Pam Ayres Biography | Poet

Pam Ayres is a contemporary and publically popular English poet, lyricist, comedian, and radio and television show entertainer. She was born on the 14th of March in 1947 in Stanford in the Vale, Berkshire, England. She is still producing more work in her late sixties today. Pam Ayres was appointed MBE in 2004 for her work as a poet and a general entertainer.

Educational Background

Many modern poets are celebrated and decorated academics who have taught at multiple famous universities and won many prestigious awards, often after attending these very famous universities themselves. Pam Ayres is an entertainer who had a fairly modest educational background. She was only fifteen when she left Faringdon Secondary School. She passed her O-levels in English and English literature while in the air force, but her educative background does not extend much further than that. Pam Ayres has natural talents that didn't have to be firmly developed through a strict regimen. She is a poet who could be considered a natural.

The Life and Times of Pam Ayres

Pam Ayres had an interesting early life even before she became one of Britain's funniest and most popular poets and entertainers. She was a member of the Women's Royal Air Force and a clerical assistant while she was still in her teens. She achieved success as an entertainer relatively early in life as well, so her life managed to be consistently intriguing.

Pam Ayres started her poetry career just by reading folk verses at an Oxfordshire folk club. She could have stayed that way for the rest of her life. In 1974, she was given the opportunity to read these verses at the BBC radio station in 1974. Her popular career was launched at around this point.

The Professional Distinctions of Pam Ayres

Pam Ayres is a less formal poet than many others that people are able to list off the top of their heads. Her poetry was considered part of the BBC's Pick of the Year series back in the 1970's, which helped signify the level of fame that she had and how much people liked her verses.

Some of her individual comic poems are particularly famous. On a poll about the top 100 comic poems in the United Kingdom, her poem Oh, I Wish I'd Looked After Me Teeth came in the tenth slot. In the years 1998 and 1999, she was in the top five best-selling British poets. Her poem book You Made Me Late Again is one of the most popular poem books that she has ever written to this date, and it was made available in 2013. Pam Ayres has been an MBE since 2004, which is one of the most important distinctions an entertainer can receive in England.

The Cultural Impact of Pam Ayres

Pam Ayres is a poet who skirts the boundaries between a poet and a radio personality and entertainer. Some of her popularity lies in her funny and distinct presentation style. Her work does translate well on the page, but her hilarious delivery is certainly part of the appeal. Given that her poems are so funny, calling her a comedian seems to be appropriate as well.

There's also the fact that she is essentially a song parodist, especially early in her career. The line between song lyrics and poetry starts to blur in some cases. Song lyrics are basically poetry set to music, and many of them are much more traditional than plenty of works of modern poetry. The fact that Pam Ayres lists Bob Dylan as an inspiration for writing poetry is certainly telling.

Her vision of poetry has always been very modern. Pam Ayres is out to make people laugh and not necessarily produce great art. However, many people would manage to say that she has done both. Her work has been taken seriously enough for her to be regarded in a serious light. A good portion of the poetry that is produced in academic environments today is read only by academics. The song lyrics of today get memorized by millions of people, and they are among the most living forms of poetry. Comedic poems are similar, giving Pam Ayres a broader audience than many poets will ever have. 

Official website: http://pamayres.com/