John Clare

Sarah Houghton-Walker

• Publisher: Reaktion Books
• eBook ISBN:
  9781836392378
• Year: 2026

John Clare's life has often been told by casting him in various parts – rural genius, thwarted lover, environmentalist, lunatic poet. This biography revisits those familiar stories with a fresh perspective, setting Clare's own words alongside a sharp reappraisal of his times. Drawing from his autobiographical writings, journals, letters and poetry, it presents a rich, grounded portrait of the man and the places that shaped him. Clare's sense of identity, rooted in the land around him, was central to his voice as a poet. Through attentive readings of his verse, this book traces the creative and emotional arc of a life both ordinary and extraordinary. Clare emerges not as a tragic stereotype, but as a deeply thoughtful writer confronting change with clarity and care.

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Half-title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Prefatory Note on Sources
• Introduction: Clare’s Place
• 1 Childhood in Helpston
• 2 Glinton
• 3 Burghley
• 4 Market Deeping, Casterton, Pickworth
• 5 Stamford
• 6 Milton
• 7 London
• 8 Married Life in Helpston
• 9 Northborough
• 10 High Beach
• 11 The Great North Road
• 12 Northampton
• 13 In Memoriam
• References
• Select Bibliography
• Acknowledgements
• Photo Acknowledgements