Constant Inconstancy: Learning to Belong through John Clare’s Poetics of Attention

This paper focuses on, in short, education, community, and self. It begins with an analysis of how John Clare’s attention to his surroundings results detailed poetry that ultimately becomes educative project. looks at some nest poems, specifically ground looking techniques rhythm, vocality, dialect language. To figure Clare as educator, however, establishing him a person specific authority, we are led discussion in-betweenness relation communities — the natural human. explores sense centeredness belonging combination simultaneous marginalization, eddying between understandings self others. Finally, this suggests idea oscillation can itself become form because it is derived from thorough, attentive knowledge understanding other suggesting know creature’s habits vulnerabilities love it, also keep protected. Ultimately, perhaps kind may lead you, walker, poet, listener better understand your place.