Andrew Motion Found Sacred Text in Wilfred Owen Poetry

Former poet laureate Andrew Motion shared his formative reading experiences, highlighting the significant influence of Wilfred Owen's poetry on his intellectual and creative development. Motion recalled his earliest reading memory involving "My Father's Dragon" by Ruth Stiles Gannett, a book given to him by his grandmother when he was approximately seven years old, which he found both amusing and ingenious. His parents, who were more inclined towards outdoor activities, did not emphasize reading, with his father claiming to have read only half a book in his life and his mother reading a few novels annually.

During his teenage years, Motion encountered "White Eagles Over Serbia" by Lawrence Durrell at his first school. Despite his parents deeming it "unsuitably violent," he enjoyed carrying the book as a symbol of his perceived maturity. A more profound literary awakening occurred at his secondary school when his history teacher read excerpts from Wilfred Owen's poetry as part of a World War I study. This exposure immediately ignited Motion's passion for poetry. He later purchased Owen's "Collected Poems," which became, and remains, a "sacred text" for him, deeply shaping his appreciation for the art form.