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Andrew Motion is a rubbish poet, if a poet at all

Has anyone ever read anything that was any good at all? For someone who is supposed to be the finest poet in the country, he is rather dim. According to him, his best work is 'In The Attic' which is a load of crap...

Reply 1

the_catcher

OP

Oh some reasons would be good too, plus a recomended poem that makes you think he's any good!

Reply 2

HistoryStudent

13

Poet Laureates aren't really chosen for being the 'best poet in Britain'. Some of the past ones have been amongst the worst ever published poets!

Reply 3

joolux05

I've read Simple by Motion, and to a degree I enjoyed it. however, I also think he's an arse from reading that poem, I dont know why.

Reply 4

LondonSteve181

He just seems a bit of an old man poet. I was furious when he got it over Duffy. There was all tihs speculation that because she was a lesbian and an unmarried mother and in a relationship with a black woman that she was 'inappropriate' and taht he was the 'safe' choice/. I've read so little of his poetry but he just seems to conventional and too 'let's stick to rote' to be any fun.

Steve

Reply 5

Mata

16

LondonSteve181

He just seems a bit of an old man poet. I was furious when he got it over Duffy. There was all tihs speculation that because she was a lesbian and an unmarried mother and in a relationship with a black woman that she was 'inappropriate' and taht he was the 'safe' choice/. I've read so little of his poetry but he just seems to conventional and too 'let's stick to rote' to be any fun.

Steve

I've never been particularly impressed by his poetry, but actually seeing him read brought his poetry to life slightly, and made it better. But no, I don't think that he's the best poet in England.

On the other hand, do you think that Duffy would have made a good PL? From my point of view, she wouldn't have liked to have to write stuff about the prince's birthday etc. Andrew Motion is quite a good PL if not an amazing poet.

Reply 6

the_catcher

OP

50 - 50, i cant believe that, i mean his stuff is awful!!

I agree, compare him to Duffy for example and you begin to feel that he is writing a recipe for Kellogs (or any other delicious brand of quality cereal) rather than poetry!!

Reply 7

LondonSteve181

I think PL should write poetry for the PEOPLE, not for the royal family. I think that kind of deference to the establishment is archaic! Duffy would have been great, an expression of a new liberal, multicultural Britain turning its back on the old establishment and for once showing that poetry is for the people not for the adoration of the queen and her cronies.

Wow, how anti royalist do I sound!

Reply 8

HistoryStudent

13

LondonSteve181

I think PL should write poetry for the PEOPLE, not for the royal family. I think that kind of deference to the establishment is archaic! Duffy would have been great, an expression of a new liberal, multicultural Britain turning its back on the old establishment and for once showing that poetry is for the people not for the adoration of the queen and her cronies.

Wow, how anti royalist do I sound!

There are hundreds of other poets in this country though, who write for the 'people'. There's no harm in having one poet in a 'royal' position, who can write about official royal events.

Reply 9

LondonSteve181

I understand but it is soo establishment to have the supposed 'lead poet' curtailed and having to write things about royalty and other established institutions. Doesn't this just stifle creativity and reinforce the idea that the royal family is better than everyone else? Let the royal family hire a poet to detail about their fabulous goings on, but for poet laureate I think we should have someone who has an audience in the people, the society of this country and not the minority upper class.

Reply 10

caz103

I met Andrew in January of this year. I was in year 13 at the time. He came to my school. Before I met him I was not convinced having read his biographies on Keats etc. His own poetry did not impress me much either. However, I was pleasantly surprised. He was such a dude! He read out some amazing poetry and even some prose he had written. I have to say I thought he was excellent.

But, I would agree with 'Mata' when he/she says he is not the most impressive poet Britain has to offer. Duffy's new collection 'Rapture' is so good!

Reply 11

etherised

1

HistoryStudent

Poet Laureates aren't really chosen for being the 'best poet in Britain'. Some of the past ones have been amongst the worst ever published poets!

yes, absolutely! Maybe it's better that way - then all the good ones aren't hampered by having to write dross to celebrate whoever in the royal family's getting married/getting older/getting angry with photographers (or whatever).

Reply 12

Lidka

13

I met him at a reading when I was in Year 10 - he visited our neighbouring highschool, so our English department sent along all their G&T students too. He seemed a nice enough man, but I wasn't really impressed by his writing.

Reply 13

Ariadne

16

I definitely agree with you on this one - he's ridiculously bad. He came to do a speech for our school Parent's Day and I don't think I've ever been so unimpressed in my life. He read us some of his poems, and also excerpts from his new autobiography - he's a terrible public speaker and couldn't stop fidgeting, so it was a disaster from start to finish! :eek:

Philip Larkin, anyone?

Reply 14

anycon

11

Don Paterson Don Paterson Don Paterson. I love his aphorisms. Wish I could see him at the LRB shop.

Reply 15

Bryllyg

1

Carol Ann Duffy! Woo! Saw her in Year 11. She had a cold and was losing her voice - but didn't stop me being impressed. Absolutely love her stuff and had never heard of Andrew Motion before i found out who was laureate. I definitely think that Duffy would have been a bit of a risky choice for such a role though, and yes, she wouldn't have enjoyed it much.

Andrew Motion is a rubbish poet, if a poet at all

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