To The Rural Muse and Other Poems

The English poet John Clare was the son of a farm labourer and was often referred to as "the Northamptonshire Peasant Poet". His work is mostly inspired by the English countryside and the rural way of life. In "To the Rural Muse" he explains how he regarded some aspects of the rural life as a kind of Poetic Muse. Clare originally wrote in Northamptonshire dialect with little or no punctuation. Modern editions of his work often revise these aspects. (Summary by Alan Mapstone)