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On Death.

By John Clare

Topics: classic

O life, thy name to me's a galling sound,     A sound I fain would wish to breathe no more;     One only peace for me my hopes have found,     When thy existence and wild race is o'er;     When Death, with one, heals every other wound,     And lays my aching head in the cold ground.     O happy hour! I only wish to have     Another moment's gasp, and then the grave.     I only wish for one departing sigh,     A welcome farewel take of all, and die.     Thou'st given me little, world, for thanks' return,     Thou tempst me little with thee still to 'bide:     One only cause in leaving thee I mourn,--     That I had e'er been born, nor in the cradle died.

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"O life, thy name to me's a galling sound,..."

Exploring the themes of classic, John Clare delivers a powerful performance in "On Death."... ### 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

"O life, thy name to me's a galling sound,..." 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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