Poet laureate and Wordsworth died. Edward Gibbon condemned the position's artificial approach to poetry: The salary has varied, but traditionally includes some alcohol. Ben Jonson first received a pension of 100 marks, and later an annual "terse of Canary wine". Dryden had a pension of £300 and a butt of Canary wine. Pye received £27 instead of the wine. Tennyson drew £72 a year from the Lord Chamberlain's department, and £27 from the Lord Steward's "in lieu of the butt of sack". The current annual salary is £5,750. The present laureate is Carol Ann Duffy, appointed in May 2009. The United Kingdom
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