John Betjeman, Author at The Imaginative Conservative

About John Betjeman

Sir John Betjeman, CBE, was an English poet, writer, and broadcaster. He was Poet Laureate from 1972 until his death. He was a founding member of The Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture, helping to save St Pancras railway station from demolition. He began his career as a journalist and ended it as one of the most popular British Poets Laureate and a much-loved figure on British television.

“Advent 1955”

By John Betjeman|2023-12-10T14:32:25-06:00December 9th, 2023|Categories: Advent, Christmas, Poetry, Timeless Essays|Tags: Advent|

The Advent wind begins to stir With sea-like sounds in our Scotch fir, It's dark at breakfast, dark at tea, And in between we only see Clouds hurrying across the sky And rain-wet roads the wind blows dry And branches bending to the gale Against great skies all silver pale The world seems travelling into [...]

“Christmas”

By John Betjeman|2023-12-10T14:00:32-06:00December 25th, 2012|Categories: Christmas, Poetry|

The bells of waiting Advent ring, The Tortoise stove is lit again And lamp-oil light across the night Has caught the streaks of winter rain. In many a stained-glass window sheen From Crimson Lake to Hooker’s Green. The holly in the windy hedge And round the Manor House the yew Will soon be stripped to [...]