Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom The British Poet Laureate is an honorary position appointed by the monarch of the United Kingdom on the advice of the Prime Minister. The role does not entail any specific duties, but there is an expectation that the holder will write verse for significant national occasions. The origins of the laureateship date back to 1616 when a pension was provided to Ben Jonson, but the first official holder of the position was John Dryden, appointed in 1668 by Charles II. On the death of Alfred, Lord Tennyson, who held the post between November 1850
Martha's Vineyard Poet Laureate with: Michael Ryan; AI; Single Summer Resident at Warren Wilson College MFA Program for Writers. The Martha's Vineyard Poet Laureate is a two-year term position. The MV Poet Laureate is responsible for promoting poetry and educating the public about the merits of the high-art form of poetry. This effort includes outreach poetry programs through schools; senior centers; social institutions; churches; media; writers groups; memorials, and appropriate political gatherings on and off the island of Martha's Vineyard. Arnie Reisman was selected in September 2014 as the island's second MV Poet Laureate. Reisman is an award-winning writer, producer and performer, who is