The Poetry Post

Little Trotty Wagtail
By John Clare (1793-1864)

"Little trotty wagtail, he went in the rain
And tittering, tottering sideways he ne'er got straight again.
He stooped to get a worm, and looked up to catch a fly,
And then he flew away ere his feathers they were dry.

Little trotty wagtail, he waddled in the mud,
And left his little footmarks, tample where he would.
He waddles in the water-pudge, and waggle went his tail,
And chirrupt up his wings to dry upon the garden rail.

Little trotty wagtail, you nimble all about,
And in the dimpling water-pudge you waddle in and out;
Your home is nigh at hand, and in the warm pigsty,
So, little Master Wagtail, I'll bid you a goodbye."

John Clare's life as an uneducated English peasant farmer was one of constant struggle and hardship, yet his poetry is wonderfully inspiring. A poetic environmentalist, he was in awe of the natural world and nature is the theme of much of his work.