Betjeman's Wykehamist - Probably not someone you want to have dinner with (although they would be cheap to feed)

The Wykehamist by Betjeman is a real delight. 

The Wykehamist is a composite of parts of the boys I met during my time at Winchester College.  

Although Winchester College has changed enormously since the poem was published, at lunch in College last year, I found that there are still boys who burst with enthusiasm about esoteric academic subjects. 

Betjeman is spot on with the interests, although, watching the boys hoeing into pudding, I doubt that the corner of a petit beurre, (possibly the most boring biscuit on the planet), would suffice.

Learn it by heart as a piece of performance poetry which you can pull out at dinner parties to awe the crowd.

 

 The Wykehamist by John Betjeman

Broad of Church and broad of mind,
Broad before and broad behind,
A keen ecclesiologist,
A rather dirty Wykehamist.
’Tis not for us to wonder why
He wears that curious knitted tie;
We should not cast reflections on
The very slightest kind of don.
We should not giggle as we like
At his appearance on his bike;
It’s something to become a bore,
And more than that, at twenty-four.
It’s something too to know your wants
And go full pelt for Norman fonts.
Just now the chestnut trees are dark
And full with shadow in the park,
And “Six o’clock!” St. Mary calls
Above the mellow college walls.
The evening stretches arms to twist
And captivate her Wykehamist.
But not for him these autumn days,
He shuts them out with heavy baize;
He gives his Ovaltine a stir
And nibbles at a petit beurre,
And, satisfying fleshy wants,
He settles down to Norman fonts