"Slough"

Paper Summary:

The paper looks at the poem "Slough" by John Betjeman that refers to a British town of that name and the poor living conditions then in evidence. The paper relates that the poet calls for the complete obliteration of the town by bombs. The paper shows how the poem has a satiric quality. The paper conveys the effectiveness of the poet at communicating his anger and the causes of that anger.

From the Paper:

"The food in the town is all "tinned," meaning it is in cans because no one can grow any food in this area. The last line of the stanza, referring to "Tinned minds, tinned breath" suggests that the people in the town have also been separated from humanity and made into commodities unable to think for themselves. The repetition of the word "tinned" creates an image that is quite strong."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Brooke, Jocelyn. John Betjeman. Biographies. February 20, 2007. http://www.ourcivilisation.com/smartboard/shop/brookej/btjmn/chap1.htm.
• Cooper, Robert M. The Literary Guide and Companion to Middle England. Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Press, 1993.
• Manwaring, Randle. "John Betjeman--A Centenary View." Contemporary Review (Summer, 2006), 25.
• Stanford, Derek. John Betjeman: A Study. N. Sperarman, 1961.
• Taylor-Martin, Patrick. John Betjeman, His Life and Work. University of Michigan, 1983.

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