John Clare Weblog

From Helpston in rural Northamptonshire, John Clare was born in 1793. He is now regarded as the most important poet of the natural world from Britain. He wrote many poems, prose and letters about love, sex, corruption and politics, environmental and social change, poverty and folk life. Even in his 'madness', his talents were not diminished. Ronald Blythe, past President of the Clare Society, saw Clare as "... England's most articulate village voice". Clare died, aged 71, in 1864.

Decay (3)

I sat beside the pasture stream
When Beautys self was sitting by
The fields did more than Eden seem
Nor could I tell the reason why
I often drank when not adry
To pledge her health in draughts divine
Smiles made it nectar from the sky
Love turned een water into wine
O Poesy is on the wane
I cannot find her face again

Image by my friend #JackBodimead

#poetry #environment
#honesty

Comments welcome below

2 comments:

Anonymous7:15 pm
Mary? What period was this written in Roger?
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Arborfield5:26 am
It was published in ‘Rural Muse’, so late 1820s/early 1830s. Clare bemoaning the disappearance of the beauty he once knew and recorded in minute detail: ‘Eden Defiled’ as I call it in Chapbook No.17.
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Decay (3)

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