John Betjeman
John Betjeman
Sir John Betjeman, CBEwas an English poet, writer, and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack". He was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1972 until his death...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth28 August 1906
majesty delight norfolk
I am still reeling with delight at the soaring majesty of Norfolk.
rewards crowns lord
Lord, reserve for me a crown, And do not let my shares go down.
thinking ifs
I don't think I am any good. If I thought I was any good, I wouldn't be.
home garden people
People's backyards are much more interesting than their front gardens, and houses that back on to railways are public benefactors.
flower clouds silver-bells
And London shops on Christmas Eve Are strung with silver bells and flowers As hurrying clerks the City leave To pigeon-haunted classic towers, And marbled clouds go scudding by The many-steepled London sky
visions-of-the-future towers fields
I have a Vision of the Future, chum. The workers flats in fields of soya beans tower up like silver pencils, score on score.
surprise mark verses
One mark of good verse is surprise
hymns tunes folks
Hymn tunes are the nearest we've got to English folk music..
country topography fear-of-death
Topography is one of my chief themes in my poetry..about the country, the suburbs and the seaside... then there come's love... and increasingly; the fear of death.
hymns people
Hymns are the poetry of the people.
sunset eye mind
What the Londoner sees in his mind’s eye is that cluster of towers and pinnacles seen from Pentonville Hill and outlined against a foggy sunset, and the great arc of Barlow’s train shed gaping to devour incoming engines, and the sudden burst of exuberant Gothic of the hotel seen from gloomy Judd Street…
mistake bombs sake
Gracious Lord, oh bomb the Germans. Spare their women for Thy Sake, And if that is not too easy, We will pardon Thy Mistake. But, gracious Lord, whate'er shall be, Don't let anyone bomb me.
girl twilight hands
Oh! full Surrey twilight! importunate band! Oh! strongly adorable tennis-girl's hand!
running men land
Old men who never cheated, never doubted, Communicated monthly, sit and stare At the new suburb stretched beyond the run-way Where a young man lands hatless from the air.