what is poet laureate?

Answer 1

The official poet of a country. In England has traditionally been appointed by the Queen, with a lifetime tenure. The poet laureate typically has a few official duties, such as writing a poem to mark certain occasions. In some form or another the position in England has existed for hundreds of years, with many famous poets having served as laureate.

The US only recently named an official "poet laureate" (Although they had a similar position with a different name for awhile longer than that). The US poet laureate is appointed by the Library of Congress and changes yearly. His or her duties include giving a series of lectures.

Mostly it is an honorary position, and the poet continues writing as he or she did before.

Note re below: Many countries other than the UK have had poet laureates known as such. For instance, Petrarch was Poet Laureate in Rome in 1341. Here is information about the US Poet Laureate (which began to be called Poet Laureate only in 1986). The current Poet Laureate of the US is Donald Hall.

http://www.loc.gov/poetry/about_laureate.html

Answer 2

I think the term Poet Laureate is, in fact, used only in the UK. He is appointed by the Queen, is a member of the Royal Household and has to write a poem on special occasions like significant Royal birthdays, births, weddings, deaths etc. They are usually complete drivel. the current laureate is Andrew Motion, his predecessors being Ted Hughes and Sir John Betjeman (the most popular choice for a long, long time). A full list can be seen here:-
http://www.pubquizhelp.34sp.com/art/laureate.html.

I think he gets about £5 a year and a barrel of wine for the privilege of bearing the title.

Answer 3

poet laureate
–noun, plural poets laureate.

1. (in Great Britain) a poet appointed for life as an officer of the royal household, formerly expected to write poems in celebration of court and national events.

2. a poet recognized or acclaimed as the most eminent or representative of a country or locality.

3. (formerly) a poet whose efforts were officially recognized, as by a sovereign, university, etc.