SIR JOHN BETJEMAN REVISITED
Recently, I was delighted to find myself watching a most worthwhile "Parkinson" repeat from years
ago, in which the deservedly popular Sir John Betjeman featured as a guest, along with the likes of
the Oscar-winner Maggie Smith and the always erudite and entertaining Kenneth Williams.
But it was Sir John who preceded them into the Parkinson domain and who proceeded to delight the
audience with his self-deprecating charm and extracts from some of this best known poems. During
the interview. he passed an observation about poetry that stays with me after Parky mentioned that
poets seemed to write for themselves rather than for other people's pleasure - something that Sir
John could never be accused of in purely entertainment terms. He responded with the observation
that poetry should be (quote): "Simple, short, rhythmical and memorable". Words that many who
regard themselves as poets might profitably bear in mind as they strive to make their thoughts come
alive and have some meaning on the passing pages of human communication..
M.C. Newberry
Mon 22nd Jan 2024 13:07
RA - thanks for your comment. I remember now that I also have
somewhere a VHS tape of Sir John visiting some country towns admired by him A delightful stroll with places familiar to me
from days as a boy in Wiltshire. His love of his subject was
infectious and he deserves to be remembered as much for
championing the England he loved as for his poetry.