BGuthrie Photos: DC -- Library of Congress -- Exhibit (Agile): Poetry on High: 80 Years of Poets Laureate

DC -- Library of Congress -- Exhibit (Agile): Poetry on High: 80 Years of Poets Laureate:

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Description of Pictures: Poetry on High: 80 Years of Poets Laureate
The US Poet Laureate serves as the nation's official lightning rod for the poetic impulse of Americans. During his or her term, the Poet Laureate seeks to raise the national consciousness to a greater appreciation of the reading and writing of poetry.
The position's originas extend back to 1936, when philanthropist Archer M. Huntington provided an endowment for the "maintenance of a chair of Poetry of the English Langauge in the Library of Congress." Joseph Auslander (1937-41) became the first "Consulant in Poetry to the LIbrary of Congress" -- as the position was originally known -- in 1937.

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[1] LOCPOE_160512_01.JPG	[2] LOCPOE_160512_04.JPG	[3] LOCPOE_160512_07.JPG
[4] LOCPOE_160512_10.JPG	[5] LOCPOE_160512_14.JPG	[6] LOCPOE_160512_16.JPG
[7] LOCPOE_160512_23.JPG	[8] LOCPOE_160512_26.JPG	[9] LOCPOE_160512_29.JPG
[10] LOCPOE_160512_36.JPG	[11] LOCPOE_160512_39.JPG	[12] LOCPOE_160512_42.JPG
[13] LOCPOE_160512_44.JPG	[14] LOCPOE_160512_49.JPG	[15] LOCPOE_160512_55.JPG
[16] LOCPOE_160512_59.JPG	[17] LOCPOE_160512_61.JPG	[18] LOCPOE_160512_68.JPG
[19] LOCPOE_160512_79.JPG

Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. LOCPOE_160512_01.JPG: The Poetry Room Consultant in Poetry
2. LOCPOE_160512_04.JPG: Poetry on High: 80 Years of Poets Laureate The US Poet Laureate serves as the nation's official lightning rod for the poetic impulse of Americans. During his or her term, the Poem Laureate seeks to raise the national consciousness to a greater appreciation of the reading and writing of poetry. The position's origins extend back to 1936, when philanthropist Archer M. Huntington provided an endowment for the "maintenance of a chair of Poetry of the English Language in the Library of Congress." Joseph Auslander (1937-41) became the first "Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress" -- as the position was originally known -- in 1937.
3. LOCPOE_160512_07.JPG: Duties of the Poet Laureate: The position, as originally conceived by the Librarian of Congress Herbert Putnam, was created to build the Library's literary collections and encourage their public use -- duties today carried out by librarians. Early expectations for the position are reflected in a memo from reference librarian David C. Mearns outlining the duties of newly appointed Consultant Allen Tate (1943-44). Gwendolyn Brooks (1985-86) served as the 29th, and final, Consultant in Poetry.
4. LOCPOE_160512_10.JPG: Title Change Brings Increased Expectations: In 1986, under Public Law 99-194, the title of the position was changed from "Consultant in Poetry" to "Poetry Laureate Consultant in Poetry." With the change in title, the visibility of the office, along with expectations for it, ballooned. Less emphasis was placed on developing the Library's collections -- such as its Archive of Recorded Poetry and Literature (see magnetic reel above) -- and more on organizing poetry readings, lectures, conferences, and outreach programs. Beginning with the appointment of Robert Penn Warren (1986-87) as the first Poet Laureate, 21 poets have served in the position.
5. LOCPOE_160512_14.JPG: Modern Duties of the Poet Laureate: Today, Poets Laureate are given freedom to shape the position based on their interests and inclinations. Formal duties are primarily kept to giving a reading to open the Library's annual literary series and a lecture or reading to conclude the series. Many Poets Laureate have used the prestige and resources conferred through the position to launch large-scale initiatives that seek to introduce -- or reintroduce -- people to the value of poetry in their everyday lives (see Case 3).
6. LOCPOE_160512_16.JPG: Memo from David C. Mearms to Archibald MacLeish outlining duties of Allen Tate, April 29, 1943.
7. LOCPOE_160512_23.JPG: Joseph Auslander
8. LOCPOE_160512_26.JPG: Lectures and readings given by Poets Laureate at the Library, or given in their honor, have sometimes been published in pamphlet form by the Library of Congress.
9. LOCPOE_160512_29.JPG: Robert Penn Warren
10. LOCPOE_160512_36.JPG: Elizabeth Bishop
11. LOCPOE_160512_39.JPG: Elizabeth Bishop acceptance letter
12. LOCPOE_160512_42.JPG: Rita Dove: 8th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry: The black and white photograph of Rita Dove (1993-95) taken in the Poetry Room also features the Capitol in the background. Dove's poem "Lady Freedom Among Us" was written on the occasion of the return of the Statue of Freedom to the dome of the United States Capitol on October 23, 1993. It first appeared in the Congressional Record on that date and later in her collection On the Bus with Rosa Parks.
13. LOCPOE_160512_44.JPG: Rita Dove
14. LOCPOE_160512_49.JPG: Illustrated version of Dove's poem "Lady Freedom Among Us." The artistic rendition of the poem was conceived by artist and founder of Janus Press, Claire Van Vliet. Also the original woodblocks.
15. LOCPOE_160512_59.JPG: Juan Filipe Herrera. Power Book. Written and illustrated in 2016 specifically for the Artists' Books Collection.
16. LOCPOE_160512_61.JPG: Current Poet Laureate Juan Filipe Herrera's (2015-) project La Casa de Colores encourages everyone to contribute an epic poem with new themes such as family and democracy announced each month.
17. LOCPOE_160512_68.JPG: Reunion! In 2010, seven Poets Laureate gathered at the Library to celebrate the launch of The Poets Laureate Anthology, a compilation of selected poetry from each Consultant in Poetry/Poet Laureate. Pictured from the left: Library of Congress James Billington; Carolyn Brown, Office of Scholarly Programs; and Poets Laureate Mark Strand (1990-91), Charles Simic (2007-08), Kay Ryan (2008-10), Maxine Kumin, Daniel Hoffman (1973-74), Rita Dove, and Billy Collins (2001-03).
18. LOCPOE_160512_79.JPG: Ted Kooser's (2004-06) ongoing American Life in Poetry project provides newspapers and online periodicals with a free weekly column featuring a poem by a contemporary American poet.
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