"The Arrest of Oscar Wilde at the Cadogan Hotel" is a well known piece of art. What form does it take?

"The Arrest of Oscar Wilde at the Cadogan Hotel" is a short poem by Sir John Betjeman. It was published in Betjeman’s second volume of poems, "Continual Dew", in 1937. It was also recorded by Betjeman, who regularly performed his own works and made four LPs of his poetry.

Betjeman writes about Wilde's arrest on 6 April 1895 using 3 different voices: those of the narrator, of Wilde himself, and of the policemen who arrest him. He uses overtly Cockney speech for the policemen which is seen by some as emphasizing the differences in class, culture, and attitudes between Wilde and the police. Others argue that it adds to the rhythm and flow of the poem. Wilde was charged with gross indecency and, at a time when homosexuality was illegal, he was sentenced to two years’ hard labour. Although Wilde survived the rigours of prison life, he died in exile in France in 1900, just three years after his release.

Sir John Betjeman CBE ( 28 August 1906 – 19 May 1984) was an English poet, writer, and broadcaster with a passion for Victorian architecture. He was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1972 until his death. Surprisingly, he failed his degree at Oxford University but accepted an honorary doctorate of letters from the university in 1974.

Sir Jacob Epstein is also worth mentioning here as he was commissioned to design Oscar Wilde's tomb in Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris. It took nine to ten months to complete and cost £2,000.