Explore the Ways in which John Clare Presents Feelings of

Change and Loss in his Poetry

Through his poetry, John Clare reflects on his loss of childhood and presents his attitudes
towards the changing landscape resulting from the Agricultural Revolution. Clares poem
Remembrances conveys both his subjective feelings of loss of his youth and naivety and also on
the more objective, material changes of the surrounding landscape. He opens the poem with
references to the seasons to establish the idea of time and by commenting on the pleasures that
are gone he immediately creates a sense of nostalgia. Clare emphasises how things have changed
by juxtaposing the images such as raptures, pleasures and delicious to highlight childhood joy
and the past and decay, all alone and naked as harsh images of despair. To present his
feelings of loss, throughout the poem, Clare writes in past tense such as when I used to which is
emphasised by the anaphora. These convey Clares tone of reminiscence. This tone is also created
by the use of vivid language such as silken grass and daisy gemmed in dew; the evocative
descriptions enhance Clares loss. As in many of his poems, Clare uses proper names of places such
as Lea Close Oak and Eastwell and Crossberry Way. This not only gives the readers a clear
reference emphasising the reality of what is happening, but also shows a sense of Clares personal
loss. Another type of loss Clare writes about in Remembrances is his loss of joys and the naivety
of childhood. This particularly evident in the third stanza when Clare reminisces having pockets
full of peas and how delicious was the dinner time. The phonology and meter of these lines
makes it sound child-like, which is particularly emphasised by the alliteration.
Despite being brought up as a child in Helpston, John Clare moved to a cottage in Northborough
which was given to him by Lord Fitzwilliam who was concerned for Clares mental health. Clare was
greatly distressed by this change and wrote the poem The Flitting to help him come to terms with
his loss. The Flitting echoes the tone of Remembrances in that they both deal with Clares sadness
at the changing landscape and feelings of isolation. By repeating the proper name of Royce Wood
Clare could be revealing his disorientation and inability to connect with the new environment, this
concept could also be shown through the image of him Lean[ing] upon the window sill suggesting
that he can see the landscape but the glass is preventing him from actually experiencing it. Clare
expresses his feeling of displacement and how that the move to Northborough feels like he has
lost his identity. This is shown particularly in the line strange scenes mere shadows are to [him]
which is emphasised by use of sibilance. He repeats similar images such as foreign, strange,
alone and unpersonifying to describe Northborough. When talking about Helpston, on the other
hand, his images are more pleasant and nostalgic, for example, native, velvet, sweet and
home fed pleasures. The contrast reveals Clares grieving for his loss. The Flitting also focuses
on change in general. The title itself creates a sense of restlessness and brevity which is
heightened by the phonology of the word Flitting. The simple rhyme scheme and regular meter
could connote Clares straightforward love for nature. This is also shown in the poem through the
repetition of little which portrays the simplicity and vulnerability of nature.
Similarly, the poem The Moors is about a place which Clare was very familiar. Through this poem,
he illustrates his frustration and sadness at the changing landscape resulting from the agricultural
revolution. Clare describes the division and destruction of the landscape brought through the
enclosures law. The opening of the poem bombards us with images of abundance and freedom,
images such as eternal, unchecked and wild create the liberty of the landscape prior to the
enclosure. Similarly the freedoms of the animals being free to range convey they natural ease of
life. Then, in contrast the mood of the poem changes to show Clares sadness and frustration at
the way the landscape has changed. The alliteration of fled and flats echoes Clares anger at the

destruction of the land. The violence of the demolition is shown through the harsh phrases such as
mangled and bereft. The final section of the poem focuses on the political side of the change.
The paradoxical phrases scared freedom and lawless law could suggest the contrasting way in
which those in charge of the enclosure insist it brings freedom, when in fact, for nature, it
doesnt.