 | The Poems of John Clare |  |
THE STUDENT
He always tells a story plain and plump,And talks so loud he almost makes you jump;
He asks a question and his learning shows,
And takes his pocket-book to show he knows;
The village all his learning will allow,
And every boy he passes makes his bow;
To such a man all will their manners show
And if he is not proud he might be so;
He meets with many but has naught to say
And never talks with any by the way;
Some say that study makes the man so pale,
He shuns the toper and refuses ale,
And takes a quiet journey every day
And seems to gather knowledge by the way.
| The Poems of John Clare | |