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

John Betjeman, for example, was for a time England’s bestselling poet, until his optimism, traditionalism and accessibility earned him the smear of being “retrograde.”

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

After the break, he continued talking to Betjeman.

From The New Yorker • Feb. 25, 2019