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It’s Open Link Night! This is your chance to share ONE poem for our reading pleasure. There is no specific theme, form or prompt. You can however, link up a poem in response to a recent prompt you may have missed, such as Tuesday’s poetics by Anmol , On Wandering and Observing .

The last time I hosted OLN, I had introduced you to a Poet Laureate, a Canadian writer from Winnipeg, Manitoba by the name of Di Brandt. I was intrigued by her poetry, but also by the title of “poet laureate”.

Hmm….so what exactly is a “poet laureate”?

According to Wikipedia, by definition – “a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring institution, typically expected to compose poems for special events and occasions.”

The first to receive such an honour was Albertino Mussato from Arezzo, (now part of Italy) in the year 1315.  The recipient was gifted a “laurel crown”, a wreath made of branches and leaves of the bay laurel plant. Yes…the same lovely, aromatic bay leaves I add to my soup! This custom originated from ancient Greece.

Torquato Tasso, Italian poet of the 16th century.

Today, the distinguished designation of poet laureate may be offered by an organization such as the Poetry Foundation as well as regional and community poetry societies.

Many countries, states, provinces, counties and cities have maintained the custom. You can read more here: wikipedia.com

Perhaps you are an aspiring poet laureate yourself. The talent in our dVerse community is undeniable and inspiring. Shoot for the moon, my friends!

If you are new to dVerse, here are the instructions to join in with OLN…

  • Write a poem on your blog.
  • Enter a link directly to your one poem and your name by clicking Mr Linky below and remember to check the little box to accept the use/privacy policy.
  • You will find links to other poets. Possibly future poet laureates, so be kind, visit and comment.
  • Please link back to dVerse from your site/blog.
  • Join in the discussion below. We are friendly poets.
  • Enjoy!