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JOHN BETJEMAN - Poet, essayist and broadcaster was born on 28th August 1906 near Highgate, London. He had a great love for all things Victorian and during his life did much to encourage interest in the preservation of fine architecture.  In 1969 he was knighted and he became Poet Laureate in 1972.

It appears that his childhood was a lonely one - in fact his only friend seems to have been his teddy bear Archibald.

This is a short extract from his blank verse autobiography "Summoned by  Bells"  (In the first line, the reference is to the 1914-18 war)

Safe were those evenings of the pre-war world

When firelight shone on green linoleum;

I heard the church bells hollowing out the sky,

Deep beyond deep, like never-ending stars,

And turned to Archibald, my safe old bear,

Whose woollen eyes looked sad or glad at me,

Whose ample forehead I could wet with tears,

Whose half-moon ears received my confidence,

Who made me laugh, who never let me down.

I used to wait for hours to see him move,

Convinced that he could breathe. One dreadful day

They hid him from me as a punishment:

Sometimes the desolation of that loss

Comes back to me and I must go upstairs

To see him in the sawdust, so to speak,

Safe and returned to his idolator.

John Betjeman died on 19th May 1984 at his home in Trebetheric, Cornwall and was buried at nearby St.Enodoc's Church.

"Summoned by Bells" was published in 1960 by John Murray and a later edition with illustrations by Hugh Casson was published by Murray in 1989

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The Kiyomizu-dera temple at Kyoto in Japan is a wooden structure built on the side of a mountain. It has its origins in the year 798, but the present building dates from 1633. The Japanese have a saying “to jump off the stage at Kiyomizu” - the English equivalent is “to take the plunge.” It appears that at one time certain brave (or foolish) people would jump from the stage there, a 13m jump, and those who survived would have their wish granted.

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AS I GREW OLDER

Langston Hughes 1902-67

It was a long time ago.
I have almost forgotten my dream.
But it was there then,
In front of me,
Bright like a sun -
My dream.

And then the wall rose,
Rose slowly,
Slowly,
Between me and my dream.
Rose until it touched the sky -
The wall.

Shadow.
I am black.
I lie down in the shadow.
No longer the light of my dream before me,
Above me.
Only the thick wall.

Only the shadow.
My hands!
My dark hands!
Break through the wall!
Find my dream!

Help me to shatter this darkness,
To smash this night,
To break this shadow
Into a thousand lights of sun,
Into a thousand whirling dreams
Of sun!

Langston Hughes was a famous American poet, social activist, novelist and playwright

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"Pokarekare Ana" is a traditional Maori song which dates from the time of the First World War. The singer here is Hayley Westenra the New Zealand classical crossover artist and song writer. She serves as a UNICEF Ambassador. The video, which provides an English translation, was uploaded by AedeusLeonora

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JOHN'S QUIET CORNER
is updated every Friday

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