I give here yet another love poem from Asylum Poems, the fascinating collection of verses that John Clare composed when he was interned in an insane asylum because of his schizophrenic hallucinations. Contrasting with his numerous sentimental poems, this piece is sensuous and wild; behind poetic images—and a silence—hides the poet’s fullness of heat and passion. CONTINUE READING / CONTINUER LA LECTURE…
Dowson’s poem Transition was probably first published in the volume Decorations in 1899. According to Desmond Flower, Dowson wrote it on December 26, 1890 (thus a few weeks after Ad Domnulam Suam, of October 19, 1890). In a letter to Arthur Moore dated the same day, he wrote (the misspelling of the name “Carroll” is Dowson’s, not mine): CONTINUE READING / CONTINUER LA LECTURE…
Un roman écrit par un sorcier en 1917 peut guider nos passions. Il n’y a ici aucune fiction. Tout cela est vrai. CONTINUE READING / CONTINUER LA LECTURE…
This is probably one of the best-known poems of John Clare. Again, it comes from the collection Asylum Poems that he wrote while he was interned in a lunatic asylum. CONTINUE READING / CONTINUER LA LECTURE…
This sweet poem by John Clare comes from his beautiful collection Asylum Poems, written while he was interned in a lunatic asylum. It tells the love he shared with a young girl, and he gives her a lovely name: Mary Littlechild. It probably refers to his first love, Mary Joyce, whom he courted briefly at age 16, until her father put an end to their relation. She remained his ideal of love and beauty, and when he lost reason, Clare believed that Mary Joyce was his true wife. In July 1841, Clare absconded from the asylum and walked 140 km home, intent on returning to Mary. CONTINUE READING / CONTINUER LA LECTURE…
Il y a une semaine, j’ai publié le poèmes « La Reine de Mai » provenant du recueil Le Livre d’Heures de l’Amour (1887), à propos d’une reine de mai appelée Claire, qu’il aimait et qui mourut dans son enfance.
Treize ans plus tôt, en 1874, Aicard avait publié chez Alphonse Lemerre le recueil Poèmes de Provence, qui obtint le Prix Montyon de l’Académie française et fit de lui le poète de cette région. On y trouve un poème assez semblable, consacré à son amour d’enfance, morte trop tôt. CONTINUE READING / CONTINUER LA LECTURE…
In a post presenting the poem Ad Domnulam Suam by Ernest Dowson, I said that Dowson wrote it in October 1890, and that it was probably inspired by his beloved Adelaide Foltinowicz, then aged twelve years and a half. In it, he expressed his love for a young girl, and at the same time a desire to stop before this love could grow too strong; he also said that the girl would soon grow out of childhood, and this could spell the end of that love. He seemed to be afraid that his love for Adelaide would finally end as she grew into adulthood. CONTINUE READING / CONTINUER LA LECTURE…
Il y a un an, j’ai publié un poème de Jean Aicard intitulé « La Reine de Mai », provenant de son recueil de vers La Chanson de l’Enfant. En voici un autre de même titre, de son recueil Le Livre d’Heures de l’Amour. CONTINUE READING / CONTINUER LA LECTURE…
La magie de l’enfant de lune dévoile toute sa puissance, et l’amour absolu brûle jour et nuit, brisant tous les tabous. CONTINUE READING / CONTINUER LA LECTURE…
Today, I present another beautiful little piece from the collection Asylum Poems that John Clare wrote while he was interned in a lunatic asylum. It is a message of hope, he tells us that love is everlasting, it “lives beyond the tomb, the earth, the flowers, and dew,” and it can be found with “the fond, the faithful, young and true.” The genuine heart-love of a young maiden brings the poet eternal happiness. The secret of a fruitful life is a young heart full of love. CONTINUE READING / CONTINUER LA LECTURE…
