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Farm Breakfast

By John Clare

Topics: classic

Maids shout to breakfast in a merry strife,     And the cat runs to hear the whetted knife,     And dogs are ever in the way to watch     The mouldy crust and falling bone to catch.     The wooden dishes round in haste are set,     And round the table all the boys are met;     All know their own save Hodge who would be first,     But every one his master leaves the worst.     On every wooden dish, a humble claim,     Two rude cut letters mark the owner's name;     From every nook the smile of plenty calls,     And rusty flitches decorate the walls,     Moore's Almanack where wonders never cease--     All smeared with candle snuff and bacon grease.

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"Maids shout to breakfast in a merry strife,..."

This evocative piece by John Clare, titled "Farm Breakfast", represents a masterful exploration of classic. The lines capture a profound emotional resonance... ### Why We Love This Line At Linespedia, we believe that poetry is the ultimate sanctuary for the soul...

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Author:John Clare

"Maids shout to breakfast in a merry strife,..." by John Clare

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"The Text is taken from Percy's Reliques (1765), vol. i. p. 71, 'given from two MS. copies, transmitted from Scotland.' Herd had a very similar bal"

John Clare

About John Clare

John Clare (1793–1864) was an English poet known as the "peasant poet" for his humble origins. His nature poetry—including "I Am" and "Badger"—captures the English countryside with extraordinary precision and emotional honesty, and he is now recognized as one of the finest nature poets in the language.

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