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In early spring, when winds blow chilly cold,
The yellowhammer, trailing grass, will come
To fix a place and choose an early home,
With yellow breast and head of solid gold.
The yellowhammer, trailing grass, will come
To fix a place and choose an early home,
With yellow breast and head of solid gold.
from 'The Yellowhammer' by John Clare
The rolls and harrows lie at rest beside
The battered road; and spreading far and wide
Above the russet clods, the corn is seen
Sprouting its spiry points of tender green,
Where squats the hare, to terrors wide awake,
Like some brown clod the harrows failed to break.
The battered road; and spreading far and wide
Above the russet clods, the corn is seen
Sprouting its spiry points of tender green,
Where squats the hare, to terrors wide awake,
Like some brown clod the harrows failed to break.
from 'The Skylark' by John Clare
Up from their hurry, see, the skylark flies,
And o'er her half-formed nest, with happy wings
Winnows the air, till in the cloud she sings,
Then hangs a dust-spot in the sunny skies,
And drops, and drops, till in her nest she lies.
Sweet type of innocence, snow-clothed blossom,
Seemly, though vainly, bowing down to shun
The storm hard-beating on thy wan white bosom.
Seemly, though vainly, bowing down to shun
The storm hard-beating on thy wan white bosom.
It felt as though winter was finally on its way out today as we cycled on our tandem through the North Yorkshire countryside. Narrow, muddy lanes cut through a flat, water-sodden landscape, but everywhere were signs of early Spring. Nut brown hares nibbled at the green shoots just starting to appear in the fields. Carpets of snowdrops decorated the verges and the hedgerows were busy with twittering birds.The yellowhammer was a particular joy to see and we heard our first skylark of the year.
Poet John Clare enjoyed similar moments, over 160 years ago, in the countryside around his Northampton home. He writes so beautifully about nature and must have dearly missed the flora and fauna in the last couple of decades of his life when he was consigned to Northampton Lunatic Asylum.
Writing prompts:
- Describe the signs of early spring you have seen where you live.
- What would you miss the most if you confined to a place where you could not get out into nature?
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