Andrew motion harry patch poem

The former soldier who had fought at passchendaele died in 2009 aged 111. Inside out west has commissioned the poet laureate andrew motion to compose a new work in honour of harry patch, our last survivor of the. Andrew motion visits the 110yearold survivor of the first world war trenches. Sir andrew motion frsl born 26 october 1952 is an english poet, novelist, and biographer, who was poet laureate of the united kingdom from 1999 to 2009. At hull university he taught english and worked alongside philip larkin, another acknowledged mentor, whose official biographer he later became.

Harry had specifically invited representatives of germany to his funeral, in a spirit of reconciliation. The former uk poet laureate, andrew motion composed a poem, the death of harry patch, which he read for the first time on the world at one radio 4 programme on. I was invited by the bbc to go and meet the famous harry patch, the longest lived british soldier whod fought in the first. The former uk poet laureate, andrew motion composed a poem, the death of harry patch, which he read for the first time on the world at one. Auden and wrote on the poetry of welsh poet edward thomas for his mlitt. The reader is immediately taken to tense moments at dawn when it appears that a young captain is about to lead his troops over the top. He attended radley college in the late 1960s and began reading the work of thomas hardy, john keats, and william wordsworth. Andrew motions poignant the death of harry patch marks the passing of the oldest british veteran of the great war. A curve is a straight line caught bending and this one runs under. To mark armistice day, the former poet laureate andrew motion reads his poem, the death of harry patch, about the last remaining world war i veteran who died last year. The life of harry patch towards the end of my laureate decade, so it must have been about 20082009, i was invited by the bbc to go and meet the famous harry patch, the longestlived british soldier whod fought in the first world war, because they wanted me to take part in a programme about him, specifically to write a poem about him. Andrew motion, the former poet laureate, recalls the modesty and wisdom of the last authentic voice of the first world war. The five acts of harry patch thats how the light gets in.

The former uk poet laureate, andrew motion composed a poem, the death of harry patch, which he read for the first time on the world at one radio 4 programme on armistice day 2010. In 2012, he became president of the campaign to protect rural england, taking over. Andrew motion visits the 110yearold survivor of the first world war. The song was about the horrors of the trenches and patch read part of the poem for the fallen. Andrew motion s poignant the death of harry patch marks the passing of the oldest british veteran of the great war. A curve is a straight line caught bending and this one runs under the kitchen window where the.

The five acts of harry patch the last fighting tommy by andrew motion. On this page you can read andrew motion s excellent poem and listen to radioheads moving song. Harry patch is rather a wonderful old gentleman, and. I remember last november, in meeting harry, andrew motion was invited by the bbc to visit the 110yearold survivor of the trenches. Andrew motion was born in london and raised in stisted, essex. The five acts of harry patch the last fighting tommy by andrew motion i. Henry john patch 17 june 1898 25 july 2009, dubbed in his later years the last fighting. Andrew motion wrote a poem in his honour, the five acts of harry patch, and there was also the autobiography, the last fighting tommy. Death of harry patch by andrew motion when the next morning eventually breaks, a young captain climbs onto the fire step, knocks ash from his pipe then drops it still warm into his pocket, checks his watch, and places the whistle back between his lips. He read english at oxford university, where he worked with w. Death of harry patch by andrew motion poetry in surrey. During the period of his laureateship, motion founded the poetry archive, an online resource of poems and audio recordings of poets reading their own work. Andrew motion, harry patch, and the poetry of war write out loud. Andrew motion composed a poem, the death of harry patch, which he read for the first time on the world at one radio 4 programme on armistice day 2010.