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Masefield, Day-Lewis, Betjeman, Hughes, Motion, Duffy and Armitage - these are the poet laureates who have served during the reign of Elizabeth II.

William Sieghart looks at their work as public poets and how they represent and epitomise not only an evolution of attitudes to monarchy, but also a radical change in poetry itself. Together, these poets provide a literary counterpart to the ways Britain has changed during the 70 years of Elizabeth’s reign.

As the Royal Family has become more approachable, through their changing societal roles and the increased use of modern media, so the Laureate's role has changed too. John Betjeman's poems, for example, are remarkable for their affectionate, amusing tone - such as this description of a Royal ceremony:

"Earl marshal leads the victims in.
The Royal Family waits alone.
Now television cameras whirr
Like cats at last induced to purr."

That is quite different from Ted Hughes’ poetry from the 90s, "Rain-Charm for the Duchy: A Blessed, Devout Drench for the Christening of His Royal Highness Prince Harry" which, while it echoes ancient belief in the relationship between the monarch’s fertility and the nation’s health, strongly referenced Hughes’ concern with environmentalism.

Later still, Andrew Motion’s Christmas poem in 2000 included references to London homelessness, "a shanty town of cardboard boxes" .

The great Royal events and Jubilees have continued to be celebrated, but the poetry has moved from reverence to relevance. As Carol Ann Duffy, the first woman laureate puts it, "All poets, to a greater or lesser degree, need to have a finger on the national pulse. Poetry provides an important alternative voice to journalists or pundits or academics as a way of dealing with things that matter to us all."

A Just Radio production for ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio 4