John Clare was an English poet and his poems underwent a major re-evaluation in the late 20th century. His was known for his well crafted talent in writing poems related to nature, rural childhood and alienated and unstable self.
Clare was so passionate about his writing, that many a times he was put in dilemma whether he should write or earn money by other jobs for his family.
Since Clare was not much educated, he wrote his poems in simple English and did not make it to complicate. His poems lacked the punctuation required and Clare used to argue to his publishers to get it published in the original format. Clare was an influential poet, after Wordsworth to practice in an older style.
In the poem, I Am, Clare tries to explain his life and views in three paras. The first being the present, future and what he would like to attain in life. The first stanza is where the usage of ‘I’ is more. Here he represents himself for the present days that he went through. Here he explains exactly his situation he was in. Even though all his friends, neighbors and all who knew him, thought he was out of mind or in depression, he remained himself. He says that, his feeling or rather depression used to come in big waves and low waves like a host and then suddenly disappear, still he would be he and he had no choice but live with those feelings.
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The second stanza is where he tries to say about the concerns of his future. He says that in his sea of waking dreams, he does not find any joy or happiness that life has to offer, but only sees his dull life in front of him. He feels that even the dearest people whom he loved, never seems to be with him or understand him and seems to be very far away from him and look like strangers to him in all means.
The third stanza reflects his desire for how he would like the world to be. He explains here that, he wished a world full of happiness, a place where people never felt sad or wept, and a place where all were equal to God and enjoyed his creations. He wished to sleep like a child, having no burdens on his shoulders and feel light as a feather, with just the sky above him and the grass beneath him and nothing else in between, just like how a child sleeps with nothing to think of or worry off.
This poem was written when Clare was in a mental asylum, where he was taken for his depression and from where he had left once and then returned and was there for more than 23 years, i.e till his end.
This poem truly depicts his life and his feeling that he had the loneliness he went through and his life journey and desire. A wonderfully written poem, that leaves the reader with a heavy heart for the writer in all means.