Britain's Poet Laureate Has Writer's Block

British poet laureate Andrew Motion is planning to resign next year. And while he has long professed his desire to leave the lifetime appointment early, he is more anxious than ever to get back to living without the laurels. Motion, it seems, has developed a nasty case of writer's block and describes his time as poet laureate as having been "very, very damaging" to his work. "I dried up completely about five years ago," he told the British newspaper The Guardian, "and can't write anything except to commission."

What's so tough about being the British poet laureate? Unlike the American version, the British laureate carries the burden of some archaic traditions. The post is very old--we're talking Ben Johnson (1572-1637) old, and--by tradition--it doesn't pay well. When Motion took up the post, his compensation was just £70 and a "butt of sack"--the latter being a barrel of Spanish wine. During his tenure, Motion managed to raise his honorarium to £5,000 (?!) a year and a crate of "sack." I have to say, I'd prefer the barrel--it sounds like a cool thing to keep in the basement.

But the laureate's biggest challenge is, no doubt, the tradition of writing poems for the royal family. Inspired or not, Motion regularly has to churn out verse for royal weddings, funerals, and other special occasions. What's worse, he feels that his poems go unappreciated: "The Queen never gives me an opinion on my work for her," he told The Guardian. Britain's finest poets, not surprisingly, aren't lining up for the task. Wendy Cope meant to praise Motion in saying, "He managed to write all the royal poems without making a fool of himself." I'm not sure I'm in agreement. Take a look at this one Motion wrote "in rap form" for Prince William's 21st birthday.

Better stand back
Here's an age attack,
But the second in line
Is dealing with it fine.

It's a threshold, a gateway,
A landmark birthday;
It's a turning of the page,
A coming of age.

It's a day to celebrate,
A destiny, a fate;
It's a taking to the wing,
A future thing.

Better stand back
Here's an age attack,
But the second in line
Is dealing with it fine.

It's a sign of what's to come,
A start, and then some;
It's a difference growing,
A younger sort of knowing.

It's a childhood gone,
A step towards the crown;
It's a trigger of change,
A stretching of the range.

Better stand back
Here's an age attack,
But the second in line
Is dealing with it fine.

Cringing? So was everyone in the BBC's comments section:

I think the rap poem thing was really bad. Prince William looked really confused.--Hattie, England

Diabolical--Becky, England

The greatest argument for the abolition of the monarchy yet.--Clive, London

Good one, Clive. Cope thinks Britain should consider abolishing the poet laureate position. A more likely outcome would be for Britain to adopt the American model in which we get a new laureate every two years and the requirement is only to promote - and not write (or rap) - poetry.

If they want to maintain some of the tradition, I don't think anyone would mind keeping the Spanish wine.

Comments

[wordvarc]

Poetry in Motion?

Is there any...left?

[nuglet304]

pretty sure i just heard tennyson rolling over in his grave. oh, the horror!

[Norge]

He clearly is not suffering from writers shock. Fortunate for him in some respects though sad in others that he is producing such dribble. Perhaps he has had an over amount of aclaim which has distroyed the root of his truth.

With writers shock he would again produce and it would be like the flood gates opened and not with dribble.

[Delle]

Poetry is beautiful and it is truly a shame that we no longer value it.

I agree with the above comment by Nommo. The Irish are true poets. All of their sayings are lryical and magical.

I also enjoy Tennsyson.

Here in the U.S. we have wonderful poets, such as Whitman, Hawthone, Emerson and such.

My favorite, who I believe is underappreciated is Edgar Allan Poe.

Annabelle Lee, The Raven, and my very favorite - A Dream Within A Dream.

Modern day poets can't compare!

[wordvarc]

The modern poets do compare but only in time will the cream rise to the top and be noticed as catching the mood of a time.

How about a modern "Charge of the Light Brigade" for our soldiers bravely performing impossible tasks in Iraq and Afghanistan?

[sophieozz]

Not everyone is meant to hold a position (or a career) for a lifetime. Anything can become stale. It's better to move on.

[Nommo]

Perhaps they should appoint an Irish poet to the post.

[wordvarc]

LOL

[Errour]

Poor guy. Poor England. Better by far to ignore poets altogether, as we do here in the US.

[Ani]

I know. I'm a poet and I'm viciously ignored.

[wordvarc]

Al Tennyson was knighted and treated like a rock star with crowds outside his home gathered just to watch him walk his dog...

But his poetry deeply calmed a nation in decline and was memorized and quoted for a hundred years in English speaking countries. A sentimental style and his poetry is back in vogue here as the US seems in a similar position to Britain in the last half of the 19th century...
.

[wordvarc]

Ani,

Please share some words.

[walk0nwalls]

Man, what a thankless job.

[dawlishgal]

Yikes. I hate to have to listen to what he coughs up when he isn't suffering from writer's block.

[wordvarc]

Maybe we'd like poets more who were less provocative but brilliantly reflected our thoughts and feelings.

But then first we'd have to wake up.