Life and Remains of John Clare, The "Northamptonshire Peasant Poet"
Produced by Mark Sherwood, Delphine Lettau and Charles Aldarondo
The Northamptonshire Peasant Poet
By J.L.CHERRY
And he sat him down in a lonely place, And chanted a melody loud and sweet. Tennyson.
To HIS EXCELLENCY, THE LORD-LIEUTENANT OF IRELAND.
Among the papers which John Clare, the Peasant Poet of our county, left behind him, was one in which he desired that the Editor of his Remains should dedicate them to Earl Spencer, with the Author's last wishes.
That memorandum was written in the year 1825, when the poet was anticipating, to use his own words, a speedy entrance into the dark porch of eternity, whence none returns to tell the tale of his reception.
These melancholy forebodings were not realized, for although in a few years Clare became dead to the world, he lived on in seclusion to a patriarchal age. Meanwhile the Earl Spencer to whom he desired that his Remains should be dedicated passed away, and the title descended first to your lordship's uncle, then to your lordship's father, and lastly to your lordship. But through all these years the Earls Spencer were the steadfast and generous friends of the unhappy Poet, nor did your lordship's bounty cease with his life, but was continued to his widow.
In dedicating this volume to your lordship, as I now do, I am complying with the spirit and almost with the very letter of poor Clare's injunction.
I am, with unfeigned respect,
Your lordship's most obedient servant,
The Editor begs the reader to believe that he under took the compilation of this volume with diffidence and trepidation, lest by any defect of judgment he might do aught to diminish the reputation which John Clare has always enjoyed with the lovers of pastoral poetry. He trusts that the shortcomings of an unskilful workman will be forgotten in admiration of the gems for which he has been required to find a setting.
John Clare
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LIFE AND REMAINS
DEDICATION
INTRODUCTION
CONTENTS
LIFE, LETTERS, ETC.
MISCELLANEOUS POEMS:
PROSE FRAGMENTS:
OLD SONGS AND BALLADS:
GLOSSARY
LIFE, LETTERS, ETC.
LOCAL ATTACHMENTS
GRANNY BAINS
SUMMER LABOURS, WINTER STUDY
HIS EARLIEST RHYMES
THE POET TO THE PUBLIC
A FRIEND IN NEED
"HEARKEN UNTO A VERSER"
EXAMPLES
WHAT IS LIFE?
A LION AT LAST
FIRST VISIT TO LONDON
"A SOUL FEMININE SALUTETH US"
A PRIVATE SUBSCRIPTION
NEWS OF KEATS
"THE VILLAGE MINSTREL"
I LOVE THEE, SWEET MARY.
A MODEST AMBITION THWARTED
"LORD, WHAT FOOLS THESE MORTALS BE!"
LETTER FROM CHARLES LAMB
THE REVEREND CARY
LETTERS FROM MRS EMMERSON
FRIENDS AT "THE PALACE"
ANOTHER VISIT TO LONDON
ALLAN CUNNINGHAM
GEORGE DARLEY
CLARE'S DIARY
CORRESPONDENCE WITH JAMES MONTGOMERY
PUBLICATION OF "THE SHEPHERD'S CALENDAR"
FAILURE OF "THE SHEPHERD'S CALENDAR"
THE POET TURNED PEDLAR
VISIT TO BOSTON
REMOVAL TO NORTHBOROUGH
"THE RURAL MUSE"
AUTUMN
MAY
MEMORY
AT HIGH BEECH ASYLUM
AT NORTHAMPTON
THE APPROACHING END
CONCLUSION
ASYLUM POEMS
LOVE OF NATURE
THE INVITATION
TO THE LARK
GRAVES OF INFANTS
BONNIE LASSIE O!
PHOEBE OF THE SCOTTISH GLEN
MAID OF THE WILDERNESS
MARY BATEMAN
WHEN SHALL WE MEET AGAIN?
THE LOVER'S INVITATION
NATURE'S DARLING
I'LL DREAM UPON THE DAYS TO COME
TO ISABEL
THE SHEPHERD'S DAUGHTER
LASSIE, I LOVE THEE
THE GIPSY LASS
AT THE FOOT OF CLIFFORD HILL
TO MY WIFE—A VALENTINE
MY TRUE LOVE IS A SAILOR
THE SAILOR'S RETURN
BIRDS, WHY ARE YE SILENT?
MEET ME TO-NIGHT
YOUNG JENNY
ADIEU!
MY BONNY ALICE AND HER PITCHER
THE MAIDEN I LOVE
TO JENNY LIND
LITTLE TROTTY WAGTAIL
THE FOREST MAID
BONNY MARY O!
LOVE'S EMBLEM
THE MORNING WALK
TO MISS C…..
I PLUCK SUMMER BLOSSOMS
THE MARCH NOSEGAY
LEFT ALONE
TO MARY
THE NIGHTINGALE
THE DYING CHILD
MARY
CLOCK-A-CLAY
SPRING
EVENING
THE SWALLOW
JOCKEY AND JENNY
THE FACE I LOVE SO DEARLY
THE BEANFIELD
WHERE SHE TOLD HER LOVE
MILKING O' THE KYE
A LOVER'S VOWS
THE FALL OF THE YEAR
AUTUMN
EARLY LOVE
EVENING
A VALENTINE
TO LIBERTY
APPROACH OF WINTER
MARY DOVE
SPRING'S NOSEGAY
THE LOST ONE
THE TELL-TALE FLOWERS
THE SKYLARK
POETS LOVE NATURE—A FRAGMENT
HOME YEARNINGS
MY SCHOOLBOY DAYS
LOVE LIVES BEYOND THE TOMB
MY EARLY HOME
MARY APPLEBY
AMONG THE GREEN BUSHES
TO JANE
THE OLD YEAR
TWO SONNETS TO MARY
THE VANITIES OF LIFE
MARCH
THE OLD MAN'S LAMENT
SPRING FLOWERS
POEM ON DEATH
THE WANTON CHLOE—A PASTORAL
THE OLD SHEPHERD
TO A ROSEBUD IN HUMBLE LIFE
THE TRIUMPHS OF TIME
TO JOHN MILTON
THE BIRDS AND ST. VALENTINE
FAREWELL AND DEFIANCE TO LOVE
THE GIPSY'S SONG
PEGGY BAND
TO A BROOK
ESSAY ON POPULARITY
SCRAPS FOR AN ESSAY ON CRITICISM AND FASHION
SCRAPS FOR AN ESSAY ON CRITICISM
OLD SONGS AND BALLADS
ADIEU TO MY FALSE LOVE FOREVER
O SILLY LOVE! O CUNNING LOVE!
NOBODY COMETH TO WOO
FARE THEE WELL
MARY NEELE
LOVE SCORNED BY PRIDE
BETRAYED
THE MAIDEN'S WELCOME
THE FALSE KNIGHT'S TRAGEDY
LOVE'S RIDDLE
THE BANKS OF IVORY
ENDNOTES