Motion, Andrew (1952-…), served as poet laureate of the United Kingdom from 1999 to 2009. He succeeded Ted Hughes, who died in 1998. Motion has written more than 10 volumes of poetry as well as novels, criticism, and literary biographies. He has also served as head of the University of East Anglia’s program in creative writing. Motion and Blake Morrison edited an influential anthology, The Penguin Book of Contemporary British Poetry (1982).
Motion’s poetry is known for its narrative qualities, use of everyday language, and unsentimental tone. Many of his longer poems use short, varied lyrics and brief passages of prose to suggest the outlines of a larger story. They place personal moments within the context of larger public events, and sometimes dramatize legendary and historical figures.
Motion’s first volume of poetry, The Pleasure Steamers (1978), includes a long historical poem called “Inland,” set in the 1600’s. It is based on the experience of villagers forced to leave their homes to escape a flood. World War I (1914-1918) serves as the point of departure for the lyrical narrative sequences in The Price of Everything (1994). The impact of World War I poets appears in much of Motion’s writing.
Motion’s work also shows the influence of his friend the British poet Philip Larkin. Motion wrote a biography of Larkin, A Writer’s Life (1993). The collection Salt Water (1997) includes a poem that describes the reenactment of a sea journey made by the poet John Keats. Motion also wrote a biography of Keats in 1997. Motion’s novels include The Pale Companion (1989), Famous for the Creatures (1991), Silver: Return to Treasure Island (2012), and its sequel, The New World (2015). He also wrote In the Blood: A Memoir of My Childhood (2008).
As poet laureate, Motion has composed poems for public occasions, such as birthdays and weddings of the royal family. He has also argued strongly for more emphasis on poetry in public education. Motion was born on Oct. 26, 1952, in London.
