List of Poets Laureate of Britain

The title of poet laureate was first granted in England in the 17th century for poetic excellence. The post has become free of specific poetic duties, but its holder remains a salaried member of the British royal household. The office’s title traces its roots to an ancient Greek and Roman tradition of honoring achievement with a crown of laurel, a tree sacred to the god Apollo, who was patron of poets. The tradition of a...