MONDAY TRAVELS: AUTUMN by John Clare

Happy Monday friends!

This Monday we are making one last stop in England and then we'll travel to another country. But as we still need to visit one last great American poet, lets all gather around and enjoy:

AUTUMN

English poet John Clare:

John Clare (13 July 1793 – 20 May 1864) was an English poet, the son of a farm labourer, who became known for his celebrations of the English countryside and sorrows at its disruption. His poetry underwent major re-evaluation in the late 20th century: he is now often seen as one of the major 19th-century poets. Clare was constantly torn between the two worlds of literary London and his often illiterate neighbors; between the need to write poetry and the need for money to feed and clothe his children. His health began to suffer, and he had bouts of severe depression, which became worse after his sixth child was born in 1830 and as his poetry sold less well. Later in life he identified himself to Lord Byron, and while in asylum he re-wrote some of Lord Byron's works. His most famous poem in 'I Am'.

 

Poem:

The thistledown's flying, though the winds are all still,

On the green grass now lying, now mounting the hill,

The spring from the fountain now boils like a pot;

Through stones past the counting it bubbles red-hot.

The ground parched and cracked is like overbaked bread,

The greensward all wracked is, bents dried up and dead.

The fallow fields glitter like water indeed,

And gossamers twitter, flung from weed unto weed.

Hill-tops like hot iron glitter bright in the sun,

And the rivers we're eying burn to gold as they run;

Burning hot is the ground, liquid gold is the air;

Whoever looks round sees Eternity there.

Thoughts:

Such beautiful words describing the beauty of Autumn. It's funny how most poems go to the theme of death when writing a poem about Autumn, yet to me Fall season is not death at all, yet more like the Earth covering herself with the most beautiful colors!

 

Poetic? No, of course not, I am not a poet! Far from one! So instead let's just enjoy this wonderful piece! 

See you next Monday!