CAROL ANN DUFFY FIRST WOMAN POET NAMED POET LAUREATE IN 341 YEARS OF BRITISH LITERARY HISTORY

Poet and writer Carol Ann Duffy was appointed Britain’s Poet laureate May 1, 2009, becoming the first woman poet laureate in 341 years of British Literary history.

According to the New York Times “Ms Duffy is known for using a deceptively simple style to produce accessible, mischievous poems , dealing with the darkest turmoil and lightest minutia of every day life.”

Her most popular poetry collection is The World’s Wife (1999) which has the subject women overlooked by history and mythology, such as Mrs. Rip Van Winkle who found relief when Rip fell asleep, giving her some time to herself. In
“Mrs Darwin, ” she wrote:

7 April 1852
Went to the zoo
I said to him--Something about the chimpanzee over there
reminds me of you.

Carol Ann Duffy told the B B C Women’s World that she thought hard about accepting the position of Poet Laureate, then decided to take it as recognition of the great women poets we have writing. She said she hoped to “contribute to people’s understanding of what poetry can do, and where it can be found.”

Carol An Duffy, 53, is the oldest of five children, growing up in a working class neighborhood in Glasgow, Scotland. She began writing in school, inspired by several teacher. In 1983 she won the National Poetry Competition in Britain.

The Cultural Secretary, Andy Burnham called Ms. Duffy, “a towering figure of English literature today and a super poet.”

Judith Palmer Director of Poetry Society said Duffy has “paved the way for whole generations of women poets who came after her,”

As Poet laureate, Carol Ann Duffy is to receive a yearly stipend which she said she plans to donate to the Poetry Society, to finance a Poetry Prize.