Poor John Clare Poem by Francis Duggan

Unrivalled as an English poet of Nature yet life for him it was far worse than hell
He lived for years and died in an asylum and the story of his life a tragic one to tell
He penned the poems destined to live forever and with the finest poets he can compare
And he will always be a Prince of Wordsmiths the peasant poet from Helpston poor John Clare.

His poems of Nature as of yet unrivalled 'The Badger' and 'The Fox' and 'The Landrail'
'The Thrush's Nest', 'The Blackbird' and 'The Robin', 'The Pine Marten' and 'The March Nightingale',
'The Pettichap', 'The Hedgehog' and 'The Moorhen' amongst others in verse he glorified
His fame lives on far distant from Northampton and Helpston his beloved Countryside.

He was a poet who knew fame for a brief spell but his greatness truly recognized today
Of life and passion and of love and Nature he was a Bard who had so much to say
His poems to his wife Patti and his great love Mary Joyce will live forever so many poets by him have been inspired
Forgotten and neglected in his life time yet through his works in death he is admired.

Sad was the lot of the poor peasant poet of Helpston yet people like him were and are so rare
He once was seen as the misfit of his Village yet Helpston now less famous than John Clare
He died in poverty in the Northampton Asylum doesn't life for some seem so very unfair
Yet his poems bring pleasure to the poetry lovers and people like him sad to say not everywhere.