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
approval belief vow
Approval of what is approved of Is as false as a well-kept vow.
profound cages sound
Imprisoned in a cage of sound, even the trivial seems profound
missing strange granted
It's strange that those we miss the most Are those we take for granted.
horse silly naughty
Oh Wasn't it naughty of Smudges? Oh, Mummy, I'm sick with disgust. She threww me in front of the judges, And my silly old collar-bone's bust.
thinking people interest
I ought to warn you that my verse is of no interest to people who can think.
simple hymns two
There are two thing you need for a jolly good hymn.The first is a set of words that expresses the mood or sentiment of the worshipper.The second-and perhaps even more important- is a good tune..with a simple popular melody.
dear-lord waiting culinary
And now, dear Lord, I cannot wait Because I have a luncheon date.
loneliness lying clouds
And behind their frail partitions Business women lie and soak, Seeing through the draughty skylight Flying clouds and railway smoke. Rest you there, poor unbelov'd ones, Lap your loneliness in heat, All too soon the tiny breakfast, Trolley-bus and windy street!
sex regret deathbed
On out deathbeds we're not going to regret all the work we didn't do. We're going to regret all the sex we didn't have!
history sides given
History must not be written with bias, and both sides must be given, even if there is only one side.
passion past thinking
And I think it was the outline of that church tower at Belaugh against the sky which gave me a passion for churches so that every church I've past since I've wanted to stop and look in.
views luxury oil
Too many people in the modern world view poetry as a luxury, not a necessity like petrol. But to me it's the oil of life.
country jewels missing
Norfolk would not be Norfolk without a church tower on the horizon or round a corner up a lane. We cannot spare a single Norfolk church. When a church has been pulled down the country seems empty or is like a necklace with a jewel missing.
children dark sight
Childhood is measured out by sounds and smells and sights, before the dark hour of reason grows.