What Is Life? Poem by John Clare

What Is Life?

Rating: 3.0


And what is Life? An hour-glass on the run,
A mist retreating from the morning sun,
A busy, bustling, still-repeated dream.
Its length? A minute's pause, a moment's thought.
And Happiness? A bubble on the stream,
That in the act of seizing shrinks to nought.

And what is Hope? The puffing gale of morn,
That of its charms divests the dewy lawn,
And robs each flow'ret of its gem -and dies;
A cobweb, hiding disappointment's thorn,
Which stings more keenly through the thin disguise.

And what is Death? Is still the cause unfound?
That dark mysterious name of horrid sound?
A long and lingering sleep the weary crave.
And Peace? Where can its happiness abound?
Nowhere at all, save heaven and the grave.

Then what is Life? When stripped of its disguise,
A thing to be desired it cannot be;
Since everything that meets our foolish eyes
Gives proof sufficient of its vanity.
'Tis but a trial all must undergo,
To teach unthankful mortals how to prize
That happiness vain man's denied to know,
Until he's called to claim it in the skies.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Jerry Wells 28 January 2018

IF YOU IS NOT HAPPY IT IS BY YOUR OWN DOING NO-ONE ELSE

6 5 Reply
chicken nugget 02 March 2018

please be grammatically correct next time, thank you

1 4
Jerry Wells 28 January 2018

LIFE IS HAPPINESS IN EVERY WAY THAT IS TO BE HAPPY

7 3 Reply
Abhimanyu Kumar.s 28 November 2017

Life is obviously a question filled by what is going to come and filled with mysterious moments

5 2 Reply
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0 0 Reply
Emily 05 February 2022

A great poem with language theme and character

1 0 Reply
Amatullah ali asghar 25 August 2018

Well written poem

1 2 Reply
Asandile 23 April 2018

Good poem

3 1 Reply
JERRY WELLS 02 March 2018

THIS IS A OUTSTANDING POEM ABOUT THREE PARTS OF LIFE

5 2 Reply
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John Clare

John Clare

Northamptonshire / England
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