Ben Jonson

POETS LAUREATE OF ENGLAND 1616 TO DATE

Andrew Motion

The title of "Poet Laureate" was first granted in England for poetic excellence. Its holder is a salaried member of the British royal household, but the post has come to be free of specific duties. Although Ben Jonson apparently filled this role as early as 1616 under James I, the first official British poet laureate was John Dryden in 1668. The post is a lifetime appointment.