Yu Rong Teng (LP)

John Clare Essay 2

A critic has described Clares poetry as poetry of loss. How far do you agree with this statement? In
your answer, you should refer to two or three poems in detail, or range widely through the selection.
Some may say that Clares poetry has a prevailing theme of loss, due to the common attitudes of
regret and sadness. However, I entirely disagree with the critics proposition, as I believe that Clare writes in a
perhaps celebratory perspective, rather than a sense of grief.
Clare often writes about celebrating ones youth such as in The Peasant Poet where it is made clear
that the presence of nature offered him a happy childhood. Although Clare does not generally involve himself
in the affairs of politics and the role the government plays in lifes affairs; he is extremely critical of the
Enclosure Act enforced in the 19th century and this disparagement of the law is a recurrent theme throughout
most of poems, including The Peasant Poet. One can imply from Clares optimistic tone in this poem, that the
joys of his childhood were memories of innocence and fun and it is possible to further suggest that there is
an undertone of regret for the blissful youth he had whereby the troubles of adulthood were of no concern to
him as a child. The emulation of a happy childhood, adopted in poem echoes Clares own appreciation for his
identity, particularly in the last stanza, as although he was born into the lower echelons of society and became
to be known as a peasant poet, he taught himself to read and impressed his lord, who was an important man
in relation to the feudal society. It is perhaps Clares celebration of his own rural heritage, insinuating the
readers recognition of their identities. The poet cleverly implies from The Poet (in) his joy, taking on the
role of an observer, that the hardship encountered in his upbringing within an upwardly mobile society
brought him success as a poet and is therefore grateful for it, at the same time being didactic in sequence.
Clares overriding poetic technique is the adoption of multiple vocalities throughout his writings; the most
distinguished ones being the voices of a didactic, observer, narrator and poet. It is made clear in the poem, The
Peasant Poet that Clares didactic role was one that encourages his readers to embrace their lives in the same
manner as he did, with pride.
Although Clare depicts himself as a peasant, he describes his life as one without limitations and
constraints in contrast to the one he lead while he admitted at an asylum to treat his mental instability where
he was confined to attend to simple daily cares. Perhaps from his lack of material wealth, he was able to
accede to conventional beliefs such as religion rather than societys fashions like that of societal affectation,
recollecting to a time during his youth a time free from self indulgence. This is further highlighted in
December, an extract from Clares long poem The Shepards Calendar. He describes the time of Christmas
through the perspective of the stages in a mans life. Beginning with the outlook of the festive period in the
mindset of a child, he writes about how kids are given treats from their parents promises such as sugar
plum, and ginger bread. Through the first person narrative, Clare empathizes with the youth inferring
through alliteration that although childhood may bear its hardship, one may be rewarded by sweetness after.
The poet refers to a time in December as a childish memory in an attempt to reconnect with his own
memories, where things such as toys are vain are made to be instantly forgotten in the same way ones youth
is forgotten as quickly as it passed. Metaphorical insinuations are imparted in many of Clares poems, as an
interactive device between the poet and the readers. In December, Clare honours winter and Christmas as a
season of life and a time of pleasure as smiles and spirits (are) high, thorough his use of the simile mirth
full of joy as summer bees. The association that Clare reiterates between nature and happiness emphasizes the
dichotomy of winter, whereby although conventionally used as a symbol of death and loss, Clare instead
explores the season as a time for commemoration for the rural communities.
Clares appreciation of his childhood can be deemed a loss as the intricate detail of the festivities in
December, implying the abundance of free time; reflects a period of his life where his creativity was
heightened. It could be due to Clares increasing age, that provokes the feeling of lost youth and increasing
worries in adulthood, highlighted in The Peasant Poet. There is also another dichotomy apparent in this poem
as Gods plan for an individual, as suggested by Clare, is predetermined as the societal class that one is born in
gives rise to the fate entrusted upon their identities. This makes it very hard for one to escape the societal
cycle of poverty and it is so much of an obligation to accept the entailment of their heritage and immerse in
rural life, like Clare did. However as he did manage to escape the constraints of rural life, the irony that
pervades through his poetry allows the readers to question if we should resonate our identities as a result of

necessity or of choice. The fact that Clare employs contrast between his past role as a boy and his present
role as a man, a thinker and a poet, implicitly suggests Clares desire to reconcile with his lost youth as he
narrates the changes in the development of his identity. Coincidentally, the time where Clare lived a
peasants life was also the time where he was most able to experience joy due to the increasing materialistic
values and loss of reality imparted upon society due to rapid urbanization in the early 19 th century.
The idea of a communal friendship between individuals of a rural community is often highlighted in
Clares poetry, indicating a sense of appreciation for the rustic livelihood that Clare once led. Through the use
of regular stanzas, rhythm as well as alliteration throughout the excerpt from his long poem, The Shepards
Calendar, December instates the essence of a close knit community and reconciliation between friends and
acquaintances during Christmas time suggested by how even Pride grows above simplicity and spurns it from
his haughty mind. The use of personification in this context may imply Clares appreciation for nature
characterizing an abstract as a more genuine one to highlight natures involvement in the rural community.
However, this can also be seen as a criticism of mankinds inability to accept Christmas as a time for
forgiveness on the poets behalf. One could easily depict a winter as a time of death, however Clare perceives
it as a time for new beginnings as life stirs beneath the layers of snow. Winter is definitely a multi faceted time
of the year as both feelings of cold and warmth are juxtaposed with each other, in the same manner as how
during this time of forgiveness, indifferences are rectified because neighbours come together to resume their
annual cheer. Perhaps Christmas is perceived as one of the only times where Clare feels accepted as an entity
within the rural community and these rural customs are emphasized throughout the poem. Not only does Clare
write this poem in the perspective of a child, but also thorough the use of personification such as old winter,
the poet is able to encapsulate the reality of the human condition where the age of a relationship between
woman and man is depicted. Further evidence to support Clares embrace of his rural heritage is the contrast
between the different types of cotter in his village. He depicts some of the younger individuals in the village
as people who indulge in the festivities through fornication with maidens, highlighted by how they disappear
into the dark areas behind the screen to kiss and toy, emphasizing the metaphorical and literal connotations
of rural embrace. It is possible to claim that the underlying message that Clare attempts to deliver beneath the
explicit attitude of the celebration of our heritage and memories, we should also look forward to the day of
Christmas instead of on the day itself. He therefore encourages us to adopt this mentality and hope for the best
in our futures than dwell on our mistakes and memories from the past.
Clares thematic celebration of rurality is also explored in Sport in the Meadows whereby the use of
enjambment and lack of caesura add to the lucidity of Clares poem; perhaps indicate the ease and serenity
found in the livelihood of rural cotter of which is emphasized by the ballad form, a simple and colloquial style
of narrative which further highlights this ease. To an extent, Clares embodiment of colloquial language
throughout this particular poem, such as where water blobs refer to lilies and words such as all abouten and
morts reflect the locality and local aspects of his life and alliteration underlines the natural rhythm that the
natural environment brings to ones life. One may perceive the country setting as a place full of life, and Clare
backs this up with his recurring imagery of flowers such as daisies and buttercups and lady smocks all of
which suggest that life is on going and alive where nothing obstructs our paths but ourselves.
From a new historicists perspective, one may suggest from Clares textual subjectivity, that he does
indeed review his poetry from a wider historical context, examining how Britains current socio-political
context is reflected in his work by deeming the Enclosure Act and urban sprawl as losses to both ones
freedom and identity. In Sport in the Meadows, the poets use of alliteration such as all abouten instate
individuals, represented by the young maidens, as ignorant people whose careless and fickle nature bring with
them negligence from within modern society. This haste and clambering that Clare describes of could infer
to how he believes that these people are more of a waste and social burden than of an economic benefit to
society. It could also represent Clares belief in that although Britains economic prosperity may be beneficial
to some, the result of urbanization and ascent of individuals towards the upper echelons of the social stream,
call for a lost connection with their heritage and thus consideration for those who are not as fortunate as they
are. This reminiscent tone of the loss of time is also likewise adopted in the poem, December signifying how
such celebrations for festivities are not as frequent as they were in the past. The impersonal descriptions and
pronouns used by Clare in the poem The Peasant Poem given to the roles that he describes of such as of the
boy, silent man and the thinker to name a few. Although Clare could be referring to his personal role in
the rural environment, he could also be suggestive of the roles of others in the countryside; both indeed
undermines the loss society faces in the form of rural identity with the adoption of materialistic values instead.

Yu Rong Teng (LP)

John Clare Essay 2

However, with the life roles that Clare lists in his poem, one can also assume that he is empathizing with the
village residents loss of culture as well as predicating his own loss of pride in his role as the poet for those
reading his poems, in particular rural village men.
Not only does the poet empathize with the people in the rural community, a feminist may also argue
that he shares empathy for the plight of women. He celebrates his love for women in the poem Sport in the
Meadows, perhaps detailing the fragility and dainty qualities of women through the images of rural flora
implying that the graciousfolken flocking belong within the serene nature of the countryside. One may
also suggest that it is in this very poem, that Clare meticulously celebrates life in general, as well cautions his
readers of how life is simply a game in the same way the maidens view their day in the meadows. The concept
of ease within living in a rural environment is further highlighted In Sport in the Meadows as the concurrent
ideas of the liberation of gracious women is perhaps an instigator on Clares behalf for readers to reflect on
their current outlook on life and enjoy the simplicities of living. Clare also implicatively refers to cowslip as
a double entendre, one of the few in his poems; suggesting that there is competition, even in the counry side
between young boys and their courtship of young maidens. The symbolic nature of the flower could also
represent the challenge of pursuing a girls grace. The affairs of the heart, an overriding theme in this poem is
perhaps implicative of the figurative and literal chasing of love. Carnal implications embedded in Sport in
the Meadows is mannered to be a teasing of the maidens innocence as the loss of the girls garments as they
clamber around in the meadows could also be an allusion to the sport in the meadows where life is good
and fun. This romantic approach is also shared in December, where Clare brings to the readers attention the
physical coming together of those within the rural community as even personification like that of Old winter
(who) wipes(and) smiles suggest that sensual pleasure highlight the intimacy of Clares own relationship
with nature by exploring their relationship as if they were human.
Some may argue that in order to celebrate love, one must understand the consequences of a lost love
and Clare, in his personal life also confines to a role as a partner for his wife Mary Joyce. Although never
married, Clare often referred to her as his wife indicating intricate details of his relationship with her. The fact
that the cow and sheep dissipate when the maidens approach them in Sport in the Meadows may give rise to
the suggestion of how Clare is warning his readers of the emotional damage that they can do to people.
Perhaps Clare is writing from a didactic perspective as he too may have had a bad experience with women in
the past, highlighted by the word haste as how women who coagulate together appear to be more
intimidating and adopt emotionally devastating mannerism than what most make them out to be. It could be
the danger of emotional consolidation that Clare experienced with the loss of his wife Mary whose parents
deemed him not reputable enough for their daughter stimulating the demise of their relationship. Although
another seemingly possible interpretation of the haste that women bring is the destruction due to their lack of
respect toward the natural environment, and criticizes the female population for their deeds.
However, I do believe that Clares one and true love lies within the appreciation he holds for the
natural environment as a welcome sight and addresses the element of natures beauty in many of his poems,
perhaps due to his close relationship with the natural world. There are few who are critical of Clares immense
love of nature, propagating the poets sense of pantheism where this romantic and Wordsworthian concept is
in a way, Clares personal worship of nature as a superior and creator of all things in the natural world. Nature
is often conveyed as Clares Garden of Eden and it is this pantheistic approach to life and thus, his poetry,
where Clare suggests that man kind are simply passing travellers in life whereby natures existence is eternal
beneath the cloud-bedappled sky. The overriding criticism of enclosure is however, apparent in all of his
poems as perhaps this is because such policy threatened the poets creative abilities as Clare mentions in
poems such as Sport in the Meadows, that natures beauty is one, which is perennial through time and serves
him as inspiration for poetry that he desires. The graceless waste of human beings could well be a threat on
Clares behalf upon those who are not as much of a traditionalist as he is and criticizes them for not sharing
the same values as he does. In the same way, his poem, Sighing for Retirement, also infers to the loss he
incurs from nature, which is also a synonymous loss that he imparts upon his entire career as a poet; as he
only found the poems in the fields andwrote them down. One can only expect this appreciation for nature
if an individual was brought up within natures presence like that of Clare and perhaps he writes about nature
in a multitude of poems to consolidate his grief and seek comfort of the progressive change that society
undergoes. Furthermore in the poem December, Clare celebrates Christmas through ones self within the

customs of the community whilst appreciating the natural cycle nature. The commemoration of the festive
period is mutual with Clares appreciation for life as he encourages his readers to come to terms with death as
it too is a natural part of the cycle of life, and although memory loves to turn an eye, it can only be suggested
that one should be express gratitude for their lives and strive to gain in life than reminisce upon its losses.
Indeed Clares writing may be coined as poetry of loss however I do indeed believe that Clare
approaches life with acceptance and pleasure, more so than he does grieve about the past. It is also relevant to
say that one cannot grieve without the recognition of their losses and in order to express this kind of regret,
individuals must also be able to be express their gratitude of what they have lost such as Clares recurrent
appreciation of his personal identity, rural heritage and thus, life.