Poet laureate the post became a regular institution. Dryden's successor Shadwell originated annual birthday and New Year odes. The poet laureate became responsible for writing and presenting official verses to commemorate both personal occasions, such as the monarch's birthday or royal births and marriages, and public occasions, such as coronations and military victories. His activity in this respect varied according to circumstances, and the custom ceased to be obligatory after Pye's death. The office fell into some contempt before Robert Southey, but took on a new lustre from his personal distinction and that of successors Wordsworth and Tennyson. Wordsworth stipulated before accepting
Poet Laureate of New Jersey the state's right to remove him. On October 2, Baraka posting a defiant statement on his website stating in capital letters "I WILL NOT 'APOLOGIZE', I WILL NOT 'RESIGN!'" McGreevey and state officials learned that there was no legal way to remove Baraka in the law authorizing and defining the position. However, the city of Newark supported Baraka and his work, and responded to the attempts to remove him as poet laureate by appointing him to be the poet laureate of the Newark Public Schools in December 2002. On October 17, 2002, legislation was introduced in the General Assembly to