|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries: |
Research categories | Follow us on Twitter |
Research categories
View all topics in the newsView all reference sources at Encyclopedia.com |
|||
poet laureate
poet laureate , title conferred in Britain by the monarch on a poet whose duty it is to write commemorative odes and verse. It is an outgrowth of the medieval English custom of having versifiers and minstrels in the king's retinue, and of the later royal patronage of poets, such as Chaucer and Spenser . Ben Jonson seems to have had what amounted to the laureateship from Charles I in 1617, but the present title, adopted from the Greek and Roman custom of crowning with a wreath of laurel, was first given to John Dryden in 1670.
|
|
|
Cite this article
"poet laureate." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "poet laureate." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-poetlaur.html "poet laureate." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-poetlaur.html |
|
Poet Laureate
POET LAUREATEPOET LAUREATE, a position created in 1937 for the purpose of raising Americans' consciousness of and appreciation for the reading and writing of poetry. The librarian of Congress, in consultation with poetry experts and critics, appoints the poet laureate for a one-year term. Serving from October to May, the poet laureate receives a stipend of $35,000 funded by a gift trust. Although the appointee is encouraged to pursue his or her own projects while in residence at the Library of Congress, the laureate's duties also include giving a lecture and a poetry reading. The poet laureate also customarily introduces participants in the library's annual poetry series, which dates back to the 1940s. In addition, those holding the position often use the forum to bring their own artistic and educational concerns to the fore. Joseph Auslander served as the nation's first poet laureate; other notable laureates have included Allen Tate, Robert Penn Warren, Elizabeth Bishop, Robert Frost, James Dickey, Richard Wilbur, and Robert Pinsky. BIBLIOGRAPHYMcGuire, William. Poetry's Catbird Seat: The Consultantship in Poetry in the English Language at the Library of Congress, 1937–1987. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1988. Barbara SchwarzWachal See alsoLibrary of Congress ; Literature . |
|
|
Cite this article
"Poet Laureate." Dictionary of American History. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Poet Laureate." Dictionary of American History. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3401803299.html "Poet Laureate." Dictionary of American History. 2003. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3401803299.html |
|
poet laureate
poet laureate. James I awarded Ben Jonson a pension in 1616 and he and Sir William Davenant (1637) were widely recognized as laureates. But the first court appointment of a laureate was in 1668 when Charles II chose Dryden. In the 18th cent. the laureate was expected to produce birthday odes and wedding verses. Among the more distinguished laureates were Wordsworth (1843) and Tennyson (1850); less distinguished were Whitehead (1757), Pye (1790), and Alfred Austin (1896). The present poet laureate is Andrew Motion.
J. A. Cannon |
|
|
Cite this article
JOHN CANNON. "poet laureate." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN CANNON. "poet laureate." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-poetlaureate.html JOHN CANNON. "poet laureate." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-poetlaureate.html |
|
poet laureate
po·et lau·re·ate / ˈlôrēət/ • n. (pl. po·ets lau·re·ate) an eminent poet traditionally appointed for life as a member of the British royal household. ∎ a poet appointed to, or regarded unofficially as holding, an honorary representative position in a particular country, region, or group: the New York State poet laureate the poet laureate of young America. |
|
|
Cite this article
"poet laureate." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "poet laureate." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-poetlaureate.html "poet laureate." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-poetlaureate.html |
|
Poet Laureate
Poet Laureate an eminent poet appointed as a member of the British royal household. The first Poet Laureate in the modern sense was Ben Jonson, but the title became established with the appointment of John Dryden in 1668. The Poet Laureate was formerly expected to write poems for state occasions, but since Victorian times the post has carried no specific duties.
|
|
|
Cite this article
ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Poet Laureate." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Poet Laureate." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-PoetLaureate.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Poet Laureate." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-PoetLaureate.html |
|
Poet Laureate
Poet Laureate, salaried post authorized by the U.S. Senate in 1985 as an adjunct to the Consultant for Poetry in the Library of Congress. No ceremonial verse is required. Honorees include R.P. Warren (1986), Richard Wilbur (1987), Howard Nemerov (1988), Mark Strand (1990), Joseph Brodsky (1991), Mona Van Duyn (1992), and Rita Dove (1993).
|
|
|
Cite this article
James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Poet Laureate." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Poet Laureate." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-PoetLaureate.html James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Poet Laureate." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-PoetLaureate.html |
|
poet laureate
poet laureate, the title given to a poet who receives a stipend as an officer of the Royal Household, his duty (no longer enforced) being to write court- odes, etc. For a list of poets laureate see Appendix. See also E. K. Broadus, The Laureateship (1921).
|
|
|
Cite this article
MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "poet laureate." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "poet laureate." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-poetlaureate.html MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "poet laureate." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-poetlaureate.html |
|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries:
HighBeam™ Research, Inc. © Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
The Encyclopedia.com advertising network includes:
