A national poet or national bard is a poet held by tradition and popular acclaim to represent the identity, beliefs and principles of a particular national culture. The national poet as culture hero is a long-standing symbol, to be distinguished from the successive holders of a bureaucratically-appointed Poet Laureate office.
Most national poets are historical figures, although a few contemporary writers working in relatively new or revived national literatures are also considered "national" poets. Some nations may have more than one national poet; the idea of a single national poet is always an act of simplification.
There follows a list of nations. Note that this is not a list of sovereign states or countries, although many of the nations listed may also be states or countries. The words nation (cultural), country (geographical) and state (political) are not synonymous.
Pakistan: Allama Muhammad Iqbal(RA)
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