Simon Armitage has been announced as the UK's new Poet Laureate , taking over the role from Carol Ann Duffy .Armitage, whose appointment for a fixed term of 10 years has been approved by the Queen, says he wants to build on the work of his predecessors “with energy and enthusiasm”, particularly promoting poetry within education and by young talent.The laureateship should have been decided earlier this month, after a panel of experts was convened by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DMCS) in November to make recommendations for who should succeed Duffy. She completed her final project as laureate – a collection by various poets responding to the collapse in the insect population – and the 10th anniversary of her laureateship passed on 1 May. No successor had been chosen. The DCMS blamed the delay on the government’s preoccupation with other issues.From extras.So what does a poet laureate actually do?The origins of the honorary position date back to 1616 when Ben Johnson was granted a pension by King James I, yet it wasn’t until 1668 – with the appointment of John Dryden by Charles II – that the post was made an established royal office.The role does not entail any specific duties but does expect the holder to contribute verses for significant occasions in the UK. Among the most notable laureates include William Wordsworth , Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and Ted Hughes. Duffy was the first woman, the first Scot, and the first openly gay or bisexual poet to hold the position. The position grants an annual stipend of £5,750 and a “butt of sack”, which is equivalent to about 600 bottles of sherry.Not everyone believes the position to be an enviable one, whether for political or creative reasons.