The Parish: A Satire

by John Clare, David Powell, Eric Robinson (Editor)

This is a single, long (2000 lines) poem which has never been published. Although Clare was a devout Anglican the work is a powerful attack on the abuses of the clergy, the dangers of religious fanaticism and religious hypocrisy.

Genres: Poetry

96 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1986

About the author

John Clare was an English poet, in his time commonly known as "the Northamptonshire Peasant Poet", born the son of a farm labourer at Helpston (which, at the time of his birth, was in the Soke of Peterborough, which itself was part of Northamptonshire) near Peterborough. His poetry underwent a major re-evaluation in the late 20th century and he is often now considered to be one of the most important 19th-century poets.

For other authors with this name see: psychotherapist and artist John Clare, history educator John D. Clare and John Clare.

Reviews

[Melanie Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biting, angry satire with flashes of brilliance from John Clare - I wanted to cheer him on, as I read it, as he stands up for the poor and the oppression they are targeted by.

[Justin Evans · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, this wasn't the greatest poem in the world. It's more a collection of satirical portraits of parish types; a kind of modern, rural version of Chaucer's General Prologue with a bit more snark. So it varies from pretty terrible to pretty good. The portrait of 'Young Brag' is the longest (i think) and the best; in general the poem's best when describing and attacking the hypocrisy of contemporary 'progressives' (who preach self-improvement to the poor, while, e.g., suppressing wages and implementing regressive taxation schemes). It's worst when attacking farmers who have silver bowls instead of pewter.

Anyway, it's in rhyming couplets, so there are a few quotables if you're into that sort of thing: "If he but utter what himself has seen/ He deals in satire and he wounds too keen," kind of an updated version of 'It's hard not to write satire,' and even more damning. That's the basic tack, anyway: you only have to accurately describe the world in order to write satire. He's probably still right.

[Mills College Library]

821 C591pa 1986