The Courtship (excerpt)

A woman’s is the dearest love

There’s nought on earth sincerer

The leisure upon beauty’s breast

Can any thing be dearer?

The muses they are living things

& beauty ever dear

& though I worshipped stocks & stones

T’was woman every-where

In loves delight my steps was led

I sung of beauty’s choice

I saw her in the books I read

& all was Mary Joyce

I saw her love in beauty’s face

I saw her in the rose

I saw her in the fairest flowers

In every weed that grows

Poems of John Clare's Madness,

ed. Geoffrey Grigson (RKP, 1949)