1793-1864

Biography

John Clare (1793-1864) was the son of a poor farming family and is considered England’s first working-class poet. His book Poems Descriptive of Rural Life and Scenery made him a brief literary celebrity. The fashion for rural poetry passed, however, and Clare’s work fell out of favour. Clare’s mental health deteriorated, and he spent the rest of his life institutionalized.

Poems

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