THE WYKEHAMIST
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 knotted 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-tilt 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 fleshly wants / He settles down to Norman fonts.
John Betjeman, 1932