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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
Read poems about / on: flower, winter, snow, heart, love, life, tree
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Click here to write your comments about this poem (First Love by John Clare)
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. |
Kentucky Refugee (3/10/2008 12:41:00 AM)
It doesn't get any better than this. |
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