No 10 turned down Larkin, Auden and other poets for laureate job

Some of the top English poets of the 20th Century were ruled retired by Downing Street arsenic candidates for writer laureate, authorities files reveal.

Names specified arsenic WH Auden, Philip Larkin and Robert Graves were passed implicit arsenic being unsuitable.

The occupation dates backmost to the 17th Century, and has been filled by immoderate of the astir celebrated poets successful history, including Tennyson and Wordsworth.

The papers, released connected Wednesday, day from the 1960s to the 1980s.

In May 1967, the appointments caput astatine 10 Downing Street recovered himself having to gully up a database of the country's champion poets. The incumbent, John Masefield, had died aft 37 years successful the post.

It was the mediate of the alleged "swinging '60s" and the thought of a writer laureate seemed archaic to many.

But poesy was progressively popular, acknowledgment to the enactment of a caller procreation of writers, similar Allen Ginsberg successful the US, and the Liverpool poets successful Britain.

Harold Wilson, the premier minister, was successful nary unreserved to marque a decision. John Hewitt, who was appointments caput astatine Number 10, was told to analyse imaginable candidates.

He approached starring figures successful the arts, arsenic good arsenic dons astatine Oxford and Cambridge. Dame Helen Gardner, Merton Professor of English astatine Oxford, had immoderate "fairly caustic" comments astir the "present prime of poetry" and the "lack of immoderate outstanding talent", the papers reveal.

Auden was excluded due to the fact that helium was an American citizen. John Betjeman was 1 of the astir fashionable poets. But Dame Helen described him arsenic "a lightweight, amusing but alternatively trivial". He had "critical views astir the establishment", she said, which deemed to beryllium not appropriate.

Robert Graves was "probably the champion writer available", she added, but his "manner of beingness indispensable surely regularisation him out". Graves had criticised the relation and spent astir of his clip successful Majorca.

The fashionable writer Stevie Smith she dismissed arsenic "absurd". She "wrote 'little miss poetry' astir herself mostly." Cecil Day-Lewis was "a possible" - helium produced "run of the mill poesy but thing peculiarly outstanding".

That presumption was echoed by the seat of the Poetry Society, Geoffrey Handley-Taylor. He told Hewitt that Graves was "too peculiar" and "too anti-establishment". Betjeman, helium said, "called himself a poetic hack and determination was immoderate information to this".

He described Smith arsenic "unstable". By opposition Day-Lewis was "a bully administrative poet" and "a harmless bet".

As the months passed, much names were enactment forward. Some nominated themselves. Allen Ginsberg projected the vocalist Donovan, conscionable 21, whose enactment "Sunshine Superman" and "Mellow Yellow" had topped the charts. In August, Ginsberg sent a manus drawn "flower card" to Number 10 with the words "Donovan for Laureate". Officials did not respond.

On September 14, 1967, Hewitt wrote to the premier curate proposing Day-Lewis. The alternative, Betjeman, would beryllium a "backward-looking choice", helium said. He had been described arsenic "the songster of tennis lawns and cathedral cloisters".

Harold Wilson agreed, but helium wanted Hewitt to research the anticipation of appointing further poets laureate for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. That was not pursued, and successful January 1968, the announcement was made.

But 4 years later, the hunt began again, aft Day-Lewis died.

Auden was again nether consideration, according to paper reports, and seemingly the bookies' favourite.

Number 10 was warned by Ross McWhirter - of the Guinness Book of Records - that Auden was said to beryllium the writer of a "pornographic" poem entitled "The Gobble", published successful an underground magazine.

McWhirter disquieted that if Auden were selected this could "bring disgrace upon the appointment" and this would bespeak connected the Queen herself. The now-Sir John Hewitt told him Auden wasn't connected the shortlist.

This clip Philip Larkin was nether superior information - described by Hewitt arsenic "a first-rate craftsman". But the professional Jon Stallworthy warned Larkin disliked nationalist speaking. Officials were advised helium was a "reserved" antheral who would not beryllium an ambassador for poetry.

The alleged "poets' conference", representing younger writers, suggested Adrian Mitchell and George MacBeth - but they didn't marque it into the last selection.

Then Prime Minister Ted Heath, picked Betjeman- who accepted, penning that helium was "honoured and delighted and astatine the aforesaid clip humbled".

In 1984, a caller laureate was needed, pursuing Betjeman's death. There is nary treatment of merit successful the file.

Mrs Thatcher's officials enactment unneurotic a database of names and recommendations. Larkin was the astir fashionable choice, but 1 unnamed fig objected.

Ted Hughes was picked, adjacent though lone 2 radical projected him - and nary mentation was given.

The proceedings of selecting a caller laureate pursuing the decease of the erstwhile 1 is present a happening of the past. Whereas it utilized to beryllium a beingness post, since 1999, the assignment has been for a fixed word of 10 years. Current incumbent Simon Armitage's tenure runs until 2029.

Reacting to the recently declassified files, Mark Ford, Professor of English astatine University College London, said: "The laureateship is specified a peculiar relation that uncovering a suitable campaigner is not casual - 1967 was intelligibly a peculiarly trying year."