 |
 |
Also, as a poem that has popular > appeal - it has become part of the British consciousness (whatever that is). > It has a darkly funny quality that appeals to Brits. I don't think > Betjeman's politics are at all important to how the poem is received today. > The fact is the poem has qualities that are withstanding time. > Um, I'm a Brit and it doesn't appeal to me. For that matter none of the many Brits I know find it loveable. As I said, it relies on cliche, and part of that is a stereotyped notion of assumed audience, "the Brits", who all go on with this sort of thing. While celebrating Her Majesty's main action today which was to give the Knight of the Garter to those estimable worthies the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex, they have given so much to our society after all, I take it you know who they are. The quote has become known because it keeps getting aired:. 'Come, friendly bombs, fall on Slough' is, apart from being tasteless in the extreme, is weirdly petulant and hysterical. I guess you could say that the Betjeman of that poem is a kind of precursor of Kent Johnson. Best Dave ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tina Bass" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2006 6:20 PM Subject: Re: Betjeman howling (well sort of) > Dave, > > > the Betjeman poem is a compilation of cliche reactions to cliche, behind > > it > > is that telegenic old-buffer-to-be's fantasy vision of a Britain of > > Thatch'd, as he would have written it, cottages, happy and uneducated > > peasants. > > > > That the Betjemans of this world and all their ilk depend upon the profits > > to extracted from places like Slough must not be mentioned. > > > It is filled with cliche but I think the rhythmic relentlessness and the > hard rhymes give it a great deal of power. Also, as a poem that has popular > appeal - it has become part of the British consciousness (whatever that is). > It has a darkly funny quality that appeals to Brits. I don't think > Betjeman's politics are at all important to how the poem is received today. > The fact is the poem has qualities that are withstanding time. > > Tina