Tuesday 25 June 2013

Tuesday Poem: "Advice to Chaps from Parents" by Sir Don Betjeman (via John Clarke, humourist)


Whatever you do, don't touch yourself down there, 

And if you want to know something, ask me, 

Or if I'm not available, a prayer; 

For God's sake don't ask Uncle Dorothy. 

     -- Sir Don Betjeman

The above poem comes from John Clarke's landmark collection, The Even More Complete Book of Australian Verse. 

Up until Clarke's discoveries, many poets were thought to be foreign. It is now known that the centre of world literature is, of course, Australia. 

Sir Don Betjeman represented Victoria in cricket, tennis, golf and car-spotting. He wrote the Shell Guide for Victorian Motorists. He worked in television during the 1960s and released the names of every architect employed on the Albury-Wodonga Development project. He lived in Malvern and was King of Moomba in 1972. 

6 comments:

  1. Good old John Clarke! A little gem this one :-)

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  2. John Clarke always makes me laugh. He's a comic genius as far as I'm concerned.

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  3. The funniest bit was the addendum - "Up until Clarke's discoveries, many poets were thought to be foreign. It is now known that the centre of world literature is, of course, Australia."
    Australia?
    Reread
    You mean NZ?
    Reread
    No definitely Australia was the word intended... ;)

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  4. Well, AJ, John Clarke, although a Kiwi, has been based in Australia since late 70s or early 80s so I guess he feels more on home ground satirising Australia and Australians.

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