The poet laureate position has always been an honored position, dating all the back to the Middle English poet Geoffrey Chaucer. Maybe even further back than that. In England, it was the king who appointed the poet laureate and the position is a lifetime position. In the U.S., however, the position is a one-year position and is appointed by the Librarian of Congress.

The first official poet laureate of England was John Dryden in 1668, but Ben Jonson held the appointment from 1616 on in an unofficial capacity.

Other English poet laureates have included Robert Southey (1813-1843), William Wordsworth (1843-1850), Alfred Lord Tennyson (1850-1892), John Masefield (1930-1967), Cecil Day-Lewis (1968-1972) and Sir John Betjeman (1972-1984). Two poets, Thomas Gray and Samuel Rogers, declined appointments - in 1757 and 1850, respectively.

In 1937, the U.S. Congress established an honorary position called Poetry Consultant to the Library of Congress. It was an unpaid position, but it was a position of high honor. Joseph Auslander was the first person to sit in that catbird seat and held the position until 1941. He was replaced by Allen Tate, who served a one year term.

William Carlos Williams was appointed to the position in 1952, but he never served. 

The poetry consultant position was renamed in 1985 and has since been called U.S. Poet Laureate. For the first time in U.S. history the poet laureate was awarded an annual stipend, now $35,000. The post begins in October each year and runs through May of the next year. There are no official duties other than to attend an annual lecture and poetry reading. Each poet that holds the position is expected to work on their own poetry and promote the status of poetry to the public.

The first poet to serve in the new position was Robert Penn Warren (1986-87). Warren was followed by Richard Wilbur (1987-88) and Howard Nemerov, who served from 1988-1990. Mark Strand was appointed in 1990 and served until 1991. From 1991-92, Joseph Brodsky assumed the post. Mona Van Duyn was the first female poet laureate from 1992-93. Rita Dove served from 1993-95, Robert Hass from 1995-97 and Robert Pinsky from 1997-2000. Stanley Kunitz was resurrected from the past upon his appointment in 2000 and he served for a full year before being replaced by Billy Collins (2001-2003). Luise Gluck served from 2003-2004 before being replaced by Ted Kooser, who served until 2006. Kooser was followed by Donald Hall and Kay Ryan.

Canada introduced its first Parliamentary Poet Laureate, George Bowering, in 2002. The office is a two-year term that involves a $12,000 stipend and a $10,000 budget for living and travel expenses.

Other countries select poet laureates in the same tradition and many U.S. states and local appoint poet laureates too. It is considered a worthy honor to be appointed poet laureate no matter where the position serves.