Poetry Across the Atlantic

About

U.S. Poet Laureate Donald Hall and British Poet Laureate Andrew Motion participated in a historic series of joint poetry readings in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and London, sharing the stage for the first time and reacquainting the poetries of America and the United Kingdom. The readings were sponsored jointly by the Library of Congress, the Poetry Foundation and the London-based Poetry Society. The poets laureate read their own work as well as important works by their contemporaries. The talks focused largely on each laureate's understanding of his country's most significant poetic voices -- both established and emerging -- that may be unfamiliar to readers overseas. King James I established the office of "poet" in Great Britain for Ben Jonson in 1617, although the title "poet laureate" was not used until it was conferred on John Dryden in 1670. Historically, it has been the job of the British poet laureate to write poems commemorating state occasions or events related to the monarchy. In the United States, the Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress serves as the nation's spokesperson for poetry, raising the national consciousness to a greater appreciation of writing and reading poetry. The position has existed under two separate titles: from 1937 to 1986 as "Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress" and from 1986 forward as "Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry." The poet laureate is appointed annually by the Librarian of Congress and serves…

Archive

Library of Congress, in Library of Congress: talks and concerts

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Credit

Library of Congress

Language

English

Country

United States

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