Product Description

John Betjeman was without question the most popular poet of the twentieth century and his poems have been bought and read by millions. He opened eyes to what before him had seemed ordinary but is now unforgettable. There is no other poet remotely like him and this collection of favourites is a perfect reminder of his extraordinary originality and appeal. It is perfect too for those who still have in store the pleasure of discovery.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #176768 in Books
• Published on: 2003-07-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 112 pages

Review
'A beautifully produced and attractive edition which would make a lovely gift' -- The Oldie He brings to poetry a sense of dramatic urgency it had all but lost. -- Philip Larkin, Guardian 'An excellent gift edition' -- Bookseller 20060605 'A lovely little anthology full of old friends' -- Nottingham Evening Post 20060605

About the Author
John Betjeman was born on August 28th, 1906, in London. He was educated at Magdalen College, Oxford. In 1931, his first book of poems, 'Mount Zion', was published by an old Oxford friend, Edward James. His second book was 'Ghastly Good Taste', a commentary on architecture, published in 1934. He was knighted in 1969 and was made Poet Laureate in 1972. John Betjeman died on May 19th 1984, at his home in Trebetherick. He was buried in the nearby church of St.Enodoc.

Customer Reviews

Betjeman
Somewhat disappointing - not my idea of his Best Loved poems. A cheap hardback on cheap paper.

A good selection, displaying Betjeman's great range - and his limitations
A fine collection of favourite Betjeman poems, showing both the poetic heights and the trite, versifying depths of which he was capable (`Longfellow's Visit to Venice' is a grim example of the latter). The collection covers a remarkable range of themes - here you'll find Betjeman on faith, sin and guilt/regret (`Late-flowering lust', `Sun and fun', `Remorse'); on the fear of death (`Senex'); and on death made banal (`Death in Leamington'). Poems on architecture abound, too, as well as on the changing landscapes, both literal and social, of twentieth century life, with its whimsical little conventions (`Hunter Trials'), loneliness (`Business Girls') and childhood fears ('Original Sin on the Sussex Coast'). And we see (too much of ?) Betjeman's predilection for buxom women (`A subaltern's love-song', `The Olympic girl').

Perhaps because it's such a wide-ranging collection, we see the faults, too: the irritating changes of tone, the refusal to remain serious when he has created moments of high solemnity, as in the final lines of `In Westminster Abbey': `And now, dear Lord, I cannot wait/Because I have a luncheon date'. Betjeman is at his best when giving full and unfettered rein to his spirituality and his insecurities; or when he fuses together in one poem his different passions, as in `Sunday Morning, King's Cambridge', with its happy marriage of architectural detail, finely observed, and the sense of the worship of the eternal captured in a moment. Highly recommended for those wanting to explore the extraordinary range of Betjeman's poetry, and glimpse something of the complex man behind them.