by John Clare (1793 - 1864)
Peasant Poet
Language: English
He loved the brook's soft sound, The swallow swimming by. He loved the daisy-covered ground, The cloud-bedappled sky. To him the dismal storm appeared The very voice of God; And when the evening rack was reared Stood Moses with his rod. And everything his eyes surveyed, The insects in the brake, Were creatures God Almighty made, He loved them for His sake-- A silent man in life's affairs, A thinker from a boy, A peasant in his daily cares, A poet in his joy.
Authorship:
- by John Clare (1793 - 1864), "Peasant Poet", appears in John Clare: Poems, first published 1920 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Stephen Dodgson (b. 1924), "Peasant Poet", first performed 1963 [ high voice and guitar ], from Four Poems of John Clare [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2005-12-19
Line count: 16
Word count: 84