John Clare’s Asylum Poems

William Hilton - John Clare
William Hilton – John Clare (1820) – National Portrait Gallery, London, NPG 1469

John Clare (b. July 13, 1793; d. May 20, 1864) was an English farm labourer and poet. According to his biographer Jonathan Bate, Clare was “the greatest labouring-class poet that England has ever produced. No one has ever written more powerfully of nature, of a rural childhood, and of the alienated and unstable self.CONTINUE READING / CONTINUER LA LECTURE…

Le cher parfum, par Jean Aicard

Daniel F. Gerhartz - The daughter of the nature - a woman
Daniel F. Gerhartz – The daughter of the nature – a woman – from Wikiart

Provenant du recueil de vers Le Livre d’Heures de l’Amour (1887), voici un beau poème brûlant de sensualité. Goûter la bien-aimée comme un fruit, respirer son corps aux odeurs envoûtantes d’herbes et de fleurs, le désir du poète se pare de parfums, et quand la belle n’est pas là, ceux-ci viennent hanter ses souvenirs. CONTINUE READING / CONTINUER LA LECTURE…

Une allée au Luxembourg, par Gérard de Nerval

Yuri Krotov – Fille au parapluie rouge (2003) – provient de artyurikrotov.com

L’écrivain et poète Gérard de Nerval, de son vrai nom Gérard Labrunie, est une figure majeure du romantisme français. Né le 22 mai 1808 à Paris, il perdit à deux ans et demi sa mère, qu’il n’avait pratiquement jamais vue, et cet évènement semble avoir durablement marqué son psychisme. CONTINUE READING / CONTINUER LA LECTURE…

The Picture of little T. C. in a Prospect of Flowers, by Andrew Marvell

Trent Gudmundsen - Spring Morning
Trent Gudmundsen – Spring Morning

The English poet Andrew Marvell (1621–1678) lived through several political regimes, and could adapt to each one. He started his career under the Stuart Monarchy, then visited Europe during the Civil War; afterwards he returned to England and held official positions during the republican Commonwealth, finally he served as Member of Parliament during the monarchic Restoration. He could do this by writing complex and sometimes ambiguous poetry, which could be interpreted in several ways. CONTINUE READING / CONTINUER LA LECTURE…

Who loves working class children?

Lewis Hine - Little Lottie
Lewis Hine – Little Lottie, a regular oyster shucker in Alabama Canning Co. She speaks no English. Note the condition of her shoes caused by standing on the rough shells so much. A common sight. Bayou La Batre, Ala. (22 February 1911) – from National Archives (Identifier 523398), via Wikimedia Commons

One seldom finds persons who really love all children. Most people show themselves selective in their affection, while some don’t like children at all. Usually it is a family affair, one loves one’s own children, but not those of other people, and this attitude gets a wide support in society, since children are implicitly considered as their parents’ property, and too much love for other people’s children is seen with suspicion. CONTINUE READING / CONTINUER LA LECTURE…

Young Love, by Andrew Marvell

Joshua Reynolds -The Age of Innocence
Joshua Reynolds -The Age of Innocence – Tate N00307, via Wikimedia Commons

Andrew Marvell (1621–1678) is considered one of the greatest English poets of the seventeenth century. Beside lyric poetry, he wrote political satire, both in verse and in prose, lampooning his contemporaries for their corruption and hypocrisy; most of it was published anonymously, to avoid repression. After his death, many anonymous texts were attributed to him and collected for publication. CONTINUE READING / CONTINUER LA LECTURE…