Andrew Motion Quotes

A collection of quotes by Andrew Motion.

Andrew Motion is a renowned English poet, novelist, and biographer. He was born on October 26, 1952, in London. Motion served as the Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1999 to 2009, succeeding Ted Hughes in this prestigious position.

Motion attended Radley College and went on to study at University College, Oxford. He embarked on an academic career, teaching English at various institutions including the University of Hull and the Royal Holloway, University of London.

Andrew Motion's poetry weaves together a tapestry of personal emotions, nature, history, and everyday life. His poems are often introspective, exploring themes of love, loss, and memory. His debut collection, "The Pleasure Steamers," was published in 1978 and was followed by multiple award-winning volumes such as "Natural Causes" (1987) and "The Cinder Path" (2009).

Apart from his poetic endeavors, Motion has also written several biographies, most notably a highly acclaimed authorized biography of the poet Philip Larkin. In addition, he has delved into fiction, with novels like "The Invention of Dr. Cake" (2003) and "Silver: Return to Treasure Island" (2012).

Andrew Motion's extraordinary contributions to English literature have earned him numerous accolades, including the Whitbread Poetry Award, the Dylan Thomas Prize, and the Costa Book of the Year Award. His work continues to captivate readers and shape the landscape of contemporary poetry.

Each sudden gust of light explains itself as flames, but nei

Each sudden gust of light explains itself as flames, but neither they, nor even bombs redoubled on the hills tonight can quite include me in their fear.

I am writing more than I have ever done. My life has come ba

I am writing more than I have ever done. My life has come back to me in the most extraordinary way.

Life

I'm not precisely saying that a really good board meeting at

I'm not precisely saying that a really good board meeting at the MLA (Museums, Libraries and Archives Coucil) makes me want to go and write poetry, but there is a pleasure in doing that sort of thing well.

Poetry

By day the appalling loose beauty of prowling floes: lions'

By day the appalling loose beauty of prowling floes: lions' heads, dragons, crucifix-wrecks, and a thing like a blown rose.

Beauty

Those who say we should dismantle the role of Poet Laureate

Those who say we should dismantle the role of Poet Laureate altogether, the trick they miss is that being called this thing, with the weight of tradition behind it, and with the association of the Royal family, does allow you to have conversations and to open doors, and wallets, for the good of poetry in a way that nothing else would allow.

Poetry

Poetry is at the centre of my life, too, emotionally speakin

Poetry is at the centre of my life, too, emotionally speaking, and intellectually speaking - it's just that I'm one of those people who enjoy doing other stuff as well.

Poetry

While also, importantly, not wanting to dumb it down or pret

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.

Poetry

More people are reading poetry now than at any time in the h

More people are reading poetry now than at any time in the history of the human race.

Poetry

Reporters used to be blue-collar at the Globe now, it's prac

Reporters used to be blue-collar at the Globe now, it's practically required that you have a trust fund.

Life

I wanted to reimagine the role, in a way that was respectful

I wanted to reimagine the role, in a way that was respectful of its traditional responsibilities but made them part of a wider pattern of poetry about national incidents, events, preoccupations and to spend a great deal of time going to schools trying to demystify poetry.

Poetry

I deeply adored my mum. She was an extraordinary person, eve

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.

Imagination

I like eating out. I like buying beautiful paintings and bei

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.

Finance

Thanks partly to the kind of poets that we now have and part

Thanks partly to the kind of poets that we now have and partly to funding, there's been a gigantic shift in the way poetry is perceived... Poems on the Underground, poets in schools, football clubs, zoos.

Poetry