'I Am' by John Clare

AI and Tech Aggregator
Download Mp3s Free
Tears of the Kingdom Roleplay
Best Free University Courses Online
TOTK Roleplay


I am: yet what I am none cares or knows
My friends forsake me like a memory lost,
I am the self-consumer of my woes—
They rise and vanish in oblivious host,
Like shadows in love's frenzied, stifled throes—
And yet I am, and live—like vapors tossed

Into the nothingness of scorn and noise,
Into the living sea of waking dreams,
Where there is neither sense of life or joys,
But the vast shipwreck of my life's esteems;
Even the dearest, that I love the best,
Are strange—nay, rather stranger than the rest.

I long for scenes, where man hath never trod,
A place where woman never smiled or wept—
There to abide with my Creator, God,
And sleep as I in childhood sweetly slept,
Untroubling, and untroubled where I lie,
The grass below—above the vaulted sky.

Editor 1 Interpretation

"I Am" by John Clare: An Exploration of Identity

Oh, John Clare! What a poet! His works are truly a treasure trove of emotions, thoughts, and observations. One of his most famous poems, "I Am," is a stunning exploration of identity, self-perception, and the relationship between humans and nature.

At its core, "I Am" is a poem about the speaker's struggle to understand who he is and how he fits into the world around him. The poem is structured around a series of contrasts, with the speaker comparing himself to different aspects of nature and society, and ultimately finding comfort in his own uniqueness.

The opening lines of the poem immediately establish the speaker's sense of isolation and uncertainty about his identity:

I am: yet what I am none cares or knows, My friends forsake me like a memory lost; I am the self-consumer of my woes, They rise and vanish in oblivious host, Like shadows in love’s frenzied stifled throes And yet I am, and live—like vapours tossed

Here, the speaker uses powerful imagery to convey his sense of abandonment and the fleeting nature of his emotions. He feels like a "memory lost," and his sorrows are consumed by himself, rising and vanishing "like shadows." The comparison to "vapours tossed" adds to the sense of instability and uncertainty.

The second stanza continues the theme of the speaker's uncertainty about his identity, as he compares himself to various aspects of the natural world:

Into the nothingness of scorn and noise, Into the living sea of waking dreams, Where there is neither sense of life nor joys, But the vast shipwreck of my life’s esteems; And e’en the dearest—that I loved the best— Are strange—nay, rather, stranger than the rest.

Here, the speaker compares himself to a shipwreck, emphasizing the sense of loss and abandonment he feels. He also notes that even the people he loves and cares about seem "strange" and unfamiliar to him.

As the poem progresses, however, the speaker begins to find comfort in his own uniqueness. He realizes that he is not like anyone else, and that this is something to be celebrated rather than feared:

I long for scenes where man hath never trod A place where woman never smiled or wept There to abide with my Creator, God, And sleep as I in childhood sweetly slept, Untroubling and untroubled where I lie The grass below—above the vaulted sky.

Here, the speaker expresses a desire to escape from the world of humans and find solace in nature. He longs for a place where no one has ever been before, where he can be alone with God and feel at peace. The repetition of "untroubling and untroubled" emphasizes the speaker's desire for quiet and simplicity.

Ultimately, the poem ends on a note of acceptance and self-affirmation:

I am—yet what I am none cares or knows; My friends forsake me like a memory lost: Nay, I am but, and a thing that cares for naught: A clod of bare ground kindly with grass o’ergrown, And sweetly in the sunshine warmed and soothed, By winds and rains my body reared and nourished: In every motion moistened and supplied And in its turn it showers the bliss it feels; And I am happy when I hear them say ‘On the bare ground he doth his sweet head lay.’

Here, the speaker fully embraces his identity as a "clod of bare ground." He finds joy in the fact that he is connected to nature and nourished by it, and he is comforted by the idea that he can give back to nature in turn. The final line, with its loving description of the speaker laying his head on the ground, is a powerful image of acceptance and peace.

Overall, "I Am" is a deeply moving and thought-provoking poem that grapples with some of the most fundamental questions of human existence. Through its rich imagery and careful use of language, the poem conveys the speaker's sense of isolation and uncertainty, but also his eventual acceptance and self-affirmation. For anyone who has ever felt lost or alone in the world, "I Am" is a powerful reminder that we are all unique, and that our connection to nature can be a source of great comfort and joy.

Bravo, John Clare! You have truly captured the essence of the human experience in this masterpiece of a poem.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

I Am: A Poem of Self-Discovery and Nature

John Clare’s poem “I Am” is a beautiful and introspective piece that explores the poet’s sense of self and connection to nature. Written in 1848, the poem is a testament to Clare’s love of the English countryside and his deep understanding of the natural world. In this analysis, we will explore the themes and imagery of “I Am” and examine how they contribute to the poem’s overall meaning.

The poem begins with the speaker declaring, “I am—yet what I am none cares or knows.” This opening line sets the tone for the rest of the poem, as the speaker reflects on his own identity and the ways in which he is perceived by others. The phrase “none cares or knows” suggests a sense of isolation and loneliness, as if the speaker feels disconnected from the world around him. However, the use of the word “yet” implies that there is more to the speaker’s identity than what others see on the surface.

As the poem continues, the speaker describes his connection to nature, using vivid imagery to convey his love and appreciation for the natural world. He describes himself as “the self-same child that, lisped in infancy” and speaks of the “wild flowers” and “butterflies” that he has loved since childhood. This imagery creates a sense of nostalgia and innocence, as if the speaker is returning to a simpler time in his life.

The speaker’s connection to nature is further emphasized in the second stanza, where he describes himself as “the tenant of the earth.” This phrase suggests a sense of ownership and responsibility, as if the speaker sees himself as a caretaker of the natural world. He goes on to describe the various elements of nature that he feels connected to, including the “hedge-rows” and “orchard-tufts” that he has known since childhood.

One of the most striking images in the poem comes in the third stanza, where the speaker describes himself as “the wind that blows” and “the sound that music makes.” These metaphors suggest a sense of fluidity and movement, as if the speaker is constantly changing and evolving. The use of musical imagery also creates a sense of harmony and beauty, as if the speaker’s identity is inextricably linked to the natural world around him.

The final stanza of the poem brings the themes of self-discovery and nature together, as the speaker declares, “I long for scenes where man has never trod.” This line suggests a desire to escape from the constraints of society and return to a more natural way of life. The speaker goes on to describe the “silent shades” and “untrodden ways” that he longs to explore, creating a sense of adventure and excitement.

Overall, “I Am” is a powerful and introspective poem that explores the themes of self-discovery and connection to nature. Through vivid imagery and metaphors, John Clare creates a sense of nostalgia and longing for a simpler way of life. The poem’s message is clear: our identities are shaped by the natural world around us, and it is only by embracing this connection that we can truly understand ourselves.

Editor Recommended Sites

Secops: Cloud security operations guide from an ex-Google engineer
Learn Beam: Learn data streaming with apache beam and dataflow on GCP and AWS cloud
ML SQL: Machine Learning from SQL like in Bigquery SQL and PostgresML. SQL generative large language model generation
Kids Learning Games: Kids learning games for software engineering, programming, computer science
Jupyter Consulting: Jupyter consulting in DFW, Southlake, Westlake

Recommended Similar Analysis

I, Too, Sing America by Langston Hughes analysis
An Arundel Tomb by Philip Larkin analysis
Design by Robert Frost analysis
In The Secular Night by Margaret Atwood analysis
We do not play on Graves by Emily Dickinson analysis
My Butterfly by Robert Lee Frost analysis
Great Lover, The by Rupert Brooke analysis
Old Mrs Chundle by Thomas Hardy analysis
"The Dreams of My Heart" by Sarah Teasdale analysis
"The World Is To Much With Us; Late and Soon" by William Wordsworth analysis