The Cambridge Companion to John Clare

Illuminates the rich life and writing, and varied critical reception, of the early nineteenth-century labouring-class poet John Clare.

Sarah Houghton-Walker (Edited by)

9781009262606, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 21 November 2024

300 pages
22.8 x 15.1 x 1.6 cm, 0.43 kg

The fascinations of John Clare's life are manifold. A labouring-class poet and naturalist, he was lionised in the early 1820s but spent his final decades incarcerated in asylums. In this Companion leading scholars illuminate Clare's rich life and writing, situating each within a range of critical contexts. Essays rooted in discourses as diverse as ecocriticism, aesthetics, religion, health, and time are accompanied by explorations of the construction of the idea (including the self-identity) of Clare through writing and images. The collection also traces influences upon Clare, and considers the ways in which he has influenced subsequent poets in turn. The volume includes a chronology and an invaluable guide to further reading, and provides students with a firm grounding in Clare's writings and his critical reception: this is an indispensable guide to the poet and his work.

Chronology
Introduction Sarah Houghton-Walker
Part I. Clare the Poet: 1. On Clare and Lyric Song Stephanie Kuduk Weiner
2. Clare's Forms Andrew Hodgson
3. John Clare: Translating Perception into Poetry Cassandra Falke
4. Clare and the Sublime Ross Wilson
Part II. Clare the Naturalist: 5. Clare and Animals James Castell
6. John Clare's Plants Fiona Stafford
7. John Clare and the Community of Naturalists Robert Heyes
8. Clare and Ecocriticism Markus Poetzsch
Part III. Clare's Image: 9. Self-Identity in a World of Influence Tim Chilcott
10. 'Leading strings': Editing and Revision in Clare's Poetry Mark Storey
11. Constructed Image: Portraits of Clare Scott McEathron
Part IV. Influences and Traditions: 12. Clare and Religion Emma Mason
13. John Clare and the British Labouring-Class Tradition Bridget Keegan
14. The Politics of Nature Tim Fulford
15. Clare's Health Erin Lafford
16. Clare Among the Poets Mina Gorji
Further Reading.

Subject Areas: Literary studies: c 1800 to c 1900 [DSBF]