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John Betjeman

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Poet

The Resume

    (August 28, 1906-May 19, 1984)
    Born in London, United Kingdom
    Birth name was John Betjemann
    Wrote ‘Continual Dew’ (1937), ‘Old Lights for New Chancels’ (1940), ‘New Bats in Old Belfries’ (1945), ‘A Few Late Chrysanthemums’ (1954), ‘Summoned by Bells’ (1960) and ‘A Nip in the Air’ (1974)
    Hosted the TV shows ‘One Man’s County’ (1964), ‘Betjeman in Australia’ (1972), ‘Metro Land’ (1973), ‘A Passion for Churches’ (1974), ‘Queen’s Realm’ (1977) and ‘Time with Betjeman’ (1983)
    Poet Laureate (1972-84)

Why he might be annoying:

    He took his teddy bear with him to college.
    He failed to graduate from Oxford.
    C. S. Lewis, his tutor at Oxford, called him ‘an idle prig.’
    He nursed a bitter feud with Lewis the rest of his life.
    When he was named Poet Laureate, the Times called him ‘Teddy Bear to the Nation.’

Why he might not be annoying:

    When World War I broke out, he was bullied at school by children calling him a German spy.
    His family then dropped the second ‘n’ from their name to make it less Germanic.
    While he was living in Dublin during World War II, the IRA considered assassinating him as a British spy./n/The gunman assigned to kill him recognized his name and decided a poet could not also be a secret agent.
    Near the end of his life, an interviewer asked if he had any regrets. He replied, ‘Not having enough sex.’
    Nick Cave is a fan of his mix of humor and mortality.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 7 Votes: 14.29% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 9 Votes: 77.78% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 5 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 10 Votes: 30.0% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 10 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 7 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 13 Votes: 46.15% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 14 Votes: 78.57% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 16 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 25 Votes: 64.00% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 27 Votes: 74.07% Annoying
    In 2007, Out of 61 Votes: 63.93% Annoying