In praise of air was the first poem that armitage read that afternoon. Armitages highly acclaimed translation of the middle english classic poem sir. This book presents poems of consistent quality and surprise from a period whose immense political, social and scientific changes have altered both poetry and its readership. The poems mark a coming of age of a poet who is by now established as a leading voice. It includes work chosen by the poet from six published volumes. Magnetic field recordings poet laureate simon armitage reads from his latest poetry collection magnetic field. Kate jessop originally made this for comma film a project of uk publisher comma press in 2007. He is also professor of poetry at the university of leeds and succeeded geoffrey hill as oxford professor of poetry when he was elected to the fouryear parttime appointment from 20152019. This is simon armitages third collection of poems, following in the triumphal wake of zoom and kid, and quietly surpassing them.
The origins of the poet laureateship date back to the seventeenth century, when it was established as a royal office. Youre beautiful because you sponsored a parrot in a zoo. He earned a ba from portsmouth university in geography, and an ms in social work from manchester university, where he studied the impact of televised violence on young offenders. Profile for simon armitage, school of english, university of leeds. In 2015, he was elected oxford professor of poetry and in 2017 he was appointed. Simon armitage is a vice president of the poetry society, a patron of the arvon foundation, a patron of the friends of. May, 2008 simon armitage was born in 1963 in marsden and lives in west yorkshire. Jun 24, 2019 posts about simon armitage written by jamie dedes. A matchcover, or matchbook cover, is a thin cardboard covering that folds over match sticks in a book or pack of matches. Fittingly for a poet with a passion for popular music, sandettie light vessel automatic represents armitages rarities album. Simon armitage 2 of 2 and a poem on the side, please. Wider in its franchise, sometimes less formal in structure and often more attuned to.
Much of armitages earlier work concerns body and brake fluids, swarfega, snooker tables, mountain bikes, oddballs and criminals, the edge of violence. He is currently a professor of poetry at the university of sheffield. Phenomenal woman, still i rise, the road not taken, if you forget me, dreams. Give by simon armitage gcse of all the public places, dear to make a scene, ive chosen here. The edition, designed and printed by john grice of the evergreen press, stonehouse, gloucestershire, was printed from centaur 16 point type on zerkall paper and bound at the fine book bindery. There is a very illuminating essay at the beginning.
Losing none of the exuberance and verbal agility which have become a hallmark of simon armitages poetry, these poems are more obviously personal the ensuing risks, of vulnerability and exposure, more dangerous. His stage plays include mister heracles and jerusalem 2005, which was also commissioned by the west yorkshire playhouse. Jan 14, 2011 how simon armitage stole christmas january 14, 2011 january 14, 2011 davecoates it was a perfectly pleasant winters evening that could have been warmer, sure, but was tolerable enough, and simon armitage hated that, because he is awful. The poems in the middle section, becoming of age relate incidents, from other times, other lives and experiences, to a common life. The poet laureate has gone to his shed bbc radio 4 podcast series in which the poet laureate simon armitage talks to guests about life, language and music in his shed. Each poem is designed to relay the urgency of a struck match, packed with discoveries, flashes of insights on family and life. Simon armitage was born in west yorkshire, england in 1963.
Simon armitage poems poems of simon armitage poem hunter. Many historians point to the mendelson opera as the first to use matchbooks for advertising. Im ugly because i remember the telephone numbers of exgirlfriends and the year schubert was born. Its the most recent video feature at american literary magazine tin house jessops on miles platting station is an adaptation of simon armitages likewise titled poem. Simon armitage s first recording for the poetry archive was made on 12th july 2005 at the audio workshop, london, while his second was made at the soundhouse, london on 28th july 2016. Nov 18, 2017 in praise of air was the first poem that armitage read that afternoon. It is with great pleasure we announce the appointment of simon armitage as the new poet laureate. It contains detailed studies of the poems by simon armitage in the aqa anthology, which is a set text for the aqas gcse syllabuses for english and english literature specification a, from the 2004 exam onwards. This selection offers a retrospective of the contemporary poetry of simon armitage, and is a perfect introduction to his work. The poems mark a comingofage of a poet who is by now established as a leading voice. He is one of the countrys bestknown poets and his work is known to hundreds of thousands of children. Youre beautiful for sending a box of shoes to the third world. Feb 07, 2016 february 7, 2016 march 4, 2016 poetry shark poem analysis analysis, gcse, homelessness, literature, poem, poetry, poetry analysis, power, second person, simon armitage armitage highlights the selfishness and absurdity of our attitudes towards the homeless by having a homeless person speak them.
Armitage first studied at colne valley high school, linthwaite, huddersfield and went on to study geography at portsmouth polytechnic. Killing time by simon armitage goodreads share book. Seeing stars was shortlisted for the ts eliot prize and was a poetry book society choice. Wood engraving of beck this wood engraving by hilary paynter is one of seven reproduced in a limited edition 186 copies only book celebrating the stanza stones project. The poems in the middle section, becoming of age relate incidents, from other times, other. It concludes reading the banns, the third section of the book, which is an account of his own wedding. Im ugly because of what i did to that jellyfish with a lollystick and a big stone.
Simon armitage was born in marsden, west yorkshire. Simon armitage jamie dedes the poet by day webzine. Wife at home, lover in hyde, mistress in newtonlewillows and two pretty girls in the top grade at werneth prep. Now they are no longer any trouble to each other he can turn things over, get down to that list of things that never happened, all of the lost unfinishable business. Along with mark dotys atlantis, i picked up simon armitages book of matches without much of a thought. Essay on simon armitages book of matches 1966 words. Follow simon armitage and explore their bibliography from s simon armitage author page. Simon armitage aqa anthology for gcse universal teacher. The crafted sincerity of this potent, lyrical collection. Each poem is designed to relay the urgency of a struck match, packed with discoveries. His works were widely anthologized and have been broadly popular. Simon armitage, british poet, playwright, and novelist whose poetry is attuned to modern life and vernacular language and has been regarded as both accessible and revelatory. Bbc bradford and west yorkshire words interview with.
Simon armitage school of english university of leeds. Seeing stars was shortlisted for the ts eliot prize and was a poetry book. Armitages poetry collections include book of matches 1993 and the dead sea poems 1995. A firework display of technique, versatility and passion. Jun 25, 2015 over the course of six short films, simon armitage goes behind the scenes of some of his most famous poems to help viewers understand and visualise the building blocks that create them. The first part, the book of matches, is a series of sonnets. Jun 24, 2019 a book, containing the poems and the accounts of lonsdale and hall, was produced as a record of that journey and was published by enitharmon press in 2016 the arts program 1418 now commissioned a series of poems by simon armitage as part of a fiveyear program of new artwork created specifically to mark the centenary of the first world war. This beautiful poem is on the final page of simon armitages book of matches, a series of brilliant meditations on love. How simon armitage stole christmas january 14, 2011 january 14, 2011 davecoates it was a perfectly pleasant winters evening that could have been warmer, sure, but was tolerable enough, and simon armitage hated that, because he is awful. Simon robert armitage, cbe, frsl born 26 may 1963 is an english poet, playwright and novelist who has been poet laureate since 10 may 2019.
During what his wife sue described as a bit of a midlife crisis, armitage and his college friend craig smith founded the band the. Simon armitage talks about the stanza stones project and recites one of the poems. Nov 29, 2011 poem hunter all poems of by simon armitage poems. Productive and versital, armitages poetry collections include book of matches 1993 and the dead sea poems 1995. Essay on simon armitages book of matches 1966 words bartleby. The best poems by simon armitage selected by dr oliver tearle.
In 2019 armitage became poet laureate of great britain. The book is divided into three sections the book of matches which are sonnets, becoming of age and reading the bans. A muted collage, it follows an imagined trip on a rickety train from the pennines into the dangerous crowds of central. On 19 june 2015, armitage was elected to the parttime position of oxford professor of poetry, succeeding geoffrey hill. A book, containing the poems and the accounts of lonsdale and hall, was produced as a record of that journey and was published by enitharmon press in 2016 the arts program 1418 now commissioned a series of poems by simon armitage as part of a fiveyear program of new artwork created specifically to mark the centenary of the first world war. Book of matches simon armitage the official website. And also a new book edited by john fuller on the same subject. The context and other clues suggest this is a lover or friend someone he. Like other matches in the book, this is a short poem in a conversational style, but.
Jan 01, 1999 simon armitage, whose the shout was a finalist for the national book critics circle award, has published ten volumes of poetry and has received numerous honors for his work. At find thousands of poems categorized into thousands of categories. Simon robert armitage cbe born 26 may 1963 is an english poet, playwright and novelist. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Following on from yesterdays post, here are two more of simon armitages early poems. Autobiography in simon armitages book of matches cercles. Losing none of the exuberance which has become a hallmark of simon armitages poetry, these poems are more personal. Language is my enemy i spend my life battling with it the poet on creative chaos, the cathartic effect of table tennis and writing on the undersole of a slipper simon. Armitage s poetry collections include book of matches 1993 and the dead sea poems 1995. Simon armitage, oxford poetry professor, finds inspiration in the mundane the coming together of apparently incongruous concepts is something that i do a lot. Of all the doorways in the world to choose to sleep, ive chosen yours. Simon robert armitage, cbe, frsl born 26 may 1963 is an english poet, playwright and. To describe marsdenborn simon armitage as a west yorkshire poet is selling him short.
Youre beautiful because you stop to read the cards in newsagents windows about lost cats and missing dogs. Simon armitage was born in 1963 in marsden and lives in west yorkshire. Simon armitages first recording for the poetry archive was made on 12th july 2005 at the audio workshop, london, while his second was made at the soundhouse, london on 28th july 2016. Simon armitage, oxford poetry professor, finds inspiration. Avalon by simon armitage about this poet simon armitage was born in west yorkshire, england in 1963. Covers have been used as a form of advertising since 1894, two years after they were patented, and since then, have attracted people who enjoy the hobby of collecting. Losing none of the exuberance which has become a hallmark of simon armitage s poetry, these poems are more personal. But someone recently showed me a poem from this collection, i thought id write my own. In memory of water contains all the poems, details of their location, and the wood. These are both from his 1989 book zoom snow joke heard the one about the guy from heaton mersey. Give by simon armitage poetry analysis, gcse poetry. The title of simon armitages fifth collection of poems, the book of matches fa. Signed by the author on the title page, a very nice copy of his fourth book of verse, containing three distinct sections, book of matches, with 30 sonnets, becoming of age with 14 titled poems, and reading the banns, with 12 untitled poems on the subject of marriage.
His work combines wry colloquialism and humour with frequent poignancy, treating such perennial subjects as death, violence, and lost love with directness and wit. Simon armitage british poet, playwright, and novelist. Simon armitage, whose the shout was a finalist for the national book critics circle award, has published ten volumes of poetry and has received numerous honors for his work. The very first poem in the sequence book of matches from armitages collection of the same name draws the readers attention back to the pun in the title. Simon armitage has worked extensively in film, radio and television. He worked as a probation officer for six years before focusing on poetry. Youre beautiful because for you, politeness is instinctive, not a marketing campaign im ugly because desperation is impossible to hide. Aug 10, 20 simon armitage, from the book of matches faber, 1993 lifesaving poems. Each poem is accompanied by an original commissioned wood engraving illustration by hilary paynter. Simon armitage, from the book of matches faber, 1993 lifesaving poems. Until 1994 he worked as a probation officer in greater manchester. Oct 11, 1993 simon armitage, whose the shout was a finalist for the national book critics circle award, has published ten volumes of poetry and has received numerous honors for his work. If you liked this, why not try geoff hattersleys the only son at the fish n chip shop or peter sansoms k563. Over the course of six short films, simon armitage goes behind the scenes of some of his most famous poems to help viewers understand and visualise the building blocks that create them.
Don paterson, a poet from scotland, produced an anthology called 101 sonnets. To his lost lover poem simon armitage poems best poems. The guide gives detailed readings of poems by simon armitage, with ideas for study. Alan jenkins, bbc2 love poetry film, carol ann duffy, carol ann duffy adultery, film of to his lost lover, jospeh brodsky, lifesaving poems, lifesaving poetry, love poetry, poems, poetry, poets, simon armitage, simon armitage love poetry, simon armitage to his lost lover, to his lost lover, tony harrison, tony harrison jenny lind, tony harrison. Youre beautiful because youve never seen the inside of a carwash. The first poem of the sequence explains the rules of the game but ends with a.
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