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Harvest Hymn
-- John Betjeman.

Sir John Betjeman, was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself

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in who is who as a "poet and hack". He was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from

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1972 until his death.

He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of

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Victorian architecture. Starting his career as a journalist, he ended it as one of the most

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popular British poet Laureate and a much-loved figure on British television.

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Betjeman's poems are often humorous, and in broadcasting he exploited his bumbling and
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fogeyish image. His wryly (dryly humorous often with a touch of irony) comic verse is
accessible and has attracted a great following for its satirical and observant grace. Auden
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said in his introduction to Slick but Not Streamlined, "so at home with the provincial gas
lit towns, the seaside lodgings, the bicycle, the harmonium." His poetry is similarly
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redolent of time and place, continually seeking out intimations of the eternal in the
manifestly ordinary. There are constant evocations of the physical chaff and clutter that
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accumulates in everyday life, the miscellanea of an England now gone but not beyond the
reach of living memory.
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In a 1962 radio interview he told teenage questioners that he could not write about
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'abstract things', preferring places, and faces.

What is the poem about?

The poem ‘Harvest Hymn’ is written by John Betjeman. The poem is a lament on modern
man’s exploitation of nature. Today’s man, the so called modern man doesn’t hesitate to
damage nature for his selfish ends. He is quite foolish in harming nature by harming
himself.

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Questions and Answers:

1. We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see

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The poem ‘Harvest Hymn’ is written by John Betjeman. The poem is a lament on modern
man’s exploitation of nature. The farmer of today doesn’t feel any attachment to his land.

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He regards it as a commodity. His only objective is to become rich by squeezing it in

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every possible way. Every inch of land is used for cultivation. He sprays harmful and
deadly chemicals and pesticides on the crops. They seep in to the soil and spoil the earth.

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The land becomes polluted and infertile. But the selfish farmer, the so called modern
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farmer doesn’t care about the damage to environment and to the earth. He doesn’t
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hesitate to sell the land for profit even if the buyer transforms it into a huge organic
factory that releases poisonous wastes.
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2. Modern technology
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Owes ecology
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An apology. (Alan M. Eddison)

Illustrate man’s callous attitude to nature as given in the poem ‘Harvest

The poem ‘Harvest Hymn’ is written by John Betjeman. The poem is a lament on modern
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man’s exploitation of nature. Today’s man doesn’t hesitate to damage the environment
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for his own profit and selfish ends. Today’s farmer does not feel any attachment to his
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land. He thinks it a commodity and uses every inch of land for cultivation. He sprays
harmful and deadly chemicals and pesticides on the crops. They seep in to the soil and
spoil the earth. The land becomes polluted and infertile. But the selfish farmer, the so
called modern farmer doesn’t care about the damage to environment and to the earth. He
doesn’t hesitate to sell the land for profit even if the buyer transforms it into a huge

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organic factory that releases poisonous wastes. The natural resources get depleted. But
the modern farmer is least bothered about this. He does not care about the damage he is
causing to the environment. The oak trees, the flora and fauna, small hillocks and
cottages, which were handed down are mercilessly destroyed by him. He sells the land or
puts it for commercial purposes. He builds big houses with many facilities. He has a TV
set, a huge refrigerator in his kitchen, a large fancy car like Jaguar in his garage. He takes

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whatever he can from the earth but gives nothing in return.

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Annotations:

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1. We like whatever help us

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To line our purse with pence.

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Introduction: These lines are taken from the poem ‘Harvest Hymn’ written by John
Betjeman. He was an English writer and broadcaster. He was Poet Laureate of the United
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Kingdom from 1972 until his death. The poem is a lament on modern man’s exploitation
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of nature.

Context: Today’s man doesn’t hesitate to damage the environment for his own profit and
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selfish ends. Today’s farmer does not feel any attachment to his land. He regards it as a
commodity. His only objective is to become rich by squeezing it in every possible way.
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Meaning: Every inch of land is used for cultivation. He sprays harmful and deadly
chemicals and pesticides on the crops. They seep in to the soil and spoil the earth. The
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land becomes polluted and infertile. But the selfish farmer, the so called modern farmer
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doesn’t care about the damage to environment and to t hesitate to sell the land for profit
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even if the buyer transforms it into a huge organic factory that releases poisonous wastes
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he earth. He does not care about the damage he is causing to the environment. The oak
trees, the flora and fauna, small hillocks and cottages, which were handed down are
mercilessly destroyed by him as they don’t contribute anything to his profits.

Comment: The modern man is ready to do anything to fatten his purse. He just wants his
desires to be fulfilled. He is least bothered about environment.

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2. All concrete sheds around us

And Jaguars in the yard

The telly lounge and deep freeze

Are ours from working hard.

Introduction: These lines are taken from the poem ‘Harvest Hymn’ written by John

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Betjeman. He was an English writer and broadcaster. He was Poet Laureate of the United

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Kingdom from 1972 until his death. The poem is a lament on modern man’s exploitation
of nature.

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Context: Today’s man doesn’t hesitate to damage the environment for his own profit and

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selfish ends. Today’s farmer does not feel any attachment to his land. He thinks it a
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commodity and uses every inch of land for cultivation. He sprays harmful and deadly
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chemicals and pesticides on the crops. They seep in to the soil and spoil the earth. The
land becomes polluted and infertile.
ed

Meaning: He sells the land or puts it for commercial purposes. He builds big houses with
many facilities. He has a TV set, a huge refrigerator in his kitchen, a large fancy car like
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sh

Jaguar in his garage. He takes whatever he can from the earth but gives nothing in return.

Comment: The modern man believes that he has worked very hard and is entitled for a
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life of luxury.
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3. We give no compensation
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The earth is ours today.

And if we lose on arable,

The bungalows will pay.

Introduction: These lines are taken from the poem ‘Harvest Hymn’ written by John
Betjeman. He was an English writer and broadcaster. He was Poet Laureate of the United
Kingdom from 1972 until his death. The poem is a lament on modern man’s exploitation
of nature.

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 [Link]

Context: Today’s man doesn’t hesitate to damage the environment for his own profit and
selfish ends. Today’s farmer does not feel any attachment to his land. He thinks it a
commodity and uses every inch of land for cultivation. He sprays harmful and deadly
chemicals and pesticides on the crops. They seep in to the soil and spoil the earth. The
land becomes polluted and infertile.

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Meaning: The farmer of today doesn’t feel any attachment to his land. He regards it as a
commodity. His only objective is to become rich by squeezing it in every possible way.

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He wants to become rich by doing any harm to the earth. He sprays harmful and deadly
chemicals and pesticides on the crops. They seep in to the soil and spoil the earth. The

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land becomes polluted and infertile.

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Comment: Once the land becomes infertile, he sells it or puts it to commercial purposes,
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making quick and easy profits. He takes everything from it but gives nothing in return.
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