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
baby seen tale tremendous
And is it true? And is it true, / This most tremendous tale of all, / Seen in a stained-glass window's hue, / A Baby in an ox's stall?
left
The Church's Restoration / In eighteen-eighty-three / Has left for contemplation / Not what there used to be.
gas
The gas was on in the Institute, / The flare was up in the gym.
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.
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.