Poets' Corner

Poets’ Corner is the informal name for the south transept area of Westminster Abbey in London where many British and Irish writers, poets and dramatists are buried or commemorated. The area contains graves, tombs and wall memorials spanning several centuries.

The space functions both as a place of burial and as a national memorial area; some commemorations are cenotaphs rather than interments. The combination of historic tombs and later memorials has made it a focal point for literary pilgrimage.

Memorials and burials here cover a wide chronological range from medieval figures to modern authors and reflect the Abbey’s role in national ceremonial and cultural history. The arrangement has evolved over centuries as successive commemorations were added.

Poets’ Corner is inside Westminster Abbey in central London, adjacent to the Abbey’s nave and within walking distance of the Houses of Parliament and other central landmarks.

• Function: Poets' Corner is a designated area within Westminster Abbey containing many graves and memorials to British and Irish writers, poets and dramatists dating from the medieval period to the present.
• Notable names: The location includes both actual burials and wall memorials; Geoffrey Chaucer is one of the earliest literary figures associated with the area.