Poet Laureate

A Poet Laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government and often expected to compose poems for state occasions and other government events.

Origin of the term

The laurel, in ancient Greece, was sacred to Apollo, and as such was used to form a crown or wreath of honour for poets and heroes; and this usage has been widespread. The word laureate or laureated thus came in English to signify eminent, or associated with glory. Laureate letters were once the despatches announcing a victory. The term laureate became associated with degrees awarded by European universities. The name baccalaureate for the university degree of bachelor involves this idea.

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A royal degree in rhetoric, poet laureate was awarded at English and European universities in the middle ages. The term might also refer to the holder of such a degree, which recognised skill in areas of rhetoric, grammar and language. This might be the academic equivalent of a modern day doctorate of poetry.

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According to Gibbon, Francesco Petrarch (1304-74) of Rome, perhaps best known for his sonnets to the fair-haired, blue-eyed Laura, took the title poet laureate in 1341.

Related Topics:
Gibbon - Francesco Petrarch

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Medieval English kings included versifiers and minstrels in their retinues, and lent their patronage to poets such as Chaucer and Spenser. Academic institutions honoured some such men with the poet laureate degree.

Related Topics:
Chaucer - Spenser

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