"England has had a poet laureate since Gulielmus Peregrinus, appointed by Richard Coeur de Lion in about 1189. There are official poets laureate in Scotland, Wales, Canada, the US, South Africa, plus a number of smaller countries, states and even US cities. Australia has no-one. Does this mean we are bereft of candidates for such an honour or, as a people, without appreciation of what is the noblest of all forms of art and culture?"
I agree! We NEED a poet laureate if we are to shrug off our entrenched philistinism.
And that's why I'm putting my hand up!
Spread the word! Agitate, write to your MP and your local paper, shout it from the rooftops, send me money and saucy photos! Every little helps!
Together, we can make ME poet laureate, and usher in Australia's New Golden Age!!!!
5 comments:
I agree with you totally except for one thing. I think it should be me. I think I'm the natural choice for this role
Are these fighting words? Yes, I think so
No, we do not need a poet laureate. Aren't they expected to create poetry on demand? That's just silly.
Picture this:
Quick PL we need something for ANZAC day, the visit from the PM of Canada and how are you coming along with national recycle your white pages week?
Actually, screw it; pick one of the above topics post your poem here and I'll come back to judge it and award the PL gong next week.
I just want to point out, in case any PL selectors are reading this, that I wrote a very fine ANZAC Day poem and I was asked to read it out at the school assembly (this was before I developed glossophobia)
I'm on board!
You're already Helen Razor's poet Laureate, that's a start.
Clearly no-one wants it that bad.
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