Two reactions to ‘The Nightingale's Nest'

Eliza Emmerson, ‘On reading the Nightingales Nest by John Clare’, 31 December 1832, Eg. 2249, fol. 118: ‘Up the green woodland’—did he say, He heard her chanting forth her lay? Oh! no—’tis in the Poet’s brest The nightingale hath made her ‘nest’— And given her soul of melody Unto the bard! Hark—cannot we 219Hear in his love-inspired note, The very warblings of her throat— The jug-jug-jug! the plaintive moan— The self-same spirit in each tone? ‘Clare’ and the ‘Nightingale’ are one!