David Longhorn's video: The Thrush s Nest by John Clare

Spring is coming, regardless of human concerns, so here is a suitable sonnet by the neglected working class poet John Clare (1793-1864). Born the son of a farm labourer in Northamptonshire, Clare started writing poetry as a child. As a teenager he ran away to join the militia, got fed up with that, lived with gypsies for a while, and spent time as a lime-burner. Eventually he was published to widespread acclaim, but never made much money and ended up labouring as his father had done. He was plagued by mental illness and spent the last 23 years of his life in the county asylum. Some of his poetry reflects his inner turmoil and ill-fortune, but much of his nature verse - especially 'The Shepherd's Calendar' - reflects the beauty of the English countryside seen from the perspective of one who lived and worked in it, as opposed to an erudite visitor.