Section: «Poems»

Verse (ancient Greek ὁ στίχος — row, structure), a term in versification used in several meanings: artistic speech organized by division into rhythmically commensurate segments; poetry in the narrow sense; in particular, it implies the properties of versification of a particular tradition ("antique verse", "Akhmatova's verse", etc.); a line of poetic text organized according to a certain rhythmic pattern ("My uncle of the most honest rules").

Christmass

Christmass is come and every hearthMakes room to give him welcome nowEen want will dry its tears in mirthAnd crown him wi a holly boughTho tramping..

© John Clare

The Cross Roads; Or, The Haymaker's Story

Stopt by the storm, that long in sullen black From the south-west stain'd its encroaching track, Haymakers, hustling from the rain to..

© John Clare

The Cottager

True as the church clock hand the hour pursuesHe plods about his toils and reads the news,And at the blacksmith's shop his hour will standTo talk of..

© John Clare

The Cellar Door

By the old tavern door on the causey there layA hogshead of stingo just rolled from a dray,And there stood the blacksmith awaiting a dropAs dry as..

© John Clare

The Beautiful Stranger

I cannot know what country owns thee now,With France's forest lilies on thy brow.When England knew thee thou wert passing fair;I never knew a foreign..

© John Clare

The Badger

WHEN midnight comes a host of dogs and menGo out and track the badger to his den,And put a sack within the hole and lieTill the old grunting badger..

© John Clare

The Ants

What wonder strikes the curious, while he viewsThe black ant's city, by a rotten tree,Or woodland bank! In ignorance we muse:Pausing, annoyed,--we..

© John Clare

Sunday Dip

The morning road is thronged with merry boysWho seek the water for their Sunday joys;They run to seek the shallow pit, and wadeAnd dance about the..

© John Clare

Summer Images

Now swarthy Summer, by rude health embrowned,Precedence takes of rosy fingered Spring;And laughing Joy, with wild flowers prank'd, and crown'd,A wild..

© John Clare

Summer Evening

The frog half fearful jumps across the path,And little mouse that leaves its hole at eveNimbles with timid dread beneath the swath;My rustling steps..

© John Clare

Summer

Come we to the summer, to the summer we will come,For the woods are full of bluebells and the hedges full of bloom,And the crow is on the oak..

© John Clare

Sudden Shower

Black grows the southern sky, betokening rain,And humming hive-bees homeward hurry bye:They feel the change; so let us shun the grain,And take the..

© John Clare

Stonepit

The passing traveller with wonder seesA deep and ancient stonepit full of trees;So deep and very deep the place has been,The church might stand..

© John Clare

Spring's Messengers

Where slanting banks are always with the sunThe daisy is in blossom even now;And where warm patches by the hedges runThe cottager when coming home..

© John Clare

Sport In The Meadows

Maytime is to the meadows coming in,And cowslip peeps have gotten eer so big,And water blobs and all their golden kinCrowd round the shallows by the..

© John Clare

Spear Thistle

Where the broad sheepwalk bare and brown[Yields] scant grass pining after showers,And winds go fanning up and downThe little strawy bents and nodding..

© John Clare

Song's Eternity

What is song's eternity?Come and see.Can it noise and bustle be?Come and see.Praises sung or praises saidCan it be?Wait awhile and these are dead..

© John Clare

Song #5

I would not feign a single sighNor weep a single tear for thee:The soul within these orbs burns dry;A desert spreads where love should be.I would not..

© John Clare

Song #4

I wish I was where I would be, With love alone to dwell,Was I but her or she but me, Then love would all be well.I wish to send my thoughts to her ..

© John Clare

Song #3

I peeled bits of straws and I got switches tooFrom the grey peeling willow as idlers do,And I switched at the flies as I sat all aloneTill my flesh..

© John Clare

Song #2

One gloomy eve I roamed aboutNeath Oxey's hazel bowers,While timid hares were darting out,To crop the dewy flowers;And soothing was the scene to..

© John Clare

Song #1

Mary, leave thy lowly cotWhen thy thickest jobs are done;When thy friends will miss thee not,Mary, to the pastures run.Where we met the other..

© John Clare

Snow Storm

What a night! The wind howls, hisses, and but stopsTo howl more loud, while the snow volley keepsIncessant batter at the window pane,Making our..

© John Clare

Signs Of Winter

The cat runs races with her tail. The dogLeaps oer the orchard hedge and knarls the grass.The swine run round and grunt and play with straw,Snatching..

© John Clare

Secret Love

I hid my love when young till ICouldn't bear the buzzing of a fly;I hid my love to my despiteTill I could not bear to look at light:I dare not gaze..

© John Clare