Analyse A Romantic Poem Showing Understanding Of Context And Form.

'First Love' is a poem by John Clare, generally regarded to have been influenced by Mary Joyce, the first woman he fell in love with. It is a poem that does not adhere to the established poetic conventions of consistent rhythm. It comprises of four octets, containing lines of varying lengths, especially as we travel further towards the end of the poem. The poem has a consistent rhyme scheme, and adopts a confessional tone, conveyed by Clare's use of the personal pronoun 'I' to begin the first stanza. The rhythm of the poem remains flexible throughout the poem, although it becomes notably more distressed and agitated as the poem progresses; for example, whilst in the first octet the number of syllables in a line remains at eight, the lowest number of syllables - and most inconsistent - in a line is found in the final octet, where Clare flitters between six, seven, and eight syllables per line.

The poem is classically Romantic in the sense that it is a clear 'representation of the poet's internal emotions', a trait of Romantic poetry identified by literary critic M. H. Abrams. It is much less focused on the body's physical responses to love than it is on the brain's emotional response. Clare uses intertextuality in reference to being 'struck' by love, an apparition to the Greek mythological character of Cupid, who strikes mortals with arrows deeming them to fall in love with whomever he has intended. Clare is wry in this reference however; he says it in negative tones - shown by his use of syntax in the early placement of the word 'ne'er' - conveying how the mortal does not have a choice in being struck by Cupid's bow. The choice to open the poem in the negative sets the reader up for the tone to be expected by the rest of the poem. It is not a poem that is happy in love, but rather one that shows the pain of love. Love is also spoken of as though it is a sickness, a sickness which affects every part of the body; it is sudden and strong, paralysing its victim, 'my legs refused to walk away'.

Under the duress of love, Clare describes his life and all about him as having 'turned to clay'; this seems to me an ambiguous metaphor, for on one hand clay is a property that is malleable and the reference could be seen to be conveying the prosperous changes that love is going to have on Clare, but also it has negativity attached, for the clay does not have control over what form it will take, it must rely on its sculptor, as Clare must rely on his object of affection to lead him to happiness. The idea of life turning to `clay` also has associations with death; the idea that once clay has been formed, it is set and must remain so forever, suggests that Clare`s love has made him acutely aware of his own mortality and essentially his vulnerability. The word `sweet` is repeated throughout the first octet, making it feel almost overpowering, which I feel is entirely Clare`s intention; this sudden onset of love has taken over him in every way, affecting him not only in a synaesthetic way, but physically, `My legs refused to walk away,` he is glued to spot, so overpowering is his body`s reaction to love.

Clare uses a lot of ambiguity throughout this poem, suggesting conflicting emotions, for example, he tells the reader of how his heart was `stole/away complete`, which on one hand has a very clear literal depiction of the object of his affection taking his heart wholly away from his body, which is the negative side of its meaning. On the other hand, to say that his heart has been stolen away `complete` implies that it is not the theft of the organ Clare is emphasising, but the fact that his heart has been made complete. This is further reinforced by his interesting use of syntax in this line; while it seems to flow better to say `and completely stole my heart away`, Clare chooses an awkward syntax by saying `stole my heart away complete`, making sure that our attention is really drawn to the last two words.

In the second octet, Clare is focused on conveying to the reader the physical implications of this sudden attraction; he describes the blood rushing to his face, and in particular, the taking away of his eyesight; to look at her `took my eyesight quite away`, this shows that she has the power to take everything away from him - as she takes his heart, the organ he needs to stay alive. However, this imagery also gives us an idea of her beauty, after seeing her everything else would be dull in comparison; Clare tells us that `the trees and of bushes/seemed midnight at noonday,` and as a gardener and Romantic one would expect that he has an acute appreciation for nature, so to suggest that her beauty renders nature dull and dark really gives us a strong idea of the hold she has on him.

Clare then goes on to tell us how he is so stricken by love that he could not speak; `words from my eyes did start,` instead he must speak through the expressions reflected by his eyes. He uses aural imagery to convey to the reader the beauty of the words he wishes to convey to his love, `they spoke as chords do from the string,` a melodic harmonious sound - but she cannot hear it as he does; appearing to understand the beauty of what he is saying, but not the declarations of love behind it, `seemed to hear my silent voice,/Not love`s appeals to know` as implied in the final octet. He described his heart as being warmed by the passion and feelings he has found for her, `blood burnt round my heart,` the repetition of the consonant `b` creating rhythmic beating sound, like that of a heart. This depicts to the reader Clare`s strong passion, in his fast-beating, excited, and infatuated heart.

However, in the last octet Clare`s tone seems to change drastically, from one of elation in love, to one of melancholy loss. He asks, `are flowers the winters choice?`, suggesting that perhaps his love is unrequited, or that it is no longer in season. But more than anything it shows us that although this love is no longer being felt by the object of his affection, it is still felt strongly by Clare; `is love`s bed always snow?` it appears that love has turned cold on him. The final repetition of the idea of her sweet face, `I never saw so sweet face,` is mingled with sadness and finality, reinforced by the negative `never` as the beginning of the line; hers was the most beautiful, and remains so. The fact that the poem does not end on a rhyming couplet reinforces the fact that this is not a happy love poem, it is one of a person who loved and still loves but loves alone; had his first love continued to return his affections perhaps a rhyming couplet would have been suitable, but where there is not a couple in love to be had a couplet would seem out of place.

Clare ends the poem telling us that he will never love again, `my heart/can return no more`, but the use of of a hyphen in `dwelling-place` leads me to question whether his heart was ever meant to remain with him. The hyphen acts as a force to pull the two words together in order to create the illusion of one word, but we know that they are two individuals, so it could be that Clare is telling us that his body was only ever a temporary home for his heart.

As the lines throughout the poem grow gradually shorter, the format of the poem on the page changes; it grows thinner, perhaps a representation of the poet`s growing emptiness, as things are taken from him throughout the poem - his heart, his mobility, his sight, and his voice - and the idea that at the end of this ordeal none of these things are returned to him, `my heart has left its dwelling-place/and can return no more` suggest that he is left as a shell, a shadow of the person he was before - also depicted in the layout of the poem, as it slants further to the left as it goes on, as does a shadow slant.