Betjeman

American  

[bech-uh-muhn] / ˈbɛtʃ ə mən /

noun

1. Sir John, 1906–84, English poet: poet laureate 1972–84.

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Betjeman British  

/ ˈbɛtʃəmən /

noun

1. Sir John . 1906–84, English poet, noted for his nostalgic and humorous verse and essays and for his concern for the preservation of historic buildings, esp of the Victorian era. Poet laureate (1972–84)

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Example Sentences

In reality, Ms. Allen argues, Betjeman was a maverick.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

He also struck up an unlikely, but long lasting friendship with the Poet Laureate, Sir John Betjeman, with whom he shared a passion for both Victoriana and for Cornwall.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2023

By 1961, he had become an important enough voice to discuss the state of poetry on television with John Betjeman, who would later be named Britain’s poet laureate.

From New York Times • Mar. 31, 2023

It’s just as well that John Betjeman was never a professor at Babson.

From The Guardian • Jan. 12, 2020

During the first half of the show, Frost interviewed John Betjeman, the poet laureate.

From The New Yorker • Feb. 25, 2019