Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom and October 1892, there was a break of four years as a mark of respect; Tennyson's laureate poems "Ode on the Death of the Duke of Wellington" and "The Charge of the Light Brigade" were particularly cherished by the Victorian public. Five poets, Thomas Gray, Samuel Rogers, Walter Scott, Philip Larkin and Seamus Heaney, turned down the laureateship. The holder of the position as of 2018 is Carol Ann Duffy, who was appointed in May 2009 on a fixed ten-year term. The origins of the poet laureateship date back to 1616 when James I of England granted a pension to
Martha's Vineyard Poet Laureate island's first Martha's Vineyard Poet Laureate. Since his election, MV Poet Laureate, Lee, H. McCormack has undertaken several public library poetry gatherings – as well as participating in the Featherstone Center for the Arts evening of "Fall Poetry and Music." Mr. McCormack is also organizing a series of workshops with island poetry groups; libraries; schools; cultural institutions, and council on aging organizations. MV Poet Laureate McCormack read his shark conservation and education poem, entitled, "The Apex", before an audience exceeding 2,000 people at the "Jaws Fest The Tribute", festival in 2012. Lee H. McCormack is a year-round Martha's Vineyard resident