The Poet Laureate

The Poet Laureate

Britain has a new Poet Laureate. Already, I hear you asking, “ What is he talking about? We know what a poet is– it is someone who writes poetry. But what is this‘ laureate’ thing?”

You may know that the ancient Greeks used to place a crown made of laurel leaves on the head of someone as a very special honour. Laurel is a type of bush, with sweet- smelling leaves. Normally nowadays we call it‘ bay’, and we use bay leaves as a flavouring in cooking. So, that is the literal meaning of‘ laureate’ – ‘ crowned with laurel leaves, as a sign of special honour’.

Since about the17 th century, English kings and queens have appointed a poet as their own, special, private poet. The king paid the poet a small salary, and the poet wrote poems for special royal occasions, like births or marriages in the royal family. The poet appointed by the king became known as the poet laureate. Over the years, some very famous English poets have been appointed as poets laureate– William Wordsworth, for example, and Alfred Lord Tennyson. The latest poet laureate has recently retired, and the Queen, advised by the Prime Minister, has just appointed a new one. Neither our Queen nor our Prime Minister know very much about poetry. But they have made a very good and popular choice for the new poet laureate.

Her name is Carol Ann Duffy and she is the first woman to hold the position of poet laureate. Her poetry is simple and direct, and easy to understand. Perhaps for that reason, pupils in many English schools study her poetry. Recently, indeed, there was controversy about one of her poems– it is a poem about the feelings of an angry young man who wants to kill and destroy things. The first few lines are:

 Today I am going to kill something. Anything. I have had enough of being ignored and today I am going to play God.

Some people argued that reading the poem would make some young people pick up a knife and go and kill someone. One of the organisations which runs school exams in England even asked schools to destroy copies of the poem. This is ridiculous, of course. People kill because they are very angry inside, not because they have read a poem. Also, as Carol Ann Duffy herself pointed out, Shakespeare’s plays are full of angry young men who murder other people. Should we ban Shakespeare’s plays in schools?

Here is one of Carol Ann Duffy’s poems. It is a love poem– but a rather unusual one. She is going to give her love a present– a present that represents love. And what is the present? An onion! Listen.

Not a red rose or a satin heart.

I give you an onion.

It is a moon wrapped in brown paper.

It promises light

like the careful undressing of love.

Here.

It will blind you with tears

like a lover.

It will make your reflection

a wobbling photo of grief.

I am trying to be truthful.

Not a cute card or a kissogram.

I give you an onion.

Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips,

possessive and faithful

as we are,

for as long as we are.

Take it.

Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding ring,

if you like.

Lethal.

Its scent will cling to your fingers,

cling to your knife.