United States Poet Laureate

For Poets Laureate of individual states, see List of U.S. states' Poets Laureate.

The Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress—commonly referred to as the United States Poet Laureate—serves as the nation's official poet. During his or her term, the Poet Laureate seeks to raise the national consciousness to a greater appreciation of the reading and writing of poetry. The position was modeled on the Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom. Formerly known as the Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress, the present title was devised and authorized by an Act of Congress in 1985.

Overview

The Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry is appointed annually by the Librarian of the United States Congress and serves from October to May. In making the appointment, the Librarian consults with former appointees, the current laureate and other distinguished personalities in the field.

Currently, the laureate receives a $35,000 annual stipend; it was originally funded by a gift from Archer M. Huntington. On October 3, 1985, the U.S. Congress passed legislation, authored by Senator Spark M. Matsunaga of Hawaii, to change the title of the position to Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry. The Library keeps to a minimum the specific duties in order to afford incumbents maximum freedom to work on their own projects while at the Library. The laureate gives an annual lecture and reading of his or her poetry and usually introduces poets in the Library's poetry series, the oldest in the Washington area and among the oldest in the United States. This annual series of public poetry and fiction readings, lectures, symposia, and occasional dramatic performances began in the 1940s. Collectively the Laureates have brought more than 2,000 poets and authors to the Library to read for the Archive of Recorded Poetry and Literature.

Each consultant has brought a different emphasis to the position. Maxine Kumin started a popular series of poetry workshops for women at the Library of Congress. Gwendolyn Brooks met with elementary school students to encourage them to write poetry. Joseph Brodsky initiated the idea of providing poetry in airports, supermarkets and hotel rooms. Rita Dove, considered the first activist poet laureate, brought together writers to explore the African diaspora through the eyes of its artists, championed children's poetry and jazz with poetry events and read at the White House during Bill Clinton's first state dinner. Robert Hass organized a "Watershed" conference that brought together noted novelists, poets and storytellers to talk about writing, nature and community, and co-founded the River of Words K–12 international children's poetry and art contest. Robert Pinsky initiated the Favorite Poem Project.

Lists of appointees

Consultants in Poetry

Each year links to its corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:

• 1937–1941: Joseph Auslander
• 1943–1944: Allen Tate
• 1944–1945: Robert Penn Warren
• 1945–1946: Louise Bogan
• 1946–1947: Karl Shapiro
• 1947–1948: Robert Lowell
• 1948–1949: Léonie Adams
• 1949–1950: Elizabeth Bishop
• 1950–1952: Conrad Aiken
• 1952: William Carlos Williams

• 1956–1958: Randall Jarrell
• 1958–1959: Robert Frost
• 1959–1961: Richard Eberhart
• 1961–1963: Louis Untermeyer
• 1963–1964: Howard Nemerov
• 1964–1965: Reed Whittemore
• 1965–1966: Stephen Spender
• 1966–1968: James Dickey
• 1968–1970: William Jay Smith
• 1970–1971: William Stafford

• 1971–1973: Josephine Jacobsen
• 1973–1974: Daniel Hoffman
• 1974–1976: Stanley Kunitz
• 1976–1978: Robert Hayden
• 1978–1980: William Meredith
• 1981–1982: Maxine Kumin
• 1982–1984: Anthony Hecht
• 1984–1985: Reed Whittemore (interim)
• 1984–1985: Robert Fitzgerald
• 1985–1986: Gwendolyn Brooks

Poet Laureate Consultants in Poetry

Each year links to its corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:

• 1986–1987: Robert Penn Warren
• 1987–1988: Richard Wilbur
• 1988–1990: Howard Nemerov
• 1990–1991: Mark Strand
• 1991–1992: Joseph Brodsky
• 1992–1993: Mona Van Duyn

• 1993–1995: Rita Dove
• 1995–1997: Robert Hass
• 1997–2000: Robert Pinsky
• 2000–2001: Stanley Kunitz
• 2001–2003: Billy Collins
• 2003–2004: Louise Glück

• 2004–2006: Ted Kooser
• 2006–2007: Donald Hall
• 2007–2008: Charles Simic
• 2008–2010: Kay Ryan
• 2010–2011: W. S. Merwin
• 2011–2012: Philip Levine
• 2012–present: Natasha Trethewey (announced)

Special Consultants in Poetry

1999–2000 (for Library of Congress' 200th Anniversary) Rita Dove, Louise Glück and W. S. Merwin

See also

• American poetry
• List of poetry awards
• List of literature awards
• List of years in poetry
• List of years in literature

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Library of Congress.

• "About the Position of Poet Laureate". Library of Congress. 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-19. 
• "Poet Laureate Timeline: 1953 – 1960". Library of Congress. 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-19. 

External links

• "What Do Poets Laureate Do?" Library of Congress blog post
• Poetry webpage at the Library of Congress
• Map: US Poets Laureate / Consultants in Poetry (location at time of appointment)
• Readings by U.S. Poets Laureate at the Key West Literary Seminar: Richard Wilbur (2003) (1993); Charles Simic (2003); Billy Collins (2003)