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
South Carolina Poet Laureate given any clear, specific duties. The honorarium of the position was only $ 1,200 by 1984. However, this honorarium was cut by Governor Mark Sanford in 2003 when Wentworth agreed to serve without the pay. Prior to the official creation of the position in 1934, William Gilmore Simms had been often recognized as South Carolina's poet laureate. The following is a list of official South Carolina poets laureate. South Carolina Poet Laureate The South Carolina Poet Laureate is the poet laureate for the US state of South Carolina. The position is currently held by Marjory Heath Wentworth. No term of