New Andrew Motion poem pays tribute to Larkin
7th March 2011
Former poet laureate Sir Andrew Motion has revealed that his new poem pays tribute to fellow poet Philip Larkin.
In 'Legacy', Motion explores the notion of seeing 'the miraculous in the ordinary' – something he says Larkin's work highlighted time and time again.
The new poem will be exhibited in a collection at London's Saatchi Gallery entitled Willpower: What's Your Legacy? and curated by Cancer Research UK.
Motion said the legacy of Larkin, who famously turned down the chance to become poet laureate a year before his death, is a 'refreshed sense' of the need to see extraordinary things in everyday life.
'The lines remember that [Larkin] was a gifted photographer, as well as a great poet - and in both his pictures and his writing he went to great lengths to celebrate things that are easily overlooked,' he added.
Current poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy will also display work at the exhibition, along with thriller writer Patricia Cornwell.