Smith, in 2003.CBC.ca Arts - P.E.I. appoints poet laureate/ref> * Julie Pellissier-Lush (2019–present) * Deirdre Kessler (2016-2019) * Diane Hicks Morrow (2013-2016) * Hugh MacDonald (2009-2013) * David Helwig (2008-2009) * Frank Ledwell (2004-2007) * John Smith (2002-2004)
=Saskatchewan
=Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a province in 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 the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dak ...
appointed its first poet laureate, Glen Sorestad, in 2000.
* Carol Rose GoldenEagle (2021–present)
* Bruce Rice (2019 - 2021)
* Brenda Schmidt (2017 - 2018)
* Gerry Hill (2016 - 2017)
* Judith Krause (2014 - 2015)
* Don Kerr (2011 - 2013)
* Robert Currie (2007 - 2010)
* Louise B. Halfe (Sky Dancer) (2005 - 2006)
* Glen Sorestad (2000 - 2004)
=Yukon
= InauguralYukon
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 has held the office since 1994.
The Commissioner of Yukon established the Story Laureate of Yukon role in 2020. The inaugural position was held bMichael Gates
Dominican Republic
Poets Laureate ofDominican 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 with ...
include: Pedro Mir
Pedro Julio Mir Valentín (3 June 1913, San Pedro de Macorís – 11 July 2000, Santo Domingo) was Dominican poet and writer, named Poet Laureate of the Dominican Republic by Congress in 1984, and a member of the generation of "Independent po ...
(1984).
Ethiopia
Officially designated Laureate includes Tsegaye Gebre-Medhin. Tsegaye's award was granted by His Majesty, Haile-Selasie II.
Germany
Poets Laureate ofNazi 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 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
Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with '' Maya'' ("Illusion"). A ...
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 state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...
at the time of his death.
Iran
Malek o-Sho'arā Bahār was the poet laureate of Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar. He was born in Mashhad in 1884 (died 1951) and was a conservative figure among the modernists.
Ireland
The Kingdom of Ireland had a poet laureate; the last holder of the title was Robert Jephson, 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
Aosdána ( , ; from , 'people of the arts') is an Irish association of artists. It was created in 1981 on the initiative of a group of writers with support from the country's Arts Council. Membership, which is by invitation from current member ...
, an official body of those engaged in fine arts, literature, and music. Poets awarded the title include Máire Mhac an tSaoi, Anthony Cronin
Anthony Gerard Richard Cronin (28 December 1923 – 27 December 2016) was an Irish poet, arts activist, biographer, commentator, critic, editor and barrister.
Early life and family
Cronin was born in Enniscorthy, County Wexford on 28 December ...
, 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 was the first poet laureate of Jamaica during colonial times, followed by Je Clare McFarlane. Mervyn Morris 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 ofNetherlands
)
, 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. Gerrit Komrij
Gerrit Jan Komrij (30 March 1944 – 5 July 2012) was a Dutch poet, novelist, translator, critic, polemic journalist and playwright. He rose to prominence in the early 1970s writing poetry that sharply contrasted with the free-form poetry of his ...
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 and the holder is called New Zealand Poet Laureate. The term of office is two years. The symbol of office is a Tokotoko, a carved wooden ceremonial orator's staff. The first holder wasBill Manhire
William Manhire (born 27 December 1946) is a New Zealand poet, short story writer, emeritus professor, and New Zealand's inaugural Poet Laureate (1997–1998). He founded New Zealand's first creative writing course at Victoria University of Well ...
, in 1998–99, then Hone Tuwhare Honing is a kind of metalworking.
Hone may also refer to:
* Hone (name) (incl. Hōne), a list of people with the surname, given name or nickname
* Hõne language
Hõne is a Jukunoid language spoken in Gombe State and Taraba State, Nigeria
...
(2000–01), Elizabeth Smither (2002–03), Brian Turner (2004–05), Jenny Bornholdt
Jennifer Mary Bornholdt (born 1 November 1960) is a New Zealand poet and anthologist.
Biography
Born in Lower Hutt, Bornholdt received a bachelor's degree in English Literature and a Diploma in Journalism. She studied poetry with Bill Manhire ...
(2006–07), Michele Leggott (2008–09), Cilla McQueen (2009–11), Ian Wedde (2011–13), Vincent O'Sullivan (2013–15), C. K. Stead (2015–2017), Selina Tusitala Marsh (2017-2019), and David Eggleton (2019-2021).
Nigeria
Poets Laureate ofNigeria
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.
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, and the poets worked according to the requests and needs of Kim Jong-il. Some of the poets are Jang Jin-sung
Jang Jin-sung ( ko, 장진성; born c. 1970–1971) is the pseudonym of a North Korean poet and government official who defected to South Korea. He had worked as a psychological warfare officer within the United Front Department of the Korean Wor ...
(pseudonym), Kim Man-young and Shin Byung-gang.
Saint Lucia
Poets Laureate of Saint Lucia include: Derek Walcott.
Serbia
* Matija Bećković * Charles Simić * Slobodan Selenić *Jovan Dučić
Jovan Dučić ( sr-cyr, Јован Дучић, ; 17 February 1871 – 7 April 1943) was a Herzegovinian Serb poet-diplomat and academic.
He is one of the most influential Serbian lyricists and modernist poets. Dučić published his first collec ...
Sierra Leone
Poets laureate ofSierra 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 , Sierr ...
include the Italian authors Roberto Malini and Dario Picciau.
Somalia
Poets laureate of Somalia include: Hadraawi.
Turkey
Mehmet Akif Ersoy 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
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 minstrel
A minstrel was an entertainer, initially in medieval Europe. It originally described any type of entertainer such as a musician, juggler, acrobat, singer or fool; later, from the sixteenth century, it came to mean a specialist entertainer ...
s and versifiers were members of the king's retinue. Richard Cœur-de-Lion had a ''versificator regis
The British Poet Laureate is an honorary position appointed by the monarch of the United Kingdom, currently on the advice of the prime minister. The role does not entail any specific duties, but there is an expectation that the holder will write ...
'' (English: ''king's poet''), Gulielmus Peregrinus
Gulielmus Peregrinus ( fl. c. 1190 – 1207), also known as Gulielmus de Canno or William the Pilgrim, was an English epic poet and versificator regis ("king's poet") to Kings Richard I and John
John is a common English name and surname:
...
(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'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 ...
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 (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, Robert Whittington, Richard Edwards and Samuel Daniel as "volunteer Laureates".
John Skelton 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. The title of ''laureate'' was also conferred on him by the University of Louvain in 1492 and by the University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world's third oldest surviving university and one of its most pr ...
in 1492–3. He soon became famous for his rhetoric, 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 of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transla ...
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
* James ...
William Caxton, who wrote, in the preface to ( Modern English: ''The Book of the Aeneid
The ''Aeneid'' ( ; la, Aenē̆is or ) is a Latin epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who fled the fall of Troy and travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of th ...
, 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: th ...
'') (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 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.
The royal office Poet Laureate was officially conferred by letters patent on 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, after Davenant's death, and the post became a regular institution. Dryden's successor Shadwell
Shadwell is a district of East London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets , east of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the Thames between Wapping (to the west) and Ratcliff (to the east). This riverside location has mea ...
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
Robert Southey ( or ; 12 August 1774 – 21 March 1843) was an English poet of the Romantic school, and Poet Laureate from 1813 until his death. Like the other Lake Poets, William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Southey began as a ra ...
, 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
Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of his ...
. 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 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.
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 ...
condemned the position's artificial approach to poetry:
The salary has varied, but traditionally includes some alcohol. 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 ...
first received a pension of 100 marks, 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
Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of his ...
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 c ...
's department, and £27 from the Lord Steward
The Lord Steward or Lord Steward of the Household is an official of the Royal Household in England. He is always a peer. Until 1924, he was always a member of the Government. Until 1782, the office was one of considerable political importance a ...
'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
Dame Carol Ann Duffy (born 23 December 1955) is a Scottish poet and playwright. She is a professor of contemporary poetry at Manchester Metropolitan University, and was appointed Poet Laureate in May 2009, resigning in 2019. She was the first ...
's ten-year tenure.
There are other, non-official, laureate titles, such as the commercially sponsored "Children's Laureate
Children's Laureate, now known as the 'Waterstones Children's Laureate' is a prestigious position awarded in the United Kingdom once every two years to a "writer or illustrator of children's books to celebrate outstanding achievement in their fie ...
" 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 makars and poetry. In 2004 the Scottish Parliament 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
Liz Lochhead Hon FRSE (born 26 December 1947) is a Scottish poet, playwright, translator and broadcaster. Between 2011 and 2016 she was the Makar, or National Poet of Scotland, and served as Poet Laureate for Glasgow between 2005 and 2011.
E ...
.
Kathleen Jamie
Kathleen Jamie FRSL (born 13 May 1962) is a Scottish poet and essayist. In 2021 she became Scotland's fourth Makar.
Life and work
Kathleen Jamie is a poet and essayist. Raised in Currie, near Edinburgh, she studied philosophy at the University ...
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 ofNational Poet for Wales
The post of National Poet of Wales ( cy, Bardd Cenedlaethol Cymru) was established in May 2005 by Academi – the Welsh National Literature Promotion Agency and Society for Writers. The current holder of the position is Hanan Issa, who was appoi ...
was established in April 2005. The first holder, Gwyneth Lewis
Gwyneth Denver Davies (born 1959), known professionally as Gwyneth Lewis, is a Welsh poet, who was the inaugural National Poet of Wales in 2005. She wrote the text that appears over the Wales Millennium Centre.
Biography
Gwyneth Lewis was b ...
, was followed by Gwyn Thomas.
United States
The United States 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 ...
appointed a Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 1937 to 1984. An Act of Congress changed the name in 1985 to '' Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress''.
Poets laureate receive a US$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 reduct ...
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
Ada may refer to:
Places
Africa
* Ada Foah, a town in Ghana
* Ada (Ghana parliament constituency)
* Ada, Osun, a town in Nigeria
Asia
* Ada, Urmia, a village in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran
* Ada, Karaman, a village in Karaman Province, Tu ...
is the current poet laureate. Previous poets laureate include Joy Harjo, Tracy K. Smith (two terms), Juan Felipe Herrera
Juan Felipe Herrera (born in December 27, 1948) is an American poet, performer, writer, cartoonist, teacher, and activist. Herrera was the 21st United States Poet Laureate from 2015 to 2017.
Herrera's experiences as the child of migrant farmers ...
, Philip Levine, W. S. Merwin
William Stanley Merwin (September 30, 1927 – March 15, 2019) was an American poet who wrote more than fifty books of poetry and prose, and produced many works in translation. During the 1960s anti-war movement, Merwin's unique craft was thema ...
, Kay Ryan
Kay Ryan (born September 21, 1945) is an American poet and educator. She has published seven volumes of poetry and an anthology of selected and new poems. From 2008 to 2010 she was the sixteenth United States Poet Laureate. In 2011 she was named ...
, Charles Simic
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' ...
, Ted Kooser
Theodore J. Kooser (born 25 April 1939) is an American poet. He won the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry in 2005. He served as Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004 to 2006. Kooser was one of the first poets laureate selec ...
, Louise Glück, Billy Collins
William James Collins (born March 22, 1941) is an American poet, appointed as Poet Laureate of the United States from 2001 to 2003. He is a Distinguished Professor at Lehman College of the City University of New York (retired, 2016). Collins ...
, Rita Dove
Rita Frances Dove (born August 28, 1952) is an American poet and essayist. From 1993 to 1995, she served as Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress. She is the first African American to have been appointed since the positi ...
, Elizabeth Bishop
Elizabeth Bishop (February 8, 1911 – October 6, 1979) was an 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 National Book Awar ...
, Robert Frost, Karl Shapiro, Allen Tate
John Orley Allen Tate (November 19, 1899 – February 9, 1979), known professionally as Allen Tate, was an American poet, essayist, social commentator, and poet laureate from 1943 to 1944.
Life
Early years
Tate was born near Winchester, ...
, 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
Richard Purdy Wilbur (March 1, 1921 – October 14, 2017) was an American poet and literary translator. One of the foremost poets of his generation, Wilbur's work, composed primarily in traditional forms, was marked by its wit, charm, and gentle ...
, Joseph Brodsky, Stanley Kunitz
Stanley Jasspon Kunitz (; July 29, 1905May 14, 2006) was an American poet. He was appointed Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress twice, first in 1974 and then again in 2000.
Biography
Kunitz was born in Worcester, Massach ...
, Robert Hass
Robert L. Hass (born March 1, 1941) is an American poet. He served as Poet Laureate of the United States from 1995 to 1997. He won the 2007 National Book Award and shared the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for the collection ''Time and Materials: Poems 1997 ...
, Donald Hall
Donald Andrew Hall Jr. (September 20, 1928 – June 23, 2018) was an American poet, writer, editor and literary critic. He was the author of over 50 books across several genres from children's literature, biography, memoir, essays, and includin ...
, Robert Pinsky
Robert Pinsky (born October 20, 1940) is an American poet, essayist, literary critic, and translator. From 1997 to 2000, he served as Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress. Pinsky is the author of nineteen books, most o ...
(three terms), Mark Strand
Mark Strand (April 11, 1934 – November 29, 2014) was a Canadian-born American poet, essayist and translator. He was appointed Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1990 and received the Wallace Stevens Award in 2004 ...
, Audre Lorde
Audre Lorde (; born Audrey Geraldine Lorde; February 18, 1934 – November 17, 1992) was an American writer, womanist, radical feminist, professor, and civil rights activist. She was a self-described "black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet," wh ...
, and Maxine Kumin
Maxine Kumin (June 6, 1925 – February 6, 2014) was an American poet and author. She was appointed Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1981–1982.
Biography Early years
Maxine Kumin was born Maxine Winokur on June ...
.
Amanda Gorman
Amanda S. C. Gorman (born March 7, 1998) is an American poet and activist. Her work focuses on issues of oppression, feminism, race, and marginalization, as well as the African diaspora. Gorman was the first person to be named National Youth P ...
was the United States's first National Youth Poet Laureate
The National Youth Poet Laureate is a title held in the United States by a young person who demonstrates skill in the arts, particularly poetry and/or spoken word, is a strong leader, is committed to social justice, and is active in civic discours ...
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, theDistrict 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
Marion Shepilov Barry (born Marion Barry Jr.; March 6, 1936 – November 23, 2014) was an American politician who served as the second and fourth mayor of the District of Columbia from 1979 to 1991 and 1995 to 1999. A Democrat, Barry had served ...
.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
Sterling Allen Brown (May 1, 1901 – January 13, 1989) was an American professor, folklorist, poet, and literary critic. He chiefly studied black culture of the Southern United States and was a professor at Howard University for most of his caree ...
was appointed by Mayor Marion Barry
Marion Shepilov Barry (born Marion Barry Jr.; March 6, 1936 – November 23, 2014) was an American politician who served as the second and fourth mayor of the District of Columbia from 1979 to 1991 and 1995 to 1999. A Democrat, Barry had served ...
, 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, serving from 1999 until her death in 2017.
Alabama
The office of Poet Laureate of Alabama was created forSamuel Minturn Peck
Samuel Minturn Peck (November 4, 1854 – May 3, 1938) was an American poet, named first poet laureate of the state of Alabama.
Biography
Samuel Minturn Peck was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on November 4, 1854, the youngest of nine children ...
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, Sue Walker, and Andrew Glaze.
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 CongressU.S. State Poets Laureate: Alaska
. Retrieved 31 January 2014. The position is selected by the Alaska State Council on the Arts.
Arizona
The state ofArizona
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
Alberto Álvaro Ríos (born September 18, 1952) is a US academic and writer who is the author of ten books and chapbooks of poetry, three collections of short stories, and a memoir.
Rios was named Arizona's first state poet laureate in August 20 ...
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 state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
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 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
Juan Felipe Herrera (born in December 27, 1948) is an American poet, performer, writer, cartoonist, teacher, and activist. Herrera was the 21st United States Poet Laureate from 2015 to 2017.
Herrera's experiences as the child of migrant farmers ...
was appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown in March 2012. The position is currently vacant. It was last held by Dana Gioia
Michael Dana Gioia (; born December 24, 1950) is an American poet, literary critic, literary translator, and essayist.
Since the early 1980s, Gioia has been considered part of the literary movements within American poetry known as New Forma ...
from 2015 to 2018.
=Counties
= *Kern County
Kern County is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 909,235. Its county seat is Bakersfield.
Kern County comprises the Bakersfield, California, Metropolitan statistical area. The county sp ...
's first poet laureate was chosen in 2016: Don Thompson.
* Lake County's first poet laureate, Jim Lyle, was chosen in 1998.
* Marin County's first Poet Laureate was appointed in 2008: Albert Flynn DeSilver
*Napa County
Napa County () is a county north of San Pablo Bay located in the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 138,019. The county seat is the City of Napa. Napa County was one of the original c ...
'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 in 2019.
* Santa Clara County appointed its first Poet Laureate in 2009: Nils Peterson
=Cities
=
* Albany chose its first poet laureate, Christina Hutchins, in 2008.
* Anaheim selected its first poet laureate, Grant Hier, in 2018.
* Benicia appointed its first poet laureate in 2006, Joel Fallon. He was followed by Robert Shelby, Ronna Leon, Lois Requist, Don Peery, Johanna Ely, Tom Stanton, and Mary Susan Gast.
* Berkeley selected its first Poet Laureate in 2017: Rafael Jesús González Before this, in 2004, Julia Vinograd had been recognised officially as Berkeley's unofficial poet laureate.
* Cupertino's first Poet Laureate, Dave Denny, was selected in 2010.
* El Cerrito selected its first poet laureate, Maw Shein Win
Maw Shein Win is a Burmese American poet who lives and teaches in the San Francisco Bay Area. She served as the inaugural Poet laureate
A poet laureate (plural: poets laureate) is a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring instit ...
in summer 2016.
* Fairfield's first poet laureate was Juanita J. Martin. She was succeeded by Bonnie DiMichele and Suzanne Bruce.
*East Palo Alto
East Palo Alto (abbreviated E.P.A.) is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of East Palo Alto was 30,034. It is situated on the San Francisco Peninsula, roughly halfway between the cities of ...
's Poet Laureate is Kalamu Chaché.
* Fresno
Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, maki ...
selected James Tyner as its first poet laureate in 2013.
* Livermore's first poet laureate was Connie Post.
* Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
selected its first poet laureate, Eloise Klein Healy, in December 2012.
* Richmond's poet laureate program began in 2004 with three laureates: Brenda Quintanilla (student), Donte Clark (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 and Viola Weinberg, who served two years beginning in 2000.
*San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " 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 fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
's first poet laureate, Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Lawrence Monsanto Ferlinghetti (March 24, 1919 – February 22, 2021) was an American poet, painter, social activist, and co-founder of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers. The author of poetry, translations, fiction, theatre, art criticism, an ...
, was selected in 1998. He was followed by Janice Mirikitani
Janice Mirikitani (February 5, 1941 – July 29, 2021) was a Japanese–American poet and activist who resided in the San Francisco Bay Area for most of her adult life. She managed the Glide Memorial Church with her husband, Cecil Williams. Sh ...
, Devorah Major
Devorah Major is an American writer, editor, recording artist, and professor. She has won awards in poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction and is San Francisco's third Poet Laureate.
Biography
Major graduated from San Francisco State Unive ...
, Jack Hirschman
Jack Hirschman (December 13, 1933 – August 22, 2021) was an American poet and social activist who wrote more than 100 volumes of poetry and essays.
Biography
Hirschman was born in New York City to a Russian Jewish family. He received a B.A. ...
, Diane di Prima
Diane di Prima (August 6, 1934October 25, 2020) was an American poet, known for her association with the Beat movement. She was also an artist, prose writer, and teacher. Her magnum opus is widely considered to be ''Loba'', a collection of poems ...
, Alejandro Murguía, and Kim Shuck. The current poet laureate is Tongo Eisen-Martin.
* Santa Barbara's first poet laureate was Barry Spacks, appointed in 2005. He was followed by Perie Longo, David Starkey, Paul Willis, Chryss Yost, Sojourner Kincaid Rolle, Enid Osborn, and Laure-Anne Bosselaar
Laure-Anne Bosselaar is a Belgian-American poet, translator, professor, and former poet laureate of Santa Barbara, California. She is the author of four collections of poetry, most recently, ''These Many Rooms'' (Four Way Books, 2019). Her collec ...
. The current poet laureate is Emma Trelles.
* Vallejo's first poet laureate was Genea Brice
Dr. Genea Brice is an American poet. She was the first Poet Laureate of Vallejo, California.
Biography
Genea S. Brice was born in Oakland, California and raised in Vallejo, California. She is a graduate of Hogan Senior High School in Vallejo. S ...
appointed in 2015, followed by D.L. Lang in 2017, and Jeremy Snyder 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, Mary Crow
Mary Crow is an American poet, translator, and professor who served as the poet laureate of Colorado for 14 years. She is the author of three collections of poetry, three chapbooks and five translations.
She has been awarded many honors and prizes ...
, David Mason and Bobby LeFebre
Bobby LeFebre (born 1982) is a poet, performer, and cultural worker. He is the current poet laureate for the state of Colorado. He is the state's youngest and first poet laureate of color.
Biography
LeFebre is a native of Denver and attended Nor ...
. The State of Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, 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 wes ...
also appointed singer/songwriter writer John Denver in 1974.
=Cities
= * Chris Ransick served as poet laureate of Denver 2006 to 2010. *Janice Gould
Janice Gould (1949—2019) was a Koyangk'auwi (Konkow, Concow) Maidu writer and scholar. She was the author of ''Beneath My Heart'', ''Earthquake Weather'' and co-editor with Dean Rader of ''Speak to Me Words: Essays on Contemporary American ...
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. 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 includeLeo 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
Marilyn Nelson (born April 26, 1946) is an American poet, translator, and children's book author. She is a professor emeritus at the University of Connecticut, and the former poet laureate of Connecticut, She is a winner of the Ruth Lilly Poetr ...
, John Hollander, Dick Allen
Richard Anthony Allen (March 8, 1942 – December 7, 2020) was an American professional baseball player. During his fifteen-year-long Major League Baseball (MLB) career, he played as a first baseman, third baseman, and outfielder, most notably ...
, Margaret Gibson. Antoinette Brim-Bell 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 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 ...
, they are the first co-laureates appointed by a state and the first siblings to share the position. Predecessors include Fleda Brown and JoAnn Balingit.
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, appointed in 1929 and died soon after assuming office. Vivian Yeiser Laramore, 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 timeOctober 24, 2013 Time Peter Meinke currently holds this position and was appointed on June 15, 2015.
Georgia
Frank Lebby Stanton served from 1925 to 1927 as Georgia's first poet laureate. Successors include Ernest Neal, Conrad Aiken, David Bottoms, Judson Mitcham, and Chelsea Rathburn.Hawaii
Prior to statehood Don Blanding, originally from Oklahoma, was unofficially referred to as the poet laureate of Hawaii. In 1951 Hawaii Territoral Senator Thelma Akana Harrison in concurrent resolution 28, declared Lloyd Stone, who was originally from California, poet laureate. When the modern program was established, Native Hawaiian Kealoha (poet), 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 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, in 1936, followed by Carl Sandburg (1962–1967), and Gwendolyn Brooks (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 2008Iowa
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 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 appointed in April 2021. Predecessors include Ava Leavell Haymon, Julie Kane, Peter Cooley, and John Warner Smith.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, Baron Wormser, and Betsy Sholl.Maryland
The current Poet Laureate of Maryland is Grace Cavalieri.=Cities
= *The city of Takoma Park, Maryland, Takoma Park 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 was appointed the first poet laureate of Arlington in 2015
*Sam Cornish 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.
*Martin Espada was the first poet laureate of Northampton in 2003. Successors include Janet Aalfs and Patrick Donnelly (poet), 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. Tim Pawlenty, Pawlenty reversed his opposition and signed Section 4, Chapter 148 of the Minnesota Session Laws 2007, establishing the state poet laureate. Robert Bly was appointed the first Minnesota poet laureate on February 27, 2008, succeeded on August 23, 2011 by Joyce Sutphen. Dr. Gwen Westerman was appointed as the third Minnesota poet laureate on September 9, 2021 by Governor Tim 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, Richard Eberhart, Patricia Fargnoli, Cynthia Huntington, and Jane Kenyon.New Jersey
New Jersey had a poet laureate program until from 2000 to 2003, appointing poet Gerald Stern followed by Amiri Baraka. The position was eliminated in 2003.New Mexico
In 2020 New Mexico appointed its first poet laureate, Levi Romero.=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 was appointed the first poet laureate of Santa Fe in 2006. Valerie Martínez 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, Billy Collins
William James Collins (born March 22, 1941) is an American poet, appointed as Poet Laureate of the United States from 2001 to 2003. He is a Distinguished Professor at Lehman College of the City University of New York (retired, 2016). Collins ...
, Jane Cooper, Robert Creeley, Richard Howard, Marie Howe, Stanley Kunitz
Stanley Jasspon Kunitz (; July 29, 1905May 14, 2006) was an American poet. He was appointed Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress twice, first in 1974 and then again in 2000.
Biography
Kunitz was born in Worcester, Massach ...
, Audre Lorde
Audre Lorde (; born Audrey Geraldine Lorde; February 18, 1934 – November 17, 1992) was an American writer, womanist, radical feminist, professor, and civil rights activist. She was a self-described "black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet," wh ...
, 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 of New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo also named Joseph Tusiani Poet Laureate Emeritus. In 2004, Ishle Yi Park became first female and the first Koreans in New York City, Korean American poet laureate of the boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Koreatown, Queens, Queens.
North Carolina
The 1935 North Carolina General Assembly, General Assembly created the office of state poet laureate and empowers the Governor to appoint a North Carolina Poet Laureate. Jaki Shelton Green 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 created the position of Poet Laureate in 2014. Dr. Amit Majmudar 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 is the current Poet Laureate of Ohio. Her term began on June 10, 2020.Oklahoma
The state of Oklahoma named Violet McDougal its first Poets Laureate of Oklahoma, poet laureate in 1923. Joe Kreger who first served from 1998 to 2001 has received a second term as Oklahoma's poet laureate from 2021 to 2022.
=Cities
= * Norman, Oklahoma 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 was established in 1923, appointing Edwin Markham as the first poet laureate. Anis Mojgani was appointed to the position in 2020.Pennsylvania
Samuel John Hazo 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, Pennsylvania, Bucks County named Nicole Steinberg first poet laureate in 2021. * Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Lancaster County's Lancaster Literary Guild named Barbara Buckman Strasko the first poet laureate of the county.= Cities
= * Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Harrisburg named Rick Kearns poet laureate in 2014. * Philadelphia named Airea D. Matthews poet laureate of the city in 2022. Her predecessors include: Trapeta Mayson, Raquel Salas Rivera, Sonia Sanchez, Frank Sherlock, and Yolanda WisherRhode 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 Frank G. Clement, Frank Clement, was the first Tennessean given the title of State Poet Laureate, in the 1970s. Margaret Britton Vaughn is the current Poet Laureate, she is serving her lifetime appointment since 1999.Texas
The state of Texas established a Poet Laureate in 1932 (Poets Laureate of Texas, historical list of Texas poets laureate). The term as of 2016 is one year.
=Cities
= *In April 2012, San Antonio became the first Texas city to appoint a Poet LaureateCarmen Tafolla
The San Antonio Poet Laureate serves a two-year term. Laurie Ann Guerrero was appointed on April 1, 2014.
Utah
The state of Utah has appointed a Poet Laureate since 1997. The first was David Lee (poet), 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, appointed May 3, 2012, by Governor Gary Herbert, and Paisley Rekdal, appointed by Governor Gary Herbert in May 2017. The current Poet Laureate in Utah is Lisa Bickmore appointed in April 2022.Vermont
Robert Frost 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 in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1923. The current Poet Laureate is Luisa A. Igloria.Washington
The State of 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 (poet), 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, 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 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
* [http://www.winonadailynews.com/news/article_f1f6ef90-bad8-11de-9472-001cc4c002e0.html Poet Laureate of Winona, Minnesota (2009 -)] Positions within the British Royal Household Poets laureate, Poets