Poets, as a rule, worked without them regularly (9)
I believe the answer is:
laureates
'poets' is the definition.
(I have seen 'eminent poets' mean 'laureates' so perhaps 'poets' could also mean 'laureates')
'as a rule worked without them regularly' is the wordplay.
'worked' is an anagram indicator.
'without' is an insertion indicator ('without' can be similar in meaning to 'outside').
'regularly' means one should take alternating letters (regularly take one letter, leave next etc.).
The alternating letters of 'them' are 'te'.
'as'+'a'+'rule'='asarule'
'asarule' anagrammed gives 'laureas'.
'laureas' enclosing 'te' is 'LAUREATES'.
(Other definitions for laureates that I've seen before include "Special poets are honoured people" , "eminent poets" .)