Roger Woddis
Encyclopedia
Roger Woddis was a writer and humorous poet
. One of his most famous poems, Ethics for Everyman, deals with double-morality of ethical principles.
His early writing career included some involvement with Unity Theatre, London
, where he contributed material to a number of revues.
His poetry featured regularly in Radio Times and other periodicals in the 1970s. During much of the 1980s and early '90s, he had his own weekly poem in the humour magazine Punch
: titled "Subverse". This consisted each week of a humorously subversive political poem, often dealing with recent events. He was also New Statesman
s weekly poet until months before his death, succeeding 'Sagittarius' (Olga Katzin) in 1970 and, before her, Reginald Reynolds
; and succeeded by Bill Greenwell.
His poems featured topics such as the Vietnam war, miners strikes, and apartheid.
He also wrote for television, including Hammer into Anvil, an episode of The Prisoner
which is generally considered the most literate episode of that highly literate series: several pieces of classical music figure in the plot; one character quotes Goethe in the original German, and another character quotes Don Quixote in the original Spanish.
Much of Woddis's writing was openly sympathetic to leftist political causes, including communism
. Woddis's obituary in The Times
confirmed that he had been a member of Britain's communist party.
His poems include Ethics for Everyman and Down with Fanatics
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
. One of his most famous poems, Ethics for Everyman, deals with double-morality of ethical principles.
His early writing career included some involvement with Unity Theatre, London
Unity Theatre, London
The Unity Theatre was a theatre club formed in 1936, and initially based in St Judes Hall, Britannia Street, Kings Cross, in 1937 they moved to a former chapel in Goldington Street, near St Pancras, in the London Borough of Camden. Although the theatre was destroyed by fire in 1975 productions...
, where he contributed material to a number of revues.
His poetry featured regularly in Radio Times and other periodicals in the 1970s. During much of the 1980s and early '90s, he had his own weekly poem in the humour magazine Punch
Punch (magazine)
Punch, or the London Charivari was a British weekly magazine of humour and satire established in 1841 by Henry Mayhew and engraver Ebenezer Landells. Historically, it was most influential in the 1840s and 50s, when it helped to coin the term "cartoon" in its modern sense as a humorous illustration...
: titled "Subverse". This consisted each week of a humorously subversive political poem, often dealing with recent events. He was also New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
s weekly poet until months before his death, succeeding 'Sagittarius' (Olga Katzin) in 1970 and, before her, Reginald Reynolds
Reginald Reynolds
Reginald Arthur Reynolds was a British left wing writer.A Quaker, he was General Secretary of the No More War Movement 1933-1937....
; and succeeded by Bill Greenwell.
His poems featured topics such as the Vietnam war, miners strikes, and apartheid.
He also wrote for television, including Hammer into Anvil, an episode of The Prisoner
Hammer Into Anvil
"Hammer into Anvil" is an episode of the 1960s television program The Prisoner. It is one of the minority of episodes that do not deal with Number Six attempting to escape or the Village authorities attempting to coerce him into revealing information....
which is generally considered the most literate episode of that highly literate series: several pieces of classical music figure in the plot; one character quotes Goethe in the original German, and another character quotes Don Quixote in the original Spanish.
Much of Woddis's writing was openly sympathetic to leftist political causes, including communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
. Woddis's obituary in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
confirmed that he had been a member of Britain's communist party.
His poems include Ethics for Everyman and Down with Fanatics
External links
- http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-roger-woddis-1486206.html Obituary in The IndependentThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...