A poet laureate is a poet appointed by a government or monarch to receive formal recognition for their work. The position can be traced back to Ancient Greece, and the first English poet laureate was appointed in 1668.
Over the years, the role of poet laureate has evolved, and today it often includes other responsibilities such as acting as an ambassador for poetry and literature. Here’s a look at the history of English poet laureates.
John Dryden (1668–89)
Thomas Shadwell (1689–92)
Nahum Tate (1692–1715)
Nicholas Rowe (1715–18)
Laurence Eusden (1718–30)
Colley Cibber (1730–57)
William Whitehead (1757–85)
Thomas Warton (1785–90)
Henry James Pye (1790–1813)
Robert Southey (1813–43)
William Wordsworth (1843–50)
Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1850–92)
Alfred Austin (1896–1913)
Robert Bridges (1913–30)
John Masefield (1930–67)
Cecil Day-Lewis (1968–72)
Sir John Betjeman (1972–84)
Ted Hughes (1984–98)
Andrew Motion (1999–2009)
Carol Ann Duffy (2009–19)
Simon Armitage (2019– )
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Link will appear as Hanson, Marilee. "Poet Laureate" https://englishhistory.net/poets/poet-laureate/, January 16, 2022