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 Martha's Vineyard. Martha's Vineyard plays host to a strong and vibrant community of poets and clusters of poetry groups. Besides the resident year-round poets, the island enjoys seasonal presentations by many renowned poets, including United States Poets Laureate. The position of MV Poet Laureate was presented to the public by the 431-member Martha's Vineyard Poetry Society in July 2012. Prior to this, there never was a designated Martha's Vineyard Poet Laureate throughout the island's history. To accomplish the task of designating the island's first MV Poet Laureate, the Martha's Vineyard Poetry Society's founder, William Waterway, created a double-blind election process