WORD FOR THE DAY

Your word for today is: poet laureate, n.

poet laureate, n.

Pronunciation: Brit. /ˌpəʊᵻt ˈlɔːrɪət/, /ˌpəʊᵻt ˈlɒrɪət/,  U.S. /ˈˌpoʊət ˈlɔriᵻt/

Inflections:  Plural  poets laureate,  poet laureates.

Forms: see poet n. and laureate adj.

Etymology: <  poet n. + laureate adj. Compare post-classical Latin poeta laureatus (1486, 1553 in British sources).
 
Originally: an eminent or distinguished poet, thought worthy of the laurel crown of the Muses (later sometimes used as an honorific title conferred by certain universities). In modern use usually (with capital initials): (the title given to) a poet appointed as an officer of the Royal Household, to write poetry for court and national occasions. Also in extended use: a poet with comparable functions elsewhere.

The first Poet Laureate in the modern sense was Ben Jonson, but the title was first officially given to John Dryden in 1668.

[c1395  Chaucer Clerk's Prol. 31 Fraunceys Petrak the laureat poete [c1405 lauriat poete].]

a1456 (1429)  Lydgate Minor Poems (1934) ii. 696 Ovyde..And Fraunceys Petrark, myrour of eloquence, Iohan Bocas also..Þey called weren poetes laureate.

1490   (title) The dylectable newesse..of the gloryous victorye of the Rhodyans agaynst the Turkes. Translated from the Latin of G. Caoursin by Johan Kaye (Poete Lawreate).

c1500 (1449)  Lydgate Isopes Fabules (Trin. Cambr.) 8 in Minor Poems (1934) ii 566 Þe poete laureate Callyd Isopus.

c1500 (1437) Kingis Quair (1939) cxcvii, Gowere and Chaucere..Superlative as poetis laureate.

a1529  J. Skelton Against Garnesche v. 84 in Poet. Wks. (1843) I. 128 At Oxforth, the vniversyte, Auaunsid I was to that degre; By hole consent of theyr senate, I was made poete lawreate.

1601  A. Munday Downfall Earle of Huntington l. 774 Poets Laureate, Whose verse did decorate, And their lines lustrate Both Prince and Potentate.

1656  Earl of Monmouth tr.  T. Boccalini Ragguagli di Parnasso (1674) i. lix. 76 Apollo..created him Prince-Poet, and..gave him the Royal Ensigns used to be given to Poets-Laureat.

1686  R. Plot Nat. Hist. Staffs. viii. 275 Robert Whittington..was a great Grammarian, Poet laureat of Oxford, and Protovates Angliæ.

1691  A. Wood Athenæ Oxon. II. 255 Sir Will. D'avenant, sometimes Laureat Poet to the said King.

1730  Pope Of Poet Laureate in Grub-St. Jrnl. 19 Nov., The title of Archi-poeta, or Arch-poet, in the style of those days, in ours, Poet Laureate.

1750  H. Fielding Pleasures of Town iii. i, in Wks. I. 38 The Election of..a Poet Laureate, to the Goddess of Nonsense.

1843  A. Dyce in  J. Skelton Poet Wks. I. p. xv, There would..be no doubt that Skelton was..poet laureat or court poet to Henry the Eighth, if [etc.].

1884 Punch 16 Feb. 76/1 This comes of gallivanting round with Emperors, Kings, Prime Ministers, and Poet-Laureates.

1910 Encycl. Brit. I. 103/1 It [sc. a committee] consisted of four academicians: Chapelain, then considered the poet laureate of France [etc.].

1990  J. Halperin Novelists in their Youth ii. 75 Hardy always..stuck up for the controversial Swinburne, unhesitatingly recommending his appointment as Poet Laureate when Tennyson died.

2004 Times Lit. Suppl. 4 June 16/3 Amiri Baraka has filed a federal lawsuit against the Governor of New Jersey.., seeking damages related to his dismissal from the post of state Poet Laureate.

Derivatives

 poet-ˈlaureateship n. the office or position of Poet Laureate.

c1836  in Byron's Wks. (1846) 523/2 Pye, the predecessor of Mr. Southey in the poet-laureateship, died in 1813.

1874  C. Gibbon Casquet of Lit. V. 358/2 Thomas Warton..obtained the poet-laureateship in 1785.

2005 Statesman Jrnl.(Salem, Oregon) (Nexis) 18 Mar. 1c (headline) Oregon will reinstate poet laureateship.

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