Coronation: poems

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We had to leave John Betjeman’s 1960 blank-verse autobiography, Summoned by Bells, off the list, but if you’ve feasted on the ten shorter poems listed above and are hungry for more of Betjeman’s quintessentially English loveliness, you can read Summoned by Bells, and all of his other best poems, in John Betjeman Collected Poems , published by John Murray. Continue your English poetry odyssey with Philip Larkin’s best poems, the best Gerard Manley Hopkins poems, and the best poems of the First World War. The poem needs to be in portrait format, but should be no longer than one side of A4 paper or in an equivalent digital format.

Betjeman wrote ‘How to Get On in Society’ as part of a competition in Time and Tide magazine in December 1951, where Betjeman invited readers to write another stanza for the poem. A short analysis of the poem, along with a parody of Betjeman’s poem (which he proclaimed to be better than his own!), can be found here. The cloud is convinced to take the message because the yaksha, which I think is sort of an attendant spirit to a god of wealth, tells him what amazing landscapes and scenery he’s going to pass across. I thought it was a kind of hopeful, romantic gesture,” said Armitage. The illustrated poems need to be in portrait format and no longer than one sheet for A4 paper or in an equivalent digital format. The Council is accepting entries until 12:00pm on Friday 21 April. The coronation of King Charles III is an opportunity for English teachers. As we inhabit the ‘days of the King’, teachers have a role in making events accessible for students. In the English classroom, drawing parallels and encouraging discussions around fictional representations of kingship and the reality of the Coronation and the modern monarchy could prove productive.

Poetry is “by definition consoling” because “it often asks us just to focus and think and be contemplative”, said Armitage. East Cambridgeshire District Council’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. The organisation and judging of this competition is controlled by East Cambridgeshire District Council and its decision is final in every situation including any not covered above and no correspondence will be entered into.

The late, great Poet Laureate John Betjeman was among the congregation when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953 — and he wrote about it for Country Life. We're very proud to reproduce that article now — The Queen's Coronation: In The Abbey by John Betjeman. Entries are restricted to one entry per person. If you are under the age of 16, you must obtain permission from your parent/guardian before entering. East Cambridgeshire District Council does not accept any responsibility for late or lost entries. Proof of sending is not proof of receipt. Young people across East Cambridgeshire are being given the opportunity to write a poem to help celebrate King Charles III’s Coronation.

Please note that entries will not be returned, therefore, make a copy if you wish to retain a copy. At KS3, students could reflect on their own experiences and consider how the religious or the spiritual has enhanced their life or the life of a family member. They could do research about religious or spiritual elements in their lives or their family’s lives that means something to them. Once they have done this research, they could write their own poems about religion or spirituality." This was a great moment. Carrying the sceptre in one hand, the Rod in the other, with a golden train, and with a heavy Crown on her head, she ascended the Throne. There was no sense, to put it bluntly, of this being a balancing feat.

The poem was also influenced by a scene in Meghadūta in which an exile sends reassuring words to his wife in the Himalayas via a passing cloud.The crowd in the castle grounds cheeredat each mention of citiesand locations in the poem read out by Nesbitt, whose acting breakthrough in the romcom TV series Cold Feet led to further success on both the small and big screens. This poem reflects Betjeman’s fondness for his stuffed toy, and helps to explain why Betjeman became, for Britain, ‘the nation’s teddy bear’. Archibald, and Betjeman’s toy elephant Jumbo, were in his arms when he died in 1984. The Professor of Creative Writing was honoured to be asked to write the poem by BBC1 and the Palace on behalf of the Royal Society of Literature, of which he is the Chair.

Then from her chair she solemnly swears to govern her peoples to support the Law and the Church, and ratifies her oath at the Altar. At this point there is an excellent Protestant interpolation introduced in 1689 at the crowning of William and Mary, when she is presented with the Holy Bible. It was a good idea at this Coronation to have the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland saying “Here is Wisdom; this is the royal Law; these are the lively Oracles of God.” At all times, East Cambridgeshire District Council reserves the right in the event of circumstances arising outside of its control to cancel or change the competition at any stage.

I had what must have been one of the best seats in the Abbey. I was at the west of the South Transept sitting among many distinguished admirals, the least decorated and the least important person within sight. I could see the Throne itself on the “theatre” which is a golden carpeted space at the crossing of the Transepts. The Throne is a gilded chair upholstered in pink silk, almost like the kind of thing you see in the drawing room of an Irish Roman Catholic prelate. The competition is being run by East Cambridgeshire District Council over the Easter Holidays, with under 18s being asked to compile an illustrated poem entitled “If I were King Charles for the day.”