| A title conferred by the English monarch on a poet who then has the responsibility of writing commemorative verse for important court or state occasions. The post attracts a nominal salary, and lately has tended to be seen as a nail in the coffin of a previously admired poet. Ted Hughes managed to buck the trend and continued to write excellent poetry right up to his death, particularly Birthday Letters and Tales From Ovid, though his commemorative verse for occasions like the Queen Mother's birthday or the marriage of the Duke and Duchess of York were less well received.
The Poets Laureate of Great Britain have been:
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