The Library of Congress provides an excellent resource for readers wanting detailed information on past and current state laureates—the...

“Dragon Run” by Carolyn Kreiter-Foronda Poet Laureate of Virginia, 2006–2008 Shortly after moving to the Middle Peninsula on the east...

Betsy Sholl Poet Laureate of Maine, 2006-2011 When it comes to occasional poems, Terrence Des Pres in his book Praises and Dispraises...

“West Train” by Paisley Rekdal Poet Laureate of Utah, 2017-2022 Paisley Reckdal responded to our query with a link to her ambitious,...

“One River, One Boat” by Marjory Wentworth South Carolina Poet Laureate, 2002-2020 I take the role of poet laureate seriously; it is an...

“I Think of You, Alabama” by Ashley Jones Alabama Poet Laureate, 2022-2026 Being Poet Laureate of any constituency has many public and...

“Who We Are” by Margaret Britton Vaughn Poet Laureate of Tennessee, 1995–2023 I’ve had the honor to write many of them over the past 27...

“Sermon of the Dreamers” by John Warner Smith Poet Laureate of Louisiana, 2019–2021 Shortly after being appointed the Poet Laureate of...

“Where we live” by Luisa Igloria Poet Laureate of Virginia, 2020–2022 It's good to think about how the U.S. Poet Laureate position was...

“City of Lights” by Julie Kane Poet Laureate of Louisiana, 2011-2013 In 1976, when I was in my early twenties, I was the George Bennett...

“The Freedom Bell” by Henry Hart Poet Laureate of Virginia, 2018–2020 When the Dean of our library at the College of William and Mary...

Maine Poet Laureate, 2021-2026 To A Mainer Living 100 years from Now Just after I was appointed Maine’s Poet Laureate in August 2021, I...

“Kingdom of Beauty” by Stuart Kestenbaum Maine Poet Laureate, 2016-2021 When I was appointed poet laureate of Maine in 2016, one of my...

Grace Cavalieri, Poet Laureate of Maryland, 2018– From Hell To Hallelujah The following poem was commissioned to celebrate the first...

Rhode Island Poet Laureate, 2016-2023 Rhode Island Valentine In his essay, “Can Poetry Save America?”* fellow poet and friend, Chard...

“I wish I'd been better able to resist the sense of obligation to write some of the poems I did. It's in the nature of commissioned work...