CLARE MARKET by Eugene Field: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
A speaker strolls through Clare Market, a lively street market in London, and observes three contrasting reactions: a wealthy man's disdain, a poor child's yearning, and the speaker's own joyful appreciation.
The poem
In the market of Clare, so cheery the glare Of the shops and the booths of the tradespeople there; That I take a delight on a Saturday night In walking that way and in viewing the sight. For it's here that one sees all the objects that please-- New patterns in silk and old patterns in cheese, For the girls pretty toys, rude alarums for boys, And baubles galore while discretion enjoys-- But here I forbear, for I really despair Of naming the wealth of the market of Clare. A rich man comes down from the elegant town And looks at it all with an ominous frown; He seems to despise the grandiloquent cries Of the vender proclaiming his puddings and pies; And sniffing he goes through the lanes that disclose Much cause for disgust to his sensitive nose; And free of the crowd, he admits he is proud That elsewhere in London this thing's not allowed; He has seen nothing there but filth everywhere, And he's glad to get out of the market of Clare. But the child that has come from the gloom of the slum Is charmed by the magic of dazzle and hum; He feasts his big eyes on the cakes and the pies, And they seem to grow green and protrude with surprise At the goodies they vend and the toys without end-- And it's oh! if he had but a penny to spend! But alas, he must gaze in a hopeless amaze At treasures that glitter and torches that blaze-- What sense of despair in this world can compare With that of the waif in the market of Clare? So, on Saturday night, when my custom invites A stroll in old London for curious sights, I am likely to stray by a devious way Where goodies are spread in a motley array, The things which some eyes would appear to despise Impress me as pathos in homely disguise, And my battered waif-friend shall have pennies to spend, So long as I've got 'em (or chums that will lend); And the urchin shall share in my joy and declare That there's beauty and good in the market of Clare.
A speaker strolls through Clare Market, a lively street market in London, and observes three contrasting reactions: a wealthy man's disdain, a poor child's yearning, and the speaker's own joyful appreciation. The poem concludes with the speaker vowing to give his pennies to the hungry child, allowing the boy to truly enjoy what he can only gaze at. Ultimately, this poem explores how our circumstances influence our perceptions of the same location.
Line-by-line
In the market of Clare, so cheery the glare / Of the shops and the booths of the tradespeople there;
A rich man comes down from the elegant town / And looks at it all with an ominous frown;
But the child that has come from the gloom of the slum / Is charmed by the magic of dazzle and hum;
So, on Saturday night, when my custom invites / A stroll in old London for curious sights,
Tone & mood
The tone shifts intentionally throughout the poem. The opening stanza feels light and celebratory, reminiscent of a music-hall song. The second stanza becomes dry and satirical as Field critiques the rich man's snobbery without raising his voice. The third stanza transitions into something truly tender and sorrowful, capturing the child's wonder and helplessness with genuine emotion, avoiding sentimentality. The final stanza concludes with warmth and quiet determination. Field avoids being preachy; instead, the moral arises from the differences between the three figures rather than from any lecturing.
Symbols & metaphors
- The market itself — Clare Market isn't merely a backdrop; it acts as a reflection of society. The familiar stalls, scents, and sounds convey different experiences based on whether you come with cash, without cash, or with a willingness to connect. It represents the world we live in: abundant with good things, yet not accessible to all.
- The penny — A single coin is the hinge of the whole poem. The waif's despair centers around not having one; the speaker's generosity shines through in giving a few. The penny symbolizes the small, tangible actions that connect abundance and hardship — Field isn’t advocating for revolution, but rather for simple human kindness.
- The torchlight and glitter — The blazing torches and sparkling goods that captivate the waif represent both desire and exclusion. They highlight what the child cannot attain. In this context, light isn't comforting; instead, it makes the shadows of poverty even more apparent.
- The rich man's frown — His "ominous frown" and sensitive nose reflect a privileged mindset that leads to a sort of blindness. He sees the market merely as a problem to control, never as a community to engage with. His disgust symbolizes the moral price of being detached.
Historical context
Eugene Field penned this poem in the early 1890s, a time when London's street markets were cherished landmarks and hotbeds for discussions on urban poverty. Clare Market, situated in the Strand area, was a historic working-class market famous for its lively atmosphere, distinct odors, and cramped stalls. It was torn down in 1900 to facilitate the Aldwych development. Field, an American journalist and poet known for children's poems like "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod," spent time in London and was captivated by scenes of daily life. During the 1880s and 1890s, there was a growing public consciousness about the harsh realities of slum life—Charles Booth's poverty surveys and journalists like W.T. Stead highlighted the stark divide between the wealthy and the impoverished in London, turning it into a pressing political matter. Field's poem contributes to this dialogue, but it does so through emotion and personal experience rather than through debate.
FAQ
Clare Market was a bustling street market for the working class in the Strand area of central London, functioning for several centuries. It was torn down around 1900 as part of the urban redevelopment efforts for Aldwych and Kingsway. Today, much of the land where the market once thrived is home to the London School of Economics.
The poem suggests that how you perceive the world is influenced by your own circumstances — your wealth, your desires, and your readiness to notice what’s around you. The speaker’s response to inequality isn’t political; it’s personal and direct: give the kid a penny. Field emphasizes that beauty and goodness can be found in simple places, but they only come to life when people choose to share them.
The anapestic tetrameter, known for its galloping beat often found in comic and children's poetry, reflects the market's energy. This creates an ironic tension: the upbeat rhythm continues even as the content becomes darker, making the waif's despair hit harder since the music doesn't slow down to signal a warning.
The rich man is not an individual character but represents a type — the upper-class Londoner who enters a working-class space and finds it revolting. Field criticizes him not for his wealth, but for his utter lack of curiosity or empathy. His statement, "elsewhere in London this thing's not allowed," shows that he views the poor as a bother to be concealed rather than as individuals deserving of recognition.
Field writes in the first person, giving it a personal touch, but there's no solid biographical proof that this reflects a specific event. He was known for his warmth toward children, and his journalism often highlighted sympathetic portrayals of everyday people. So, the speaker's attitude aligns with what we know about him. It feels like a true expression of his values rather than just a fictional character.
"Pathos" refers to a quality that stirs feelings of sympathy or sadness. "Homely" in this context means simple, ordinary, and unpretentious. Thus, the line suggests that what may seem cheap or common at first glance actually contains deep human emotion and suffering when examined closely. The market's "homeliness" serves as a disguise; the underlying pathos reveals the truth.
Many Victorian poems about poverty tend to be starkly documentary, such as Thomas Hood's "The Song of the Shirt," or they come off as overly sentimental. Field's approach is more personal and lighter; he doesn't focus on suffering just to highlight it, and instead offers a small act of kindness as a solution rather than advocating for sweeping social change. This choice gives the poem a warmer feel, though it also makes it seem less politically ambitious compared to some of its peers.
The waif — a homeless or very poor street child — symbolizes those who can see abundance all around them but lack the means to access it. Field uses this character to illustrate inequality in a tangible way. The child's "big eyes" and "hopeless amaze" aren't meant to evoke distant pity; instead, they invite the reader to experience the stark cruelty of desire amid abundance.