Ted Hughes became Poet Laureate in 1984 on the death of John Betjeman, but which poet declined the offer to succeed Betjeman?
Works of John Betjeman thought him "a true original", and considered that he was "whimsical, imprudent, shrewd, humorous, disarming, always something of an "enfant terrible". The poet Philip Larkin wrote that Betjeman "was not only the best loved poet, but one of the best loved men of our time", while his biographer, the academic John Clarke, described him as a "unique figure in twentieth-century English poetry, enjoying a degree of fame and success unequalled by any poet since Byron". Betjeman was broadcast in numerous radio performances, although no full record exists. Most were on British radio, although he also made recordings for American radio.
John Betjeman John Betjeman Sir John Betjeman (; 28 August 190619 May 1984) was an English poet, writer, and broadcaster who described himself in "Who's Who" as a "poet and hack". He was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1972 until his death. He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture. He began his career as a journalist and ended it as one of the most popular British Poets Laureate and a much-loved figure on British television. Betjeman was born John Betjemann. He was the son of a prosperous silverware maker of Dutch