Life and Remains of John Clare, The "Northamptonshire Peasant Poet"

"Life and Remains of John Clare, The 'Northamptonshire Peasant Poet'" by John Clare (compiled by J.L. Cherry) is a biographical account interspersed with poetry and letters, likely written in the late 19th century. This compilation presents the life story and literary works of John Clare, a humble yet deeply sensitive poet celebrated for his reflections on nature and rural life. The book includes unpublished poems, personal correspondence, and diaries that illuminate Clare's experiences, struggles, and artistic development. At the start of this volume, the focus is on Clare's early life, beginning with his birth into poverty and his frail health. His childhood in Helpstone is marked by simple pleasures and profound attachments to nature, which ignite his poetic sensibility. As he matures, Clare's journey through various laboring jobs and his introspections on love, loss, and his artistic ambitions unfold. The opening emphasizes Clare's earnest passion for poetry, despite societal challenges and personal turmoil, setting the stage for a poignant exploration of a truly unique voice in English literature. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

John Clare was an English poet. The son of a farm labourer, he became known for his celebrations of the English countryside and sorrows at its disruption. His work underwent major re-evaluation in the late 20th century; he is now often seen as a major 19th-century poet. His biographer Jonathan Bate called Clare "the greatest labouring-class poet that England has ever produced. No one has ever written more powerfully of nature, of a rural childhood, and of the alienated and unstable self."