Appendices
Fragment
A Specimen of Clare’s rough drafts
In a huge cloud of mountain hue
The sun sets dark nor shudders through
One single beam to shine again
Tis night already in the lane
The settled clouds in ridges lie
And some swell mountains calm and high
Clouds rack and drive before the wind
In shapes and forms of every kind
Like waves that rise without the roars
And rocks that guard untrodden shores
Now castles pass majestic bye
And ships in peaceful havens lie
These gone ten thousand shapes ensue
For ever beautiful and new
The scattered clouds lie calm and still
And day throws gold on every hill
Their thousand heads in glorys run
As each were worlds and owned a sun
The rime it clings to every thing
It beards the early buds of spring
The mossy pales the orchard spray
Are feathered with its silver grey
Rain drizzles in the face so small
We scarce can say it rains at all
The cows turned to the pelting rain
No longer at their feed remain
But in the sheltering hovel hides
That from two propping dotterels strides
The sky was hilled with red and blue
With lighter shadows waking through
Till beautiful and beaming day
Shed streaks of gold for miles away
The linnet stopt her song to clean
Her spreading wings of yellow green
And turn his head as liking well
To smooth the dropples as they fell
One scarce could keep one’s path aright
From gazing upward at the sight
The boys for wet are forced to pass
The cuckoo flowers among the grass
To hasten on as well they may
For hedge or tree or stack of hay
Where they for shelter can abide
Safe seated by its sloping side
That by the blackthorn thicket cowers
A shelter in the strongest showers
The gardens golden gilliflowers
Are paled with drops of amber showers
Dead leaves from hedges flirt about
The chaff from barn doors winnows out
And down without a wing to flye
As fast as bees goes sailing bye
The feather finds a wing to flye
And dust in wirl puffs winnows bye
When the rain at midday stops
Spangles glitter in the drops
And as each thread a sunbeam was
Cobwebs glitter in the grass
The sheep all loaded with the rain
Try to shake it off in vain
And ere dryed by wind and sun
The load will scarcely let them run
The shepherds foot is sodden through
And leaves will clout his brushing shoe
The buttercups in gold alloyed
And daiseys by the shower destroyed
The sun is overcast clouds lie
And thicken over all the sky
Crows morn and eve will flock in crowds
To fens and darken like the clouds
So many is their cumberous flight
The dull eve darkens into night
Clouds curl and curdle blue and grey
And dapple the young summers day
Through the torn woods the violent rain
Roars and rattles oer the plain
And bubbles up in every pool
Till dykes and ponds are brimming full
The thickening clouds move slowly on
Till all the many clouds are one
That spreads oer all the face of day
And turns the sunny shine to grey
Now the meadow water smokes
And hedgerows dripping oaks
Fitter patter all around
And dimple the once dusty ground
The spinners threads about the weeds
Are hung with little drops in beads
Clover silver green becomes
And purple blue surrounds the plumbs
And every place breaths fresh and fair
When morning pays her visit there
The day is dull the heron trails
On flapping wings like heavy sails
And oer the mead so lowly swings
She fans the herbage with her wings
The waterfowl with suthering wings
Dive down the river splash and spring
Up to the very clouds again
That sprinkle scuds of coming rain
That flye and drizzle all the day
Till dripping grass is turned to grey
The various clouds that move or lye
Like mighty travellers in the sky
All mountainously ridged or curled
That may have travelled round the world
The water ruckles into waves
And loud the neighbouring woodland raves
All telling of the coming storm
That fills the village with alarm
Ere yet the sun is two hours high
Winds find all quarters of the sky
With sudden shiftings all around
And now the grass upon the ground
And now the leaves they wirl and wirl
With many a flirting flap and curl
JOHN CLARE: A BIBLIOGRAPHICAL OUTLINE
Works
1
2
3
4
Biographies and Selections
5
THE LIFE OF JOHN CLARE. By Frederick Martin, London and Cambridge: Macmillan & Co. 1865. Fcp. 8vo. Pp. viii, 301.
6
7
POEMS BY JOHN CLARE, selected and introduced by Norman Gale. With a Bibliography by C. Ernest Smith. Geo. E. Over, Rugby, 1901. Fcp. 8vo. Pp. 206.
8
POEMS BY JOHN CLARE, edited with an Introduction by Arthur Symons. Frowde, London, 1908. I2mo. Pp. 208.
9
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE BOTANOLOGIA. JOHN CLARE. By G. Claridge Druce. Pamphlet: no printer’s name. 1912. (It includes a memoir, and a classification of the flowers described in Clare’s poems.)
Miscellaneous Clare Volumes
10
11
THREE VERY INTERESTING LETTERS (two in curious rhyme) by the celebrated poets Clare, Cowper, and Bird. With an Appendix (Clare’s “Familiar Epistle to a Friend”). ff.13. Charles Clarke’s private press, Great Totham, 1837. 8vo. Only 25 copies printed. THE JOHN CLARE CENTENARY EXHIBITION CATALOGUE. Introduction by C. Dack. Peterborough Natural History Society, 1893. Pamphlet. Pp. viii, 28. An edition of 50 copies was printed on large paper.
Clare’s Contributions to Periodicals
A detailed list of Clare’s work in the magazines is a lengthy affair.
His main connections were with the “London Magazine” (1821-1823), “European Magazine” (1825, 1826), “Literary Magnet” (1826, 1827), “Spirit and Manners of the Age” (1828, 1829), the publications of William Hone, “Athenaeum” (1831), “Englishman’s Magazine” (1831), “Literary Receptacle” (1835). He contributed once or twice to the “Sheffield Iris,” “Morning Post,” and the “Champion”; and much of his best work seems to have been printed in local papers, such as the “Stamford Bee.” The annuals often included short poems by him: the “Amulet,” “Forget-Me-Not,” “Friendship’s Offering,” “Gem,” “Juvenile Forget-Me-Not,” “Literary Souvenir,” etc.
Clare’s magazine writings are not always signed, and in the annuals his poems often bear no ascription except “By the Northamptonshire Peasant.” After 1837 he appears not to have contributed poems to any journals other than local; though Cyrus Redding in the “English Journal,” 1841, gives many of his later verses.
Incidental Reference Volumes
ALLIBONE, S. A.—Dictionary of English Literature.
ASKHAM, JOHN—Sonnets on the Months (“To John Clare,” p. 185)—1863.
BAKER, Miss A. E.—Glossary of Northamptonshire Words and Phrases (Clare contributed)—1854.
CARY, H. F.—MEMOIR OF; ii. 52-53, 94-95—1847.
CHAMBERS, R.—Cyclopaedia of English Literature, ii. 386-390—1861.
DE QUINCZY, T.—London Reminiscences, pp. 143-145—1897.
DE WILDE, G.—Rambles Round About, and Poems: pp. 30-49—1872.
Dictionary of National Biography
DOBELL, B.—Sidelights on Charles Lamb—1903.
Encyclopaedia Britannica
(GALIGNANI’S)—Living Poets of England: pp.172-174—1827.
HALL, S. C.—Book of Gems: pp. 162-166—1838.
—A Book of Memories: pp. 107-109.
HEATH, RICHARD—The English Peasant: pp. 292-319—1893.
HOLLAND, J.—James Montgomery: iv. 96, 175—1854.
HOOD, E. P.—The Peerage of Poverty—1870.
HOOD, THOMAS—Works, ii. 374-377—1882.
LAMB, CHARLES—LETTERS (Ed. W. Macdonald), ii. 22—1903.
LOMBROSO, CESARE—The Man of Genius, 162, 205—1891.
Men of the time—earlier issues.
MILES, A. H.—Poets and Poetry of the Nineteenth Century. Vol. “Keats to Lytton,” pp. 79-106 (by Roden Noel)—1905.
MITFORD, M. R.—Recollections of a Literary Life. I. 147-163—1857.
REDDING, CYRUS—Fifty Years’ Recollections: ii. 211—1858.
—Past Celebrities Whom I Have Known: ii. 132 sq.
STODDARD, R. H.—Under the Evening Lamp: pp.120-134—1893.
SYMONS, ARTHUR—The Romantic Movement in English Poetry: pp. 288-293—1908.
TAYLOR, JOHN—Bibliotheca Northantonesis—1869.
THOMAS, EDWARD—Feminine Influence on the Poets—1908.
—A Literary Pilgrim in England—1917.
WALKER, HUGH—The Literature of the Victorian Era: pp. 241-245—1913.
WILSON, JOHN—Recreations of Christopher North, i. 313-318—1842.
Magazine Articles, &c.
1820 Analectic Magazine
June Antijacobin Review
April Eclectic Review
February Gentleman’s Magazine
January, March London Magazine
July Monthly Magazine
March New Monthly
January, May New Times
February Northamptonshire County Magazine
May Quarterly Review
1821 October Ackermann’s Repository
June British Critic
Eclectic Review
November European Magazine
Gentleman’s Magazine
October Literary Chronicle
October Literary Gazette
November London Magazine
Monthly Review
1822 January Eclectic Review
1823 London Magazine
1827 June Ackermann’s Repository
June Eclectic Review
John Bull
Literary Chronicle
March Literary Gazette
Morning Chronicle
1829 British Almanac and Companion
1831 November Blackwood’s
1832 October The Alfred
Athenaeum
August True Sun
1835 July 25 Athenaeum
August Blackwood’s
July 25 Literary Gazette
New Monthly
1840 June Athenaeum
June Times
1841 May English Journal
May Gentleman’s Magazine
1852 August 28 Notes and Queries
1855 March 31 Illustrated London News
1857 November 21 London Journal January Quarterly
1858 March 6 Notes and Queries
1860 Living Age (U.S.A.)
1863 October 31 Notes and Queries Once a Week
1864 Annual Register
July Gentleman’s Magazine
July St. James’s Magazine
1865 June 17 Athenaeum
Chambers’ Journal
August Eclectic Review
November 11 Leisure Hour
Spectator
1866 January Englishwoman’s Domestic Magazine
1869 November Harper’s New Monthly
1870 June 17 Literary World
1872 February 3 Notes and Queries
Overland (U.S.A.)
1873 April Athenaeum
Leisure Hour
January Literary World
Notes and Queries
Saturday Review, and many other
reviews of Cherry’s volume
1874 October 17 Notes and Queries
1877 Living Age
1886 Northamptonshire Notes and Queries; 97.
1890 December 13 All the Year Round September 6 Notes and Queries
1893 August, September Literary World
1901 July Current Literature (U.S.A.) Freethinker Monthly Review
1902 April Gentleman’s Magazine
1908 December 17 Nation (New York)
1909 March Current Literature T.P.’s Weekly
1913 January South Atlantic Quarterly
1914 October Yale Review
1915 May Fortnightly Review
1917 July 19 Dial (U.S.A.)
1919 September Cornhill Magazine
1920 February 22 Nation
March, April Athenaeum
May Oxford Outlook
July London Mercury
October Poetry Review
In addition to these references, valuable material is contained in such local papers as the Northampton Herald, Northampton Mercury, Stamford Mercury, Stamford Guardian, and the Peterborough Express, and the Peterborough Standard; particularly under the important dates 1820, 1864, 1873, and 1893.