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John Clare was a poet of the English countryside, its wildlife and the labouring rural classes. He is considered one of the great poets of the nineteenth century. During his lifetime he was known as the "Northamptonshire Peasant Poet" because he wrote largely in his Northamptonshire dialect. Clare suffered with depression and his mental health worsened as he reached his thirties. He was committed to Northampton General Lunatic Asylum in 1841 aged 48 and he spent the rest of his life there. His doctor encouraged his writing and Clare continued to write poetry while in the asylum. He died in 1864 at the age of 70.
John Clare was a poet of the English countryside, its wildlife and the labouring rural classes. He is considered one of the great poets of the nineteenth century. During his lifetime he was known as the "Northamptonshire Peasant Poet" because he wrote largely in his Northamptonshire dialect. Clare suffered with depression and his mental health worsened as he reached his thirties. He was committed to Northampton General Lunatic Asylum in 1841 aged 48 and he spent the rest of his life there. His doctor encouraged his writing and Clare continued to write poetry while in the asylum. He died in 1864 at the age of 70.
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| Name: | John Clare |
|---|---|
| Gender: | Male |
| Nationality: | English |
| Date of birth: | 1793 |
| Date of death: | 1864 |
| Role: | Poet |
| Project person ID: | SLP027 |
| Image rights: | © National Portrait Gallery. London by William Hilton oil on canvas 1820 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ |
