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8.8
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I ne'er was struck before that hour
With love so sudden and so sweet,
Her face it bloomed like a sweet flower
And stole my heart away complete.
My face turned pale as deadly pale.
My legs refused to walk away,
And when she looked, what could I ail?
My life and all seemed turned to clay.
And then my blood rushed to my face
And took my eyesight quite away,
The trees and bushes round the place
Seemed midnight at noonday.
I could not see a single thing,
Words from my eyes did start --
They spoke as chords do from the string,
And blood burnt round my heart.
Are flowers the winter's choice?
Is love's bed always snow?
She seemed to hear my silent voice,
Not love's appeals to know.
I never saw so sweet a face
As that I stood before.
My heart has left its dwelling-place
And can return no more
John Clare
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Read poems about / on: flower, winter, snow, heart, love, life, tree
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Comments about this poem (First Love
by
John Clare
) |
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comments about this poem (First Love by
John Clare
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Haven Leonel
(6/26/2009 4:36:00 PM) |
i have written a poem that mixes this poem with a more modern vocabulary, yet the problem is that it no longer has that old fashion romance to it which is very effective in poems.
'This all happened within an hour,
and flowed with love so sweet.
Her face bloomed like a sweet flower,
which stole my heart away complete.
Yet my face turned pale, a lifeless pale,
my legs refused to walk away.
This girl was like a fairy tale,
I cant describe her any other way.
But then my blood rushed to my face,
and stripped my sight from my eyes.
Yet the pain and suffering in this place,
had started to slowly die.
I could not see a single thing,
but at this time so much did start.
My mind became as thin as string,
that was wrapped around my heart.
Could I be this girl's choice?
Could I make her mine?
Then as I heard her voice,
I saw her smile shine.
I've never seen such a pretty face,
its a face so rich, not poor.
My heart has left its dwelling place,
and can return no more.'
i know most poets would speak down to me and tell me not to steal other poems and try to make them my own, but i did not steal it i dont take credit for this poem, i just mixed it with my personality..so tell me what you think
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Krystal Vincent
(6/15/2009 10:43:00 AM) |
I loved this poem. It reminds me a lot about someone i fell in love with a long time ago and still am in love with today. you have such good technique. a poem well written.
I would like to give you a hug right about now.you have a beautiful heart for a man, and i haven't found that in many.
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Selma Parlakay
(6/15/2009 5:15:00 AM) |
I wanna be in love after reading this lovely poem
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Kashumaru Mizume
(6/15/2008 12:19:00 PM) |
that was an absolutely wonderful and touching piece.
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Janet Hedger
(6/15/2008 4:08:00 AM) |
I first came across John Clare through a literary group I belonged to. He is now a favourite of mine - an uneducated man writing beautiful, from the heart poetry. After his first book was published, he was plagued by rejection - so it was not only in love, he was spurned. All his feelings pour out of this poem - never afraid to bare his soul - yet it remains a poem of beauty. John Clare was a misunderstood man - poetry was his escape.
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Kevin Barr
(4/9/2008 1:39:00 PM) |
“First Love”, a pre 1900 poem was written by John Clare, when we are not
told. John Clare was eventually taken to a mental asylum where he died.
Once he broke out to search for the girl about whom he has written in this
poem. Maybe then this lost love drove him to insanity. This suggests that
maybe this poem is more than a first love but more like a true love. The
poem itself opens with the line “I ne’er was struck before that hour”. The
persona here conveys a sense of shock and bewilderment and tells us he
has never experienced anything like this before. The first verse seems
quite joyful with words included like “Sweet”, “Bloomed”. But on line five
that all changes. The persona describes how he physically felt ill as his
face turned “Pale as deadly pale”. The persona seems to sense that there
is a break-up ahead of the relationship and he feels powerless as there
doesn’t seem to be anything that he can do about it. In verse two the
persona continues to tell us of his physical ailments at the thought of
ending this relationship with this girl he adores. “And then my blood
rushed to my face and took my eyesight quite away”. Here Clare portrays
feelings of rage and blindness. He knows there is nothing he can do if the
girl falls out of love with him. In verse three the poet seems to have
slowed down the pace of the poem. In this verse the persona seems alot
more depressed rather than terrified of the relationship ending. He asks
rhetorical questions like “Are flowers the Winters choice”? and “Is loves
bed always snow”? The persona it seems has now sunken into a state of
desperate depression. In answer to his questions, I say no. Love does not
have to be cold and deceptive, in fact it should be quite the opposite if it
is true love between two people. The two questions imply that love is
cold and deceitful and to be treated with caution. But here in this very
relationship the persona has just dived in and continually obsesses about
this girl (which is contrary to the implication above) whom I feel may have
been overwhelmed by this mans love for her and does not have the
adequate feelings to return an equal amount of affection for him and the
persona knows this and this is why he is in such a terrible state. The
persona states that “My heart has left its dwelling- place and can return
no more”. The persona here has illustrated for us a sense of desertion and
loneliness. The persona has now realised that this girl does not have the
same feelings for him as he for her. There is a feeling of rejection here
and one can tell the young teenager is heartbroken. Unfortunately
though it seems he is going to continue pursuing this love.
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E T
(2/15/2008 7:04:00 AM) |
I'm studying this for GCSE, it's a good poem, but my groovy english teacher reckons that the 4th line in the 3rd stanza should be:
'And love's appeal to know'
instead of 'not love's appeals to know'
to be fair i don't know, but he's clever, and it makes more sense, as though both of them can speak their own language and understand each other perfectly.
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purple moon
(7/5/2007 10:17:00 AM) |
An absolute classic! i love it. I first became aware of this poem when years ago i saw it in a magazine with a porcelaine figure of a young woman in a ball gown standing beside it! the figurine was for sale to anyone who wished to buy it and it was inspired by this poem which i thought one of the most beautiful and touching that i had ever read. I hope she was worthy of this beautiful piece john, if your listening up there! well done.x
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