Clock-O'-Clay

John Clare 1793 (Helpston) – 1864 (St Andrew's Hospital)



In the cowslip pips I lie,
Hidden from the buzzing fly,
While green grass beneath me lies,
Pearled with dew like fishes' eyes,
Here I lie, a clock-o'-clay,
Waiting for the time o' day.

While the forest quakes surprise,
And the wild wind sobs and sighs,
My home rocks as like to fall,
On its pillar green and tall;
When the pattering rain drives by
Clock-o'-clay keeps warm and dry.

Day by day and night by night,
All the week I hide from sight;
In the cowslip pips I lie,
In the rain still warm and dry;
Day and night and night and day,
Red, black-spotted clock-o'-clay.

My home shakes in wind and showers,
Pale green pillar topped with flowers,
Bending at the wild wind's breath,
Till I touch the grass beneath;
Here I live, lone clock-o'-clay,
Watching for the time of day.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 01, 2023

45 sec read
121

Quick analysis:

Scheme Aabbcc bbddaa eeAacc ffxxcc
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 760
Words 145
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 6, 6, 6, 6

John Clare

John Clare was an English poet in his time he was commonly known as the Northamptonshire Peasant Poet more…

All John Clare poems | John Clare Books

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