Living

My Early Home

by John Clare 1793–1864

From Poems, ed. Arthur Symons (1908)

Living

Here sparrows build upon the trees,
And stockdove hides her nest;
The leaves are winnowed by the breeze
Into a calmer rest;
The black-cap's song was very sweet,
That used the rose to kiss;
It made the Paradise complete:

My early home was this.
The red-breast from the sweetbriar bush
Dropt down to pick the worm;
On the horse-chestnut sang the thrush,
O'er the house where I was born;
The moonlight, like a shower of pearls,
Fell o'er this 'bower of bliss',
And on the bench sat boys and girls:

My early home was this.
The old house stooped just like a cave,
Thatched o'er with mosses green;
Winter around the walls would rave,
But all was calm within;
The trees are here all green agen,
Here bees the flowers still kiss,
But flowers and trees seemed sweeter then:
My early home was this.

MLA

Clare, John. “My Early Home.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/clare/378/.

Chicago

Clare, John. “My Early Home.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/clare/378/.

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