John Clare Society of North America Newsletter

Newsletter Volume 6, January 2004

The editor invites submissions of items relevant to Report on the John Clare panel Clare studies, including calls for papers, announcements of recent publications, details of at MLA, San Diego upcoming events, and scholarly notes. Please send submissions to Andrew Hubbell: [email protected]. The editor would like to thank By Timothy Ziegenhagen all of the contributors to this issue. On Sunday, December 29, the John Clare Society of North America sponsored an Greetings From the New Editor MLA panel called "The Borderlands of John Clare." Timothy Ziegenhagen of Northland College chaired the panel, well ―`Wery glad to meet you, and I hope our attended by over 30 attentive listeners. acquaintance may be a long one!‘ as the Carol McGuirk of Florida Atlantic gen‘leman said to the five pound note.‖ University began the panel with "Of Mice, For those who do not know me, I am Men, and 'Difference.'" McGuirk proposed assistant professor of 19th Century that Clare envisions the mouse in British literature at Susquehanna "Mouse's Nest" as "disquietingly alien," University in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, quite a different notion of the animal a small town on the banks of the compared to Barbauld‘s "The Mouse's Susquehanna River, not far from where Petition" or Burns‘s "To a Mouse." Unlike Coleridge and Southey planned to Burns, who establishes "elaborate 'poetic' establish Pantisocracy, and where Joseph sympathy" for the mouse he has unnested, Priestly settled in 1794. Though I have Clare observes his own encounter less focused my research on Wordsworth, dramatically, "at more of a distance." This Coleridge, Shelley, and Byron, I hope that refusal to establish poetic sympathy—to by being the new editor of the Newsletter "talk to or as the mouse" in the manner of for the John Clare Society of North Burns or Barbauld—returns the mouse to America, I will be drawn further into its own protected space, a mouse's space Clare‘s poetry and Clare scholarship. I (however literarily constructed). McGuirk will work to maintain the high standards observes, "Mice are prey; the way to show of editing set by Sarah Zimmerman, and them kindness is to acknowledge their look forward to meeting you all at the need to go back into hiding." Clare next Clare conference. ‗Till then, happy refuses to impose his own subjectivity on reading! the mouse, and allows it to "be herself and then to disappear, even from her own sonnet." 2

Following McGuirk, Bridget Keegan of freedom" from specifically delineated roles Creighton University read "'Excursion (like the "peasant-poet"), but creates a with the Angler': Clare's Piscatorial voice that enables him to address and Poetry," which explores Izaak Walton's critique "centers of cultural and political idea of "compleateness," and how that is control." expressed in Clare's poems about fishing. Keegan argues that, influenced by Following Harrison's paper, a lively and Walton's inclusive, "hybrid" text, Clare lengthy question-and-answer period finds ways to articulate a proto- ensued; the discussion had not lost any of environmental ethic valuing its energy or interest when Ziegenhagen "compleateness," achieved particularly in announced that the panel had reached the his discursive, thick descriptions of the "event horizon," the end of its allotted natural world. Keegan argues that while time. much of Clare's poetry mourns the loss of biotic diversity as a result of parliamentary enclosure, it nevertheless celebrates and promotes a sense of John Clare Conference 2003 "compleatness" that Walton introduced.

Keegan aptly suggests that more Dr Paul Chirico attention needs to be paid to the Director of Studies, Part 1 English piscatorial connections between the two Jesus College, Cambridge CB5 8BL authors, that "Walton's place in Clare's Tel. 01223 339494 / Network 39494 works helps to shift our critical lens from green to blue." On March 21st, as the bombing of Iraq

gathered intensity and the spring The final panelist, Gary Harrison of the sunshine did its best to pierce the University of New Mexico, then read torrential rain on the American east "Invite to Alterity: Mimicry and Hybridity coast, around thirty-five Clare in John Clare's Later Poems." Building enthusiasts gathered at the Belmont on the work of postcolonial theorists Homi Conference Center in Elkridge, Maryland, Bhabha and Gayatri Spivak, Harrison between Baltimore and Washington DC, explored the way Clare's "hybridized for the first conference of the John Clare identities" as "peasant-poet‖ enable him to Society of North America. mimic the "poetry and poetics of Lord

Byron as a way to appropriate and return After the friendly atmosphere had been the gaze of the metropole," leveled at him nurtured a little at the bar, Michael as a laboring class celebrity. Harrison Suarez and Sarah Zimmerman began argued that Clare does not just "parrot" with a joint presentation of their research Byron's poetic voice in Child Harold, but into the history of Taylor and Hessey‘s creates a "multiple-voiced, polyphonic publishing firm, detailing the few books poem that interrupts and destabilizes its that they printed contemporaneously with precursor text." In so doing, the narrator Clare. Eric Robinson then discussed of Clare's poem becomes a kind of issues surrounding the editing of Clare, "trickster," who not only "flaunts his paying particular attention to the 3 evidence in 18th and 19th century Northampton. After a very good lunch and dictionaries that many of Clare‘s dialect a chance to admire our rural setting, now words had a much wider currency than is bathed in sunlight, the final session was often supposed. Friday evening continued principally an opportunity for group with a great dinner followed by a reading discussion. To that end I attempted to of some Clare work by the poet Galway gather together a few of the points which Kinnell who, in reference to ―Clock a had been debated with such enthusiasm Clay,‖ remarked that Clare tends to make and erudition within and between papers. unconscious bargains with animals: they Happily our attention was drawn back to offer him a language with which to the texts by Richard Gillin‘s striking and understand his own feelings, a gift which intricate account of ekphrasis in sonnets he repays with the offer of immortality in such as ―Crowland Abbey‖ and ―Glinton verse. The evening concluded with a fine Spire.‖ performance of a selection of Clare's folk songs by Tim White and Victoria The conference was intended partly as a Robinson. In between these events, celebration of the publication of the final conference goers enjoyed a magnificent volume of the Oxford edition of Clare‘s exhibition of original prints and poetry, which most of us saw for the first watercolors by Barbara Weber: "John time. When this stimulated a discussion Clare and His Poetry, Muse for the of the status of Clare in schools and Artist." Each image was accompanied by a universities, we took the opportunity to well-chosen selection from Clare's poetry. write a joint letter to Oxford University Press urging a reprint of Eric Robinson Saturday began with an impressive trio of and David Powell‘s more affordable papers on Clare and the natural world. Oxford Authors paperback volume on both David Simpson offered an invigorating re- sides of the Atlantic. We are also hopeful reading of ―The Lament of Swordy Well,‖ that many papers from the conference will Bridget Keegan traced the fascinating appear in a special issue of The genealogy of Clare‘s poems on rivers, and Wordsworth Circle, a good possibility Alan Vardy discussed the ―natural history given the high quality of both the prose elegies‖ identifiable in Clare‘s 1824- presentations and discussion. Many 25 journal, leading to some interesting thanks are due to Jim McKusick for his comparisons between Clare‘s nostalgia energetic organization, and to all who and that of Wordsworth. In the helped with the conference, not least subsequent session on Clare's later Christoph Irmscher and Maura Smyth. career, Gary Harrison discussed linguistic plenitude and polyphony in Clare‘s The conference was followed by a short increasingly complex texts, Sara Lodge business meeting of the John Clare offered an intriguing exploration of the Society of North America (to which tragedies which Clare began to sketch in transatlantic visitors were cordially the later 1820s, and Joanna Ball invited), and I then took the opportunity presented some striking evidence of the to explore a little of Baltimore, famous for quite pervasive literary culture crab cakes and Edgar Allan Poe, but surrounding Clare at the asylum in boasting also (at least) two wonderful 4 galleries. On the day of my visit, the Clare seems to have had more coverage in Walters Art Museum was holding a the UK media than at any time since the Russian Family Festival, with Russian 1993 bicentenary, thanks largely to and Jewish folk songs resounding in its Jonathan Bate‘s biography, the first since fine halls, and scores of children and 1982. (Clare‘s Oxford editors, Eric adults sitting enthralled by an energetic Robinson, David Powell and P.M.S. presentation of Prokofiev‘s musical story Dawson, also completed their mammoth Peter and the Wolf. And at the beautifully task this year.) Bate‘s biography was brash American Visionary Art Museum, a widely and positively reviewed in the former whiskey warehouse that now broadsheet press, and made several ‗best celebrates ―art produced by self-taught book of the year‘ lists. Even the former individuals, usually without formal Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, took part training, whose works arise from an in a discussion of Clare on the BBC Radio innate personal vision that revels Four programme, ‗Start the Week‘. Other foremost in the creative act itself,‖ I notable Clare events include the joint thought of Clare. The quality and variety reading (and singing) of Clare, Hardy and of work is inspirational; perhaps most William Barnes poems in the splendid memorable is a room full of tiny figural setting of Wimborne Minster, Dorset on patches embroidered in incredible detail March 1st. A compact disc of this event is by Raymond Materson while a prison being compiled by the three literary inmate, using the colored cotton from societies involved, for those of us who unraveled socks, and forming a haunting missed it. visual autobiography. I‘d very highly recommend these galleries; members will On May 12th, to celebrate the naming of be pleased to know that plans are already the John Clare Lecture Theatre complex, underway to tempt visitors back to I hosted a symposium and reception at Baltimore for another Clare conference. Nottingham Trent University. In the larger of the two auditoria, Tom Bates‘s Editor’s note: Papers presented at the sculpture of Clare, kindly donated to the John Clare Conference 2003 were university by the Society, was unveiled. published in The Wordsworth Circle, At least two generations of Clare scholars volume 34, number 3 (Summer 2003), were represented by speakers Mina Gorji edited with an introduction by James and Simon Kövesi (who took his doctorate McKusick. Complimentary copies of this at NTU in 1999), Tom Paulin and John journal have been sent out to all current Lucas (Emeritus Professor at NTU), the members of the John Clare Society of Clare Society‘s founding-member, Rodney North America. Lines, and its President, Ronald Blythe. The talks were interesting and varied, UK Report for 2003 and it was good to see the new lecture theatre filled with Clare enthusiasts.

By John Goodridge Later in the summer, at the John Clare [email protected] Festival in Helpston on July 12th, Simon Kövesi was again a featured speaker, 5 along with Emma Trehane. Their common authorities turned down their bid to theme was ‗Clare in Love‘, and some 150 develop the site. Now the hubcaps, oil members of the Clare Society enjoyed slicks and old shotgun cartridges are these talks and the other events. At the gradually disappearing among orchids Annual General Meeting earlier in the and cowslips, and the crested newts and day, members supported my proposal to sand martins are returning to the site. offer honorary Vice-Presidencies of the This event reminded me of an incident Clare Society to Rodney Lines and Peter that happened a few years ago, when one Moyse. Both men have given over twenty of my undergraduate students decided years of valuable service to the John Clare that for his Clare project he would try to Society and been remarkable find the exact location of Swordy Well. He ambassadors for Clare. Rodney has found the field but not the exact spot taught lectures and courses on Clare for because, as he discovered, it had finally the Worker‘s Educational Association all been filled in with papermaking waste over East Anglia and the East Midlands, some decades ago. I rather bitterly said and Peter‘s evocative photographs of that the authorities ought to erect a Clare country are known by Clareans memorial ‗blue plaque‘, perhaps on the worldwide. giant electricity pylon that stands nearby, quoting the last two lines from ‗The For me, the most memorable moment of Lament of Swordy Well‘: the Festival was an unscheduled car ride with members of the Langdyke Trust to My name will quickly be the whole Swaddywell Pit, a mile south of Helpston Thats left of swordy well (and half a mile east of Clare‘s ‗Swordy Well‘). The Trust has been working for (John Clare, 1793-1864) some years to conserve the natural history and amenities of Clare country. It It is a great pleasure now to be able to has now taken over this disused quarry report something better: that the name of and begun the arduous task of cleaning it swordy or swaddy well can once again up and making it into a nature indicate more than just an absence, can conservation area. It is a fascinating site, indeed name a living successor to Clare‘s with a reedy pond, and a cliff edge beloved orchid-ground. marking the geological fault-line that made it a suitable place to quarry rock in This Word is Not What It the first place. After having been Appears… abandoned for quarrying, it was taken over a few years ago by a group of motor- racing enthusiasts. The veteran poet and By Eric Robinson author Arnold Rattenbury wrote a spirited defence of their somewhat Given that the state of Clare‘s raucous presence in Clare country (‗Clare manuscripts is often poor, which makes and the Bikers‘, London Magazine 38: 9- microfilms of them even more difficult to 10 (December 1998/January 1999), 33-42). read, it‘s my experience that studying But they abandoned it when the planning Clare‘s writings in his original texts is 6 best. As for printed versions, the nine form. This is one of many examples of volumes of the OET Clare are quite Clare‘s self-censorship. It should be reliable but not, of course, perfect. At the noticed that OED‘s first example of moment, there are many discoveries still ‗drailing‘ is dated 1598, both as a to be made. transitive and an intransitive verb. The last example of the transitive form is For example, a few weeks ago I was 1664, of the intransitive form, 1716. checking our transcripts of Pforzheimer Clare was writing in 1830-31. Clare‘s use Misc. 198. On page 36, I noticed that the of such an old word as ‗drail‘ is less first letter of the word ‗trailing‘ had been striking than his remark to Taylor that he written over the letter ‗d‘. Checking the was ‗astonied‘ to find so many of Oxford English Dictionary (OED), that Chaucer‘s words still in use in Helpston. most valuable of authorities, I found the But to find the use of ‗drailing‘ in its following: intransitive form in 1830-31 is still quite amazing. Drail, v. Obs. Also drayl(e) [app. an altered form of TRAIL, On page 34 of Pfz. Misc. 198, the word influenced by draw, drag, draggle] ‗bluffed‘ is used: ‗The world is bluffed up into such a hollow hearted existence.‘ The 1. trans. To drag or trail along. OED has: 1598 T. BASTARD Chretoleros (1880) First would I sterve Bluff, v. Obs. or dial. myselfe … Or these rude chufs [Onomatopoeic, associated with should drayle me through their blow, puff… to swell out, to become tayles … 1664 H. More Antid. distended.] Idolatry. To Rdr, He returned 1722 LISLE Husb. (1757) 483 Pigs drailing his sheephook behinde would bluff & swell much with him. their feeding the first six or seven days. 2. intr. to trail, draggle, move laggingly. Many times, Clare uses a word that 1598 GRENEWAY Tacitus‘ Ann., reflects at least two meanings. In this Germanie i. 259 Neither going too text, ‗bluff‘ not only reflects the OED hastily before the horsemen, nor definitions, but also carries something of drailing after. the ordinary meaning of ‗bluff‘ as 1716 SOUTH SERM. (1737 vi.xii, ―deception.‖ Clare‘s language is very R). Unless we have also a intricate and should never be taken for continual care to keep it from granted or lightly altered. The drailing in the dirt. manuscripts provide the best evidence of this complexity. Clare seems to have begun to write ‗drailing‘, a word with which he must Thus, it is necessary first to establish the have been familiar, but then changed his form of a word used by Clare by referring mind and wrote ‗trailing‘, a more standard to OED or to some authoritative source 7 such as the OET Clare. Second, it‘s copy of this essential work. Readers of necessary to be alert to Clare‘s use of John Clare‘s poetry will be fascinated to obsolete or dialect forms of common learn where each one of his poems was words. And third, the reader should be first published! aware that Clare is given to punning and also the use of words that combine the This elegant paperback volume is now meanings of other related words. available worldwide for just $12 per copy (U.S. currency). There is no additional charge for shipping, handling, or sales New Book Information: tax. The John Clare Society of North America is the exclusive vendor of this book. Please consider ordering additional First Publications of John copies for friends, colleagues, students, Clare’s Poems and university libraries! To order this book, please visit our online bookstore at www:johnclare.org for worldwide ordering By David Powell information. This website accepts credit cards through the secure PayPal online ordering system.

A definitive guide for researchers on John Clare, this 100-page book offers detailed bibliographic information on the first place of publication for every poem included in the complete Oxford English Texts edition of Clare‘s poetry (9 volumes, 1984-2003). For the first time, readers of John Clare can discover where each of his poems first appeared in print. Reflecting many years of scholarly research by a distinguished editor of Clare‘s poetry, this indispensable volume provides a comprehensive survey of Clare‘s poems published in books and periodicals of the 19th and 20th centuries. Every scholar of John Clare – especially those who are engaged in research concerning the reception history of Clare‘s poetry in the 19th and 20th centuries – should obtain a 8