Today's Buzzword is rooted in the laurel, a plant that in ancient Greece was sacred to Apollo, the god of poetry and the arts. A laurel wreath was often used to crown poets and heroes, and the term "laureate letters" was once used to refer to dispatches announcing a victory. "Poet Laureate" became a royal office in England in 1670, and its holder has the job of composing poems for occasions such as royal birthdays, coronations, and military victories. In the United States, the poet laureate's duties include overseeing a series of lectures and poetry readings at the Library of Congress.