Could The Suicide be The Executive after a life of failure?

Could The Suicide be The Executive after a life of failure?

Although The Suicide might not be The Executive after a life of

failure, there is strong evidence that he is. The Suicide might not be

the Executive for an obvious reason and that is that the poets are

different. Louis McNeice might not have read John Betjeman’s poem ‘The

Executive’ and this could just be a coincidence but I strongly believe

the poets are talking about the same person.

There is good evidence that ‘The Suicide’ is ‘The Executive’. One good

point is that they are both set in the late 60’s. ‘The Executive’ is

because it says ‘I do some mild developing. The sort of place I need

is a quiet country market town ’, he is saying he needs a small town

so it is easier to get away with. ‘That’s rather run to seed’, this is

a metaphor that the town has got past it’s prime and not spending

money anymore like the flower – all its efforts go into making seeds

then after that it has gone past its prime and its pretty much

useless. This is the 60’s because there was not a licence of housing

until after this period of time. No one could just knock down

buildings then. Another aspect of the poem, which makes you consider

it is in the 60’s, is that Betjeman has written in his poem ‘I have a

Slimline briefcase’, which were only used around that time because

they are like the equivalent of modern palmtops. Therefore, if the

Executive was so rich he would have the best up to date technology to

show off for work. In ‘The Suicide’ it indicates that it is set in

the 60’s because McNeice writes in his poem ‘Through which he had

wandered deliciously till he stumbled’, which is a 60’s song.

‘The executive’ was so high flying, so cocky and arrogant. Betjeman is

satirising The Executive. He was so insecure about his life he had to

go talk himself up to strangers who probably don’t even care. ‘I am a

young executive’ this line shows he was talking to an older person and

it was not a woman because they were not any businesswomen then. You

can tell immediately that he is trying to sell himself to this other

person just from two lines ‘No cuffs than mine are cleaner; I have a

slimline briefcase and I use the firms Cortina’. He’s trying to say he

is so successful and rich he can afford all these expensive, modern

items like by saying ‘I’ve got a scarlet Aston Martin-and does she go?