Alphabetical List of Sir John Betjeman’s Poems
NOTES
1. Abbreviations –
AFLC A Few Late Chrysanthemums (1954)
ANITA A Nip in the Air (1974)
CD Continual Dew (1937)
CHP Church Poems (1981)
CP Collected Poems (see note 2(a))
CP2001 Collected Poems New Edition including Uncollected Poems (2001)
EXCP Excluded from Collected Poems
HAL High and Low(1966)
HB Harvest Bells (2019)
MZ Mount Zion (1931)*
NBIOB New Bats in Old Belfries (1945)
NPSIBF Not published separately in book form
OLFNC Old Lights for New Chancels (1940)
PITP Poems in the Porch (1954)
PWA Poems written after 1954 (Not published separately in book form)
SJP Sir John Piers (1938)
SP Selected Poems (1948)
UP Uncollected Poems (1982)
*Recorded as 1932 on page v of Collected Poems.
2. (a) There are three complete versions of Collected Poems –
(i) The smaller format published in four editions from 1958 to 1988.
(ii) The larger re-set format published from 1988.
(iii) The “New Edition including Uncollected Poems”, published in 2001.
(b) The two page numbers following the index references to Collected Poems give the page number of the Fourth edition of version (i) followed by the page number applicable to both versions (ii) and (iii), (which are identical in this respect).
3. Additional page references indicate the original source when first published in book form. In view of the scarcity of Mount Zion, the page reference for Continual Dew is also given for poems which appear in both volumes.
4. The pages of Poems in the Porch are not numbered.
5. Poems marked with an asterisk * also show the original title in brackets.
6. Originally compiled by Roy Burton in 1995 and updated in 2003. This new alphabetical list includes the poems in Harvest Bells edited by Kevin Gardner and published in 2019.
INDEX TO THE POEMS
A
A Ballad of the Investiture 1969 CP-409-332: ANITA-51
A Bay in Anglesey CP-305-247: HAL-13
A Child III CP-224-180: AFLC-52
A Curate for Great Kirkby HB-102
A Good Investment HB-130
A Hike on the Downs CP-38-30: CD-20
A Lament for Middlesex HB-143
A Lament for Moira McCavendish CP-307-249: HAL-15
A Lincolnshire Church CP-173-141: [NPSIBF]
A Lincolnshire Tale CP-111-91: NBIOB-14
A Literary Discovery CP-249-199: AFLC-88
A Memory of 1940 HB-92
A Mind’s Journey to Diss CP414-336: ANITA-56
A Poem by My Old Bear Archibald HB-51
A Poet’s Prayer HB-76
A Romance UP-48: CP2001-366
A Russell Flint CP-340-277: HAL-53
A Sentimental Poem HB-30
A Seventeenth-Century Love Lyric EXCP: MZ-24
A Shropshire Lad CP-53-42: OLFNC-4
A Squib on Norman Cameron HB-38
A Subaltern’s Love-song CP-105-87: NBIOB-5
A Wembley Lad CP-389-315: ANITA-31
Aberdeen HB-93
A.D. 1980 HB-26
Advent 1955 UP-51: CP2001-369
Advertising Pays UP-31: CP2001-353
Agricultural Caress CP-343-279: HAL-56
Aldershot Crematorium CP-374-302: ANITA-16
*An/(The) Archaeological Picnic CP-116-95: NBIOB-20
An Ecumenical Invitation UP-64: 02001-380
An Edwardian Sunday, Broomhill, Sheffield CP-320-260: HAL-28
An Eighteenth-century Calvinistic Hymn CP-8-8: MZ-23: CD-29
An Impoverished Irish Peer CP-29-24: CD-12
An Incident in the Early Life of Ebenezer Jones, Poet, 1828 CP-62-49: OLFNC-16
Anglo-Catholic Congresses CP-325-265: HAL-37
Archibald UP-25: CP2001-349
Arts and Crafts EXCP: MZ-43
Autumn 1964 (FOR KAREN) CP-332-270: HAL-43
B
Back from Australia CP-399-323: ANITA-41
Beaumaris December 21, 1963 CP-370-299: ANITA-12
*Before Invasion, 1940/(Anticipation in Spring) CP-120-97: NBIOB-24
Before the Anaesthetic, or A Real Fright CP-130-106: NBIOB-36
Before the Lecture UP-56: CP2001-373
Beside the Seaside CP-157-128: SP-77
Big Business HB-78
Blackfriars CP-100-83: OLFNC-12
Blame the Vicar EXCP: PITP: CHP-63
Blisland, Bodmin HB-39
Bristol CP-108-89: NBIOB-11
Bristol and Clifton CP-71-56: OLFNC-27
Business Girls CP-226-181: AFLC-56
By the Ninth Green, St. Enodoc CP-299-241 : HAL-7
C
Castle Howard HB-144
Calvinistic Evensong CP-42-32: CD(Insert)-18/19
Camberley CP-10-10: MZ-41:CD-37
Caprice CP-360-291: HAL-75
Channel Crossing HB-54
Charterhouse School Song HB-62
Chelsea 1977 UP-79: CP2001-392
Cheltenham CP-52-41: OLFNC-3
Cheshire UP-30: CP2001-352
Chestnut Hair HB-79
Christmas CP-188-153: AFLC-10
Church of England thoughts occasioned by hearing the bells of Magdalen Tower from the Botanic Garden, Oxford, on St. Mary Magdalen’s Day CP-193-156: AFLC-15
Churchyards EXCP: PITP: CHP-52
*City/(When the Great Bell Booms) CP-37-29: CD-9
Civilized Woman UP-76: CP2001-389
Clash went the Billiard Balls CP-25-22: CD-10
Clay and Spirit EXCP: AFLC-62
Clay and Spirit HB-111
Clifton 1940 HB-80
Competition EXCP. MZ-30: CD-33
Cornish Cliffs CP-295-237: HAL-3
Country Silence HB-53
County CP-391-316: ANITA-33
Cricket Master (AN INCIDENT) CP-362-292: HAL-77 [in 1976 appended to Summoned by Bells, pages 111 to 115]
Croydon CP-12-11: MZ-47: CD-41
D
Dawlish HB-154
Death in Leamington CP-1-1: MZ-13: CD-23
*Death of King George V/(Daily Express) CP-45-35: CD-45
Dentist’s Dining Room HB-33
Delectable Duchy CP-379-306: ANITA-21
Devonshire Street W.1 CP-221-177: AFLC-48
Diary of a Church Mouse CP-258-205: PITP
Dilton Marsh Hall CP-396-321: ANITA-38
Distant View of a Provincial Town CP-20-18: CD-3
Dorset CP-40-31: CD(Insert)-18/19
Dumbleton Hall as by HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW UP-34:CP2001-355
E
East Anglian Bathe CP-136-112: NBIOB42
Edgware HB-73
Eighteenth Century Print HB-55
Electric Light and Heating EXCP: PITP
Emily Wren HB-46
Essex CP-196-158: AFLC-18
Eunice CP-268-214: [PWA 1954]
Evangelical Hymn HB-57
Exchange of Livings CP-34-27: CD-17
Executive CP-385-312: ANITA-27
Exeter CP-43-33: CD(Insert)-18/19
F
False Security CP-266-212: [PWA 1954]
Felixstowe, or The Last of Her Order CP-276-222: [PWA 1954]
Five O’Clock Shadow CP-339-276: HAL-50
For Nineteenth-century Burials CP-9-9: MZ-29: CD-3D
For Patrick, aetat: LXX CP-418-339: ANITA-60
14 November, 1973 CP-413-335: ANITA-55
From the Great Western CP-290-233: [PWA 1954]
Fruit CP-416-337: ANITA-58
G
Good-bye CP-338-275: HAL-49
Great Central Railway Sheffield Victoria to Banbury CP-314-256: HAL-22
Greek Orthodox To the Reverend T.P. Symonds CP-394-319: ANITA-36
Greenaway CP-231-184: AFLC-64
Group Life: Letchworth CP-69-55: OLFNC-25
Guilt UP-46: CP2001-365
Guyhirn Chapel of Ease HB-150
H
Harrow-on-the-Hill CP-181-148: AFLC-5
Harvest Bells HB-52
Harvest Hymn CP-350-284: HAL-63
Hearts Together CP-372-301: ANITA-14
Henley-on-Thames CP-101-84: NBIOB-1
Henley Regatta 1902 UP-43: CP2001-362
Hertfordshire CP-280-225: [PWA 1954]
Holy Trinity, Sloane Street MCMVII CP-59-47: OLFNC-13
Home Thoughts from Exile HB-41
House of Rest CP-201-161: AFLC-23
How to Get On in Society CP-254-203: AFLC-94
Hunter Trials CP-247-197: AFLC-86
Huxley Hall CP-199-160: AFLC-21
Hymn CP-3-3: MZ-17: CD-27
I
I.M. Walter Ramsden ob. March 26, 1947 Pembroke College, Oxford CP-208-166: AFLC-33
In a Bath Teashop CP-129-105: NBIOB-35
In Memory of Basil, Marquess of Dufferin and Ava CP-146-120:NBIOB-53
In Memory of George Whitby, Architect CP-377-305: ANITA-19
In Overcliffe HB-94
In the Public Gardens CP-291-234: [PWA 1954]
In Westminster Abbey CP-91-74: OLFNC-55
“In Westminster Abbey” EXCP: OLFNC-58 [in Welsh, by “GWYLIM”]
In Willesden Churchyard CP-328-266: HAL-39
Indoor Games near Newbury CP-151-124: SP-35
Inevitable CP-286-230: [PWA 1954]
Inexpensive Progress CP-354-286: HAL-67
Inland Waterway CP-417-338: ANITA-59
Interior Decorator UP-19: CP2001-344
Invasion Exercise on the Poultry Farm CP-126-102: NBIOB-31
*Ireland with Emily/(Sunday in Ireland) CP-121-98: NBIOB-25: SP-14
Ireland’s Own or The Burial of Thomas Moore CP-312-254: HAL-20
J
John Edward Bowle HB-121
K
Kegans UP-41: CP2001-361
L
La Cometa Moraira HB-142
Lake District CP-90-73: OLFNC-51
Late-Flowering Lust CP-214-171: AFLC-41
Lenten Thoughts of a High Anglican CP-383-310: ANITA-25
Lerici 1930 HB-56
Lines on the New Buildings, Magdalen College, Oxford, composed by The Reverend James Hurdis DD. (1763-1801), Sometime Fellow and Professor of Poetry at Oxford and added to by John Betjeman in 1980 EXCP: CHP-33
Lines Read at the Wing Airport Resistance Movement Protest Meeting, June 1970 HB-145
Lines w[W]ritten to Martyn Skinner before his Departure from Oxfordshire in Search of Quiet – 1961 CP-323-262: HAL-31
London Spreading HB-63
Loneliness CP-398-322: ANITA-40
Longfellow’s Visit to Venice CP-274-220: [PWA1954]
Lord Cozens Hardy CP-282-227: [PWA 1954]
Love in a Valley CP-27-23: CD-11
M
Margate, 1940 CP-124-100: NBIOB-28
Margate, 1946 HB-91
Matlock Bath CP-317-258: HAL-25
*May-Day Song for North Oxford (Annie Laurie Tune)/(Spring Morning in North Oxford) CP-118-96: NBIOB-22: SP-26
Meditation on a Constable Picture CP-387-314: ANITA-29
Meditation on the A30 CP-352-285: HAL-65
Middlesex CP-204-163: AFLC-26
Monody on the Death of a Platonist Bank Clerk AP-336-273: HAL-47
Monody on the Death of Aldersgate Street Station CP-270-216: [PWA 1954]
Mortality CP-357-288: HAL-70
Mother and I EXCP: MZ-27
Myfanwy CP-86-69: OLFNC-47
Myfanwy at Oxford CP-88-71: OLFNC-49
My Landlady’s Dog HB-149
N
N.W.5 & N.6 CP-288-231: [PWA 1954]
Narcissus CP-345-280: HAL-58
1940 UP-17: CP2001-342
1962 HB-127
1930 Commercial Style UP-44: CP2001-363
Nine O’Clock HB-45
Norfolk CP-210-168: AFLC-36
North Coast Recollections CP-166-135: SP-110
Not Necessarily Leeds HB-112
O
October Bells HB-95
Old Friends CP-303-245: HAL-11
Olney Hymns CP-95-78: OLFNC-63
On a Painting by Julius Olsson R.A CP-369-298: ANITA-11
On a Portrait of a Deaf Man CP-96-79: OLFNC-64
On an Old-Fashioned Water-Colour of Oxford (Early Twentieth-Century Date) CP-110-90: NBIOB-13
On Hearing the Full Peal of Ten Bells from Christ Church, Swindon, Wilts CP-133-109: NBIOB-39
On Leaving Wantage 1972 CP-367-296: ANITA-9
On Miss E. Badger, 9 Beverley Gardens, Wembley Park, Middlesex, Who Sat Opposite to Me on the GWR, Ascension Day, 1939 HB-77
On Seeing an Old Poet in the Café Royal CP-61-48: OLFNC-15
Order Reigns in Warsaw HB-81
Original Sin on the Sussex Coast CP-218-175: AFLC-45
Our Padre CP-32-26: CD-14
Oxford: Sudden Illness at the Bus-stop CP-68-54: OLFNC-223
P
Parliament Hill Fields CP-103-85: NBIOB-3
Pastoral Incident HB-37
Perp. Revival i’ the North CP-342-278: HAL-55
Pershore Station, or A Liverish Journey First Class CP-278-224: [PWA 1954]
Popular Song HB-44
Pot from a Surrey Garden CP-5745: OLFNC-9
Preface to “High and Low” CP-293-235: HAL-ix
Prologue Specially Written for the 70th Anniversary Gaiety Theatre, Dublin HB-83
Prologue Spoken by Peggy Ashcroft at the Opening of the Peggy Ashcroft Theatre, Croydon, 5 November 1962 HB-128
Public House Drunk CP-50-39: CD-6
R
Remorse CP-228-182: AFLC-58
Reproof Deserved or After the Lecture CP-358-289: HAL-73
Revenge HB-147
Rosemary Hall HB-87
S
St. Aloysius Church, Oxford EXCP: MZ-57
St. Aloysius Church, Oxford HB-61
St. Barnabas, Oxford CP-115-94: NBIOB-19
St. Bartholomew’s Hospital EXCP: CHP-24
St. Bartholomew’s Hospital HB-151
Saint Cadoc CP-98-81: OLFNC-66
St. Mary Magdalen, Old Fish Street Hill UP-71: CP2001-385
St. Mary’s Chapel of Ease HB-131
St. Mary-le-Strand HB-148
St. Saviour’s, Aberdeen Park, Highbury, London, N. CP-154-126: SP-42
Satires of Circumstance HB-64
School Song, English Translation by Bishop Betjeman EXCP: MZ-37
School song, Words by W.P.R.M.(1864-1923) and J.B.(1906-23) EXCP: MZ-36
Seaside Golf CP-206-165: AFLC-28
Senex CP-93-76: OLFNC-61
Septuagesima EXCP: PITP: CHP-58
Sezincote HB-35
Shattered Image CP-402-326: ANITA-44
Shetland 1973 UP-38: CP2001-358
Sir John Piers INTRODUCTION CP-74-59: SJP: OLFNC-31
Slough CP-22-20: CD-4
Sonnet HB-49
Sonnet HB-146
South London Sketch, 1844 CP-150-123: NBIOB-8
South London Sketch, 1944 CP-148-122: NBIOB-9
Station Syren CP-245-195: AFLC-84
Sudden Conversion HB-58
Suicide on Junction Road Station after Abstention from Evening Communion in North London CP-47-37: CD-8
Sun and Fun SONG OF A NIGHT-CLUB PROPRIETRESS CP-216-173:AFLC-43
Sunday Afternoon Service in St. Enodoc Church, Cornwall CP-138-113: NBIOB-44
Sunday Morning, King’s Cambridge CP-186-152: AFLC-3
Sweets and Cake HB-31
T
Tea with the Poets EXCP: CD-19
Tea with the Poets HB-75
The Arrest of Oscar Wilde at the Cadogan Hotel CP-18-16: CD-1
The Attempt CP-79-63: SJP-6: OLFNC-36
The Ballad of George R.Sims UP-73: CP2001-387
The City CP-7-7: MZ-22
The Cockney Amorist CP-348-282: HAL-61
The Commander CP-330-268: HAL-41
The Conversion of St. Paul UP-67: CP2001-382
The Corporation Architect HB-96
The Costa Blanca Two Sonnets CP-381-308: ANITA-23
The Cottage Hospital CP-222-178: AFLC-50
The Dear Old Village CP-235-187: AFLC-73
The Death of the University Reader of Spanish HB-99
The Divine Society HB-116
The Electrification of Lambourne End HB-70
The Empty Pew CP2001-395: [LETTERS VOL. ONE 439-440]
The Exile CP-81-65: SJP-7: OLFNC-39
The Fête Champêtre CP-76-61: SJP-4: OLFNC-33
The Finest Work in England: I.K. Brunel HB-132
The Flight from Bootle CP48-38: MZ-48: CD-39
The Friends of the Cathedral PITP: CP2001-393
The Garden City EXCP: MZ-54: CD-43
The Heart of Thomas Hardy CP-46-36: [NPSIBF]
The Heartless Heart’s Ease: A Lament by Tom Moore HB-66
The Hon. Sec. CP-333-271: HAL-44
The Irish Unionist’s Farewell to Greta Hellstrom in 1922 CP-144-118:NBIOB-50
The Last Laugh CP-420-341: ANITA-62
The Licorice Fields at Pontefract CP-191-155: AFLC-13
The Lift Man UP-23: CP2001-347
The Manor House, Hale, near Liverpool CP-400-324: ANITA-42
The Metropolitan Railway BAKER STREET STATION BUFFET CP-212-169:AFLC-38
The Most Popular Girl in the School HB-68
The Newest Bath Guide CP-375-303: ANITA-17
The Old Land Dog AFTER HENRY NEWBOLT UP-54: CP2001-371
The Old Liberals CP-229-183: AFLC-60
The Olympic Girl CP-233-186: AFLC-69
The Outer Suburbs EXCP: MZ-44: CD-38
The Outer Suburbs HB-60
The Parochial Church Council UP-58: CP2001-375
The Planster’s Vision CP-128-104: NBIOB-34
The Retired Postal Clerk UP-28: CP2001-351
The Return CP-82-66: SJP-8: OLFNC-41
The Sandemanian Meeting-House in Highbury Quadrant CP-17-15: MZ-32: CD-31
The Shires UP-63: CP2001-379
The Small Towns of Ireland CP-309-251: HAL-17
The Song of a Cold Wind HB-28
The St Paul’s Appeal HB-114
The Tailwaggers’ Friend HB-90
The Tamarisks HB-48
The Town Clerk’s Views CP-177-144: [NPSIBF]
The ‘Varsity Students’ Rag CP-5-5: MZ-19
The Village Inn CP-241-192: AFLC-80
The Weary Journalist EXCP: AFLC-71
The Weary Journalist HB-98
*The Wykehamist (To Randolph Churchill, but not about him.)/(To R.S.C.) CP-15-14: MZ-52: CD-22
The Wykehamist at Home EXCP: CD-21
The Wykehamist at Home HB-74
Thoughts in [on] a Train UP-37: CP2001-357
Thoughts on “The Diary of a Nobody” CP-272-218: [PWA 1954]
To Stuart Piggott, 1975 UP-77: CP2001-390
To the Crazy Gang UP-39: CP2001-359
To Uffington Ringers HB-86
Trebetherick CP-66-52: OLFNC-20
Tregardock CP-297-239: HAL-5
Tristernagh To-day CP-84-67: SJP-9: OLFNC-43
Tunbridge Wells EXCP: MZ-35: CD-35
U
Uffington CP-325-264: HAL-33
Undenominational CP-35-28: CD-18
Upper Lambourne CP-55-44: OLFNC-7
V
Variation on a Theme by Newbolt CP-284-229: [PWA 1954]
Variation on a Theme by T.W.Rolleston CP-256-204: AFLC-54
Verses turned in aid of A Public Subscription (1952) towards the restoration of the Church of St. Katherine Chiselhampton, Oxon CP-183-149: AFLC-7
Village Wedding HB-119
W
Wantage Bells CP-261-208: [PWA 1954]
Westgate-on-Sea CP-13-12: MZ-50: CD-44
Who Took Away HB-152
Winter Seascape CP-301-243: HAL-9
Winthrop Mackworth Redivivus CP-263-209: [PWA 1954]
Wisteria Branches HB-50
Woman Driver UP-72: CP2001-386
Work HB-43
Y
Ye Olde Cottage (Quite Near a Town) HB-27
Youth and Age on Beaulieu River, Hants CP-134-110: NBIOB40
Z
Zion HB-59