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
Poet Laureate of New Jersey Jews. The previous poet laureate, Gerald Stern, said that he advocated for Baraka's selection because he "thought it was important for the black community to get recognition." "Slate.com" political reporter David Weigel said that McGreevey's selection of Baraka "was a no-brainer—he was a sort of icon, and a major figure within a constituency McGreevey counted on". At a ceremony in August 2002, Baraka warned McGreevey that the decision to appoint him as poet laureate might be a mistake because of his controversial views, saying "You're gonna catch hell for this". After Baraka's death in January 2014, McGreevey said, "I named