Kid is the second collection of poems by Simon Armitage, published in 1992. The book won a Forward Prize for Poetry.
 Cover of first edition | |
| Author | Simon Armitage |
|---|---|
| Genre | Poetry |
| Publisher | Faber and Faber |
Publication date | 1992 |
| Media type | Paperback |
| Awards | Forward Prize for Poetry |
| ISBN | 978-0571166077 |
| OCLC | 919570527 |
| Preceded by | Zoom! |
| Followed by | Book of Matches |
| Website | https://www.simonarmitage.com/kid/ |
Author edit
Simon Armitage is an English poet, playwright and novelist. He was appointed as Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom in 2019.[1] He is professor of poetry at the University of Leeds and became Oxford Professor of Poetry when he was elected to the four-year part-time appointment from 2015 to 2019. He was born and raised in Marsden, West Yorkshire.[2][3] At the start of his career, and at the time Kid was published, he was working as a probation officer.[4]
Book edit
Publication history edit
Kid, Armitage's second book of poetry,[5] was his first to be published by Faber and Faber, in 1992.[6][7]
Contents edit
The 48 poems in the collection, structured as a single list, include:
- "Kid" – the title poem, this is spoken by Batman's companion Robin.[6]
- "Brassneck" – the story of two thieves attempting to steal from a crowd at a football game.[8]
- "At Sea"[8]
- "Robinson's Resignation" – the story of a businessman.[8]
- "Great Sporting Moments: The Treble" – an exploration of class conflict.[8]
Reception edit
The collection was described by the poet and novelist Ruth Padel as being "Very Yorkshire; very Simon Armitage".[6] She wrote that the book "consolidated his name for technical virtuosity [and] black humour",[6] the voice having "a self-deprecatingly cocky self-centredness."[6] In her view, the first poem, "Brassneck", about a murderer, had "brilliant rhyme";[6] but she noted that some, especially poets, "found it less convincing than Zoom!."[6]
The book won a Forward Prize for Poetry in the "best first collection" category in 1992, the first year in which the prizes were awarded.[9]
References edit
- ^ "Simon Armitage: 'Witty and profound' writer to be next Poet Laureate". BBC News. 10 May 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
- ^ Flood, Alison (19 June 2015). "Simon Armitage wins Oxford professor of poetry election". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ "Biography » Simon Armitage – The Official Website". www.simonarmitage.com. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ McGuiness, Daniel (Winter 1995). "Book of Matches". The Antioch Review. 53 (1): 120. doi:10.2307/4613107. JSTOR 4613107.
- ^ Armitage, Simon (7 March 2020). "Magnetic fields: Simon Armitage on the pull of Marsden". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g Padel, Ruth (20 September 1997). "Heaven can wait". The Independent. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- ^ Armitage 1992, p. iv.
- ^ a b c d Wilkinson, Ben (7 November 2014). "Paper Aeroplane: Selected Poems 1989–2014 by Simon Armitage review – 'What surprises is how urgent and contemporary his early poems still read'". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- ^ "Forward Prize Alumni". Forward Arts Foundation. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
Bibliography edit
- Armitage, Simon (1992). Kid. London: Faber and Faber. ISBN 978-0-571-16607-7. OCLC 26530490.