I think I say this every time the position is re-upped, but I honestly believe that making it a termed appointment reduces its import. There have been some great poets in the position, no doubt, but it's a far cry from the English laureates of yesteryear, who generally (Cibber notwithstanding) had the reputation and the chops to make it an enviable honor.
It strikes me that the selection of U.S. laureates might as well be greeted with a shrug and a yawn, if any response at all.
|