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John Clare

John Clare Quotes

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Famous John Clare Quotes

“I Am! I am—yet what I am none cares or knows; My friends forsake me like a memory lost: I am the self-consumer of my woes— They rise and vanish in oblivious host, Like shadows in love’s frenzied stifled throes And yet I am, and live—like vapours tossed Into the nothingness of scorn and noise, Into the living sea of waking dreams, Where there is neither sense of life or joys, But the vast shipwreck of my life’s esteems; Even the dearest that I loved the best Are strange—nay, rather, stranger than the rest. I long for scenes where man hath never trod A place where woman never smiled or wept There to abide with my Creator, God, And sleep as I in childhood sweetly slept, Untroubling and untroubled where I lie The grass below—above the vaulted sky.”

PoetrySadness
Book:"I Am": The Selected Poetry of John Clare
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“I am—yet what I am none cares or knows; My friends forsake me like a memory lost: I am the self-consumer of my woes— They rise and vanish in oblivious host, Like shadows in love’s frenzied stifled throes And yet I am, and live—like vapours tossed Into the nothingness of scorn and noise, Into the living sea of waking dreams, Where there is neither sense of life or joys, But the vast shipwreck of my life’s esteems; Even the dearest that I loved the best Are strange—nay, rather, stranger than the rest.”

PoetryDespair
Book:"I Am": The Selected Poetry of John Clare
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“Solitude There is a charm in Solitude that cheers A feeling that the world knows nothing of A green delight the wounded mind endears After the hustling world is broken off Whose whole delight was crime at good to scoff Green solitude his prison pleasure yields The bitch fox heeds him not -- birds seem to laugh He lives the Crusoe of his lonely fields Which dark green oaks his noontide leisure shields”

PoetryNatureSolitude
Book:John Clare: Selected Poetry and Prose
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“First Love I ne’er was struck before that hour With love so sudden and so sweet, Her face it bloomed like a sweet flower And stole my heart away complete. My face turned pale as deadly pale, My legs refused to walk away, And when she looked, what could I ail? My life and all seemed turned to clay. And then my blood rushed to my face And took my eyesight quite away, The trees and bushes round the place Seemed midnight at noonday. I could not see a single thing, Words from my eyes did start— They spoke as chords do from the string, And blood burnt round my heart. Are flowers the winter’s choice? Is love’s bed always snow? She seemed to hear my silent voice, Not love's appeals to know. I never saw so sweet a face As that I stood before. My heart has left its dwelling-place And can return no more.”

LovePoetry
Book:Poems Chiefly from Manuscript
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“O I never thought that joys would run away from boys, Or that boys would change their minds and forsake such summer joys; But alack I never dreamed that the world had other toys To petrify first feelings like the fable into stone, Till I found the pleasure past and a winter come at last, Then the fields were sudden bare and the sky got overcast And boyhood’s pleasing haunt like a blossom in the blast Was shrivelled to a withered weed and trampled down and done, Till vanished was the morning spring and set the summer sun And winter fought her battle strife and won.”

PastPoetryNatureLossSeasonsAgeing
Book:Poems Chiefly from Manuscript
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“Now musing o'er the changing scene Farmers behind the tavern screen Collect; with elbows idly press'd On hob, reclines the corner's guest, Reading the news to mark again The bankrupt lists or price of grain. Puffing the while his red-tipt pipe He dreams o'er troubles nearly ripe, Yet, winter's leisure to regale, Hopes better times, and sips his ale.”

DreamReadingBehindsTroubleSceneNewsRedMarkPressesWinterCornersScreensListsFarmersGuestsLeisureGrainPipeRipeElbowsMusingsInnsAleTaverns
Author:John Clare
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“I am: yet what I am none cares or knows, My friends forsake me like a memory lost; I am the self-consumer of my woes, They rise and vanish in oblivious host, Like shades in love and death's oblivion lost; And yet I am, and live with shadows tost.”

KnowsSelfCareLostMemoriesMy FriendsShadowConsumersShadeHostWoeOblivionForsakeObliviousLove And Death
Book:Delphi Complete Works of John Clare (Illustrated)
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“Now summer is in flower and natures hum Is never silent round her sultry bloom Insects as small as dust are never done Wi' glittering dance and reeling in the sun And green wood fly and blossom haunting bee Are never weary of their melody Round field hedge now flowers in full glory twine Large bindweed bells wild hop and streakd woodbine That lift athirst their slender throated flowers Agape for dew falls and for honey showers These round each bush in sweet disorder run And spread their wild hues to the sultry sun.”

DoneRunningFallSunFieldsSweetFlowerSummerSpringGloryGreenSilentRoundsSpreadWoodsDustLiftsHopsMelodyDisorderHoneyBellsBeesShowersWearyInsectsHauntingJuneDewHueSlenderAgape
Book:Major Works
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“The thorn tree just began to bud And greening stained the sheltering hedge, An many a violet beside the wood Peeped blue between the withered sedge; The sun gleamed warm the bank beside, 'Twas pleasant wandering out a while Neath nestling bush to lonely hide, Or bend a musings o'er a stile.”

SunTreeSpringLonelyBlueWoodsWarmWanderPleasantVioletBudMusingsWitheredGreeningStiles
Book:Careless Rambles by John Clare: A Selection of His Poems Chosen and Illustrated by Tom Pohrt
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“The snow has left the cottage top; The thatch moss grows in brighter green; And eaves in quick succession drop, Where grinning icicles have been, Pit-patting with a pleasant noise In tubs set by the cottage door; While duck and geese, with happy joys, Plunge in the yard pond brimming over. The sun peeps through the window pane: Which children mark with laughing eye, And in the wet street steal again To tell each other spring is night.”

ChildrenHas BeensEyeJoyNightLeftGrowsLaughingSunDoorsStreetsSpringWindowMarkGreenStealingSnowNoisePleasantDucksWetYardsPitsBrighterSuccessionPlungeGeesePondsMossCottagesGrinningTubsWindow PanesIcicles
Book:The Shepherd's Calendar: With Village Stories and Other Poems
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