Badger Poem by John Clare

Badger

Rating: 3.1


The badger grunting on his woodland track
With shaggy hide and sharp nose scrowed with black
Roots in the bushes and the woods, and makes
A great high burrow in the ferns and brakes.
With nose on ground he runs an awkward pace,
And anything will beat him in the race.
The shepherd's dog will run him to his den
Followed and hooted by the dogs and men.
The woodman when the hunting comes about
Goes round at night to stop the foxes out
And hurrying through the bushes to the chin
Breaks the old holes, and tumbles headlong in.
When midnight comes a host of dogs and men
Go out and track the badger to his den,
And put a sack within the hole, and lie
Till the old grunting badger passes bye.
He comes and hears—they let the strongest loose.
The old fox hears the noise and drops the goose.
The poacher shoots and hurries from the cry,
And the old hare half wounded buzzes bye.
They get a forked stick to bear him down
And clap the dogs and take him to the town,
And bait him all the day with many dogs,
And laugh and shout and fright the scampering hogs.
He runs along and bites at all he meets:
They shout and hollo down the noisy streets.
He turns about to face the loud uproar
And drives the rebels to their very door.
The frequent stone is hurled where e'er they go;
When badgers fight, then every one's a foe.
The dogs are clapt and urged to join the fray;
The badger turns and drives them all away.
Though scarcely half as big, demure and small,
He fights with dogs for bones and beats them all.
The heavy mastiff, savage in the fray,
Lies down and licks his feet and turns away.
The bulldog knows his match and waxes cold,
The badger grins and never leaves his hold.
He drives the crowd and follows at their heels
And bites them through—the drunkard swears and reels.
The frighted women take the boys away,
The blackguard laughs and hurries on the fray.
He tries to reach the woods, an awkward race,
But sticks and cudgels quickly stop the chase.
He turns again and drives the noisy crowd
And beats the many dogs in noises loud.
He drives away and beats them every one,
And then they loose them all and set them on.
He falls as dead and kicked by boys and men,
Then starts and grins and drives the crowd again;
Till kicked and torn and beaten out he lies
And leaves his hold and cackles, groans, and dies.
Some keep a baited badger tame as hog
And tame him till he follows like the dog.
They urge him on like dogs and show fair play.
He beats and scarcely wounded goes away.
Lapt up as if asleep, he scorns to fly
And seizes any dog that ventures nigh.
Clapt like a dog, he never bites the men
But worries dogs and hurries to his den.
They let him out and turn a harrow down
And there he fights the host of all the town.
He licks the patting hand, and tries to play
And never tries to bite or run away,
And runs away from the noise in hollow trees
Burnt by the boys to get a swarm of bees.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Adam Turner 06 March 2018

And this from a rural poet who began by etching charcoal into tree bark.

1 2 Reply
Kim Barney 28 May 2015

Does the SPCA know about this poem? It should be banned by all animal lovers everywhere.

4 14 Reply
I P Freely 30 March 2018

The fact youre so dense as to think that the SPCA even needs to know about this poem from nearly 200 years ago as if they will be able to do something to erase the name of John Clare makes me hope youre kidding. Learn to understand a poem before you make your comments! I realize this comment is about 3 years too late but I could not let this go. Shame on you for making every person who's read your comment in the last two odd years slightly dumber for reading it.

5 0
Adam Turner 06 March 2018

Actually, the men who are abusing the animal in this poem are unsympathetic, while the badger, the animal being abused, is admired in this poem. So I would think nothing could be further from the truth.

2 0
Patrick Ladbrooke 17 August 2006

A savage poem that I am sure tells it how it was.

15 14 Reply
Kevin Lister 02 June 2006

I love this poem, and used to read it to my kids when they were young. It made an incredible impression on them and they asked for it now,10 years later. It is a great portrayal of a tragically courageous struggle against an overwhelming evil opposition.

21 13 Reply
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John Clare

John Clare

Northamptonshire / England
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