Editing Poets' Corner (section)

{{Short description|South Transept of Westminster Abbey}}
{{About|the section of Westminster Abbey|the neighborhood of Berkeley, California|List of Berkeley neighborhoods}}
{{Refimprove|date = April 2024}}
{{EngvarB|date=May 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Infobox cemetery
| name         = Poets' Corner
| native_name  =
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| image        = Memorials to Shakespeare and others in Westminster Abbey.jpg
| image_size   =
| alt          =
| caption      = Memorials in Poets' Corner
| map_type     = London
| map_size     =
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| established  = 1400
| abandoned    = <!-- or | closed = -->
| location     = [[Westminster Abbey]]
| country      = London, England
| coordinates  = {{Coord|51|29|57|N|0|7|38.50|W|type:landmark_region:GB-EG|display=title,inline}}
| type         =
| style        =
| owner        =
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| graves       =
| interments   =
| cremations   =
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| website      =
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| nrhp         =
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}}

'''Poets' Corner''' is a section of the southern [[transept]] of [[Westminster Abbey]] in London, England, where many poets, playwrights, and writers are buried or commemorated.

The first poet interred in Poets' Corner was [[Geoffrey Chaucer]] in 1400.<ref>Harold Bloom (2009). "Geoffrey Chaucer". p. 13. Infobase Publishing</ref> [[William Shakespeare]] was commemorated with a monument in 1740, over a century after his death. Over the centuries, a tradition has grown up of interring or memorialising people there in recognition of their contribution to [[Culture of the United Kingdom|British culture]]. In the overwhelming majority of cases, the honour is awarded to writers.

In 2009, the founders of the [[Royal Ballet]] were commemorated in a memorial [[ledger stone|floor stone]] and on 25 September 2010, the writer [[Elizabeth Gaskell]] was celebrated with the dedication of a panel in the memorial window.<ref name="Gaskell">[http://www.westminster-abbey.org/our-history/people/elizabeth-gaskell "Elizabeth Gaskell"]. Westminster-abbey.org (25 September 2010). Retrieved on 21 October 2011.</ref> On 6 December 2011 [[Ted Hughes]], a former [[Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom]], was commemorated with a floor stone.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16055750 Ted Hughes takes his place in Poets' Corner], BBC News, 6 December 2011</ref> On 22 November 2013, the fiftieth anniversary of his death, the writer [[C. S. Lewis]] was commemorated with a memorial floor stone.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-25031909 "CS Lewis honoured with Poets' Corner memorial"]. BBC News. Retrieved 23 November 2012</ref> The poet [[Philip Larkin]] was commemorated with a floor stone dedicated on 2 December 2016.<ref>{{cite web|title=Westminster Abbey honour for poet Philip Larkin|publisher=Westminster Abbey|url=http://www.westminster-abbey.org/press/news/2015/june/westminster-abbey-honour-for-poet-philip-larkin|date=June 2015|access-date=27 November 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Sawyer|first=Patrick|title='Outsider' Larkin finally joins the Establishment in Poets' Corner|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/26/outsider-larkin-finally-joins-establishment-poets-corner/|date=26 November 2016}}</ref><ref name="Poets Corner">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-38187840 |title=Westminster Poets' Corner memorial for Philip Larkin |work= BBC News |publisher=BBC |date=2 December 2016 |access-date=2 December 2016}}</ref>