Andrew Motion
Andrew Motion
===============
Full Name and Common Aliases
-----------------------------
Andrew Charles William Motions OBE was born on October 15, 1940.
Birth and Death Dates
------------------------
Born: October 15, 1940
Died: February 22, 2022
Nationality and Profession(s)
--------------------------------
Andrew Motion is a British poet, novelist, editor, critic, biographer, and former Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom. He was appointed as the tenth Poet Laureate in 1999, serving until 2009.
Early Life and Background
-----------------------------
Motion was born on October 15, 1940, in London, England, to a family with strong literary connections. His father was Louis Charles William Motion, a writer who contributed to various publications, including the BBC's _Radio Times_. The poet's early life was influenced by his family's love of literature and music.
Motion grew up in London and developed an interest in poetry at an early age. He attended St Paul's School in London before moving on to St John's College, Oxford, where he studied English Literature. At university, Motion was exposed to various literary styles and began writing his own poetry.
Major Accomplishments
-------------------------
During his tenure as Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion published several collections of poetry, including _Dangerous Play_ (2002), _Public Property_ (2005), and _New Collected Poems_ (2010). His work was recognized with numerous awards, such as the Forward Poetry Prize for Best Collection in 2007.
Motion's poetry often explores themes of history, politics, and personal relationships. He was also a prominent critic and editor, serving as the chairman of the _Arts Council England_ from 2003 to 2010. In this role, he played a key part in shaping British arts policy during a period of significant change.
Notable Works or Actions
-----------------------------
As Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion wrote poems for various occasions, including the Queen's Jubilee and the Olympics. He also worked with schools and communities to promote poetry and literacy. One notable initiative was his involvement in the _Poets' Corner_ project at Westminster Abbey, which aimed to make poetry more accessible to a wider audience.
Motion's non-poetic writing includes biographies of Philip Larkin and John Keats. His novel, _Last Comes the Echo_, was published in 2009.
Impact and Legacy
------------------------
Andrew Motion's work as Poet Laureate had a significant impact on British poetry and culture. He helped to promote poetry as a vibrant and inclusive art form, engaging with diverse audiences through various initiatives.
Motion's writing often explores complex themes and emotions, making his poetry accessible and relatable to readers of all backgrounds. His contributions to literature have been recognized with numerous awards and honors, including an OBE in 2009 for services to literature.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
------------------------------------------
Andrew Motion is widely quoted and remembered due to his significant contributions to British poetry and culture. As Poet Laureate, he helped shape the nation's literary landscape, promoting poetry as a vital part of public life.
His work continues to inspire new generations of readers and writers, ensuring that Andrew Motion remains an important figure in British literature for years to come.
Quotes by Andrew Motion
But I can’t and don’t ever want to write bell-yanking confetti-tossing hat-throwing poems.
I like eating out. I like buying beautiful paintings and being surrounded by beautiful things. I have to finance that life. I can barely afford a pension scheme because I don’t make enough money.
I deeply adored my mum. She was an extraordinary person, even for the prejudice I’m likely to have. She was beautiful, amusing, a tremendous elaborator of things into comic proportions and extravagant in her imagination.
While also, importantly, not wanting to dumb it down or pretend the days of ‘difficult’ poetry are over, because we live in a pluralist culture and there’s room for ‘difficult’ poetry alongside rap and everything else. And poetry won’t be for everyone, but everyone should have the choice.
I shall try to write a poem that is about the moment but doesn’t betray things that are true to me as a poet.
I don’t want my poems to be sentimental, though I do acknowledge that sentiment is probably rather under-reported in a lot of people’s feelings a lot of the time.
I am a vigilant monarchist. I want to see things evolve. The direction the monarchy seems to be moving in – towards a more mainland-European model – is one I would feel sympathetic about.
But in a lot of ways my poems are very conventional, and it’s no big deal for me to write a poem in either free verse or strict form; modern poets can, and do, do both.
Each sudden gust of light explains itselfas flames, but neither they, nor even bombs redoubled on the hills tonight can quite include me in their fear (Leaving Belfast)