In 1985, she was appointed poetry consultant to the Library of Congress.

She served as the poetry consultant at the Library of Congress from 1971 to 1973 and remains a consultant in American letters.

Her father, a poet, was twice the poetry consultant to the Library of Congress, in 1964-65 and in 1984-85.

Mr. Meredith served two terms as poetry consultant to the Library of Congress, from 1978 to 1980.

Before the position was formally established by Congress in 1985, it had a forerunner in the library's poetry consultant.

In 1981-1982, she served as the poetry consultant to the Library of Congress.

Tonight, the former poetry consultants read from their own works at the Library of Congress after a day of genial mingling.

A Night for a New Generation Only two of the library's other poetry consultants who are still alive were not able to come.

The library now pays its poetry consultants between $30,000 and $40,000 annually for the part-time job, depending on financial need.

The poetry consultants who introduced their proteges were mostly speaking prose, but that too, was full of unexpected and original images.