Pleasure Steamers

by Motion

The Pleasure Steamers is Andrew Motion's first collection of poems. Formally adventurous, in the way his work has continued to be, the collection explores relationships, geographies and the legacy of the past to the present. Long sequences such as Inland and Anniversaries are interspersed with short, sharp lyrics which display the control, flare and delicacy which are the hallmarks of the Poet Laureate.

Genres: Poetry

Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

(2.5) Motion is a former UK Poet Laureate, so in the past I’ve felt bad for not being able to get through a whole collection by him. Only a few poems stood out here, the rest forming a nice-enough mesh of nature observation, historical fiction, and autobiographical reflection. “In the Attic” reminded me strongly of an early poem by Blake Morrison – both are about the loss of a child. “Wistman’s Wood” was my favourite as it’s a Devon site I know and love. I also enjoyed “No News from the Old Country,” which contrasts England with Vermont and has a Robert Frost feel to it.