LETTER : Clare should belong to us all

Saturday 22 July 1995 23:02 BST

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

I WONDER what John Clare would have made of the current claim to the "ownership" of his unpublished manuscripts you report ("John Clare's lost poems revealed", 16 July).

I suspect he would have found it dishearteningly familiar, for he had more than enough experience of what he called the "fence of ownership". One would have thought that posterity would treat the legacy of his work more generously: Clare, of all poets, speaks to, and should belong to, everyone.

John Goodridge

Nottingham Trent University

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

LETTER : Clare should belong to us all

Join our commenting forum

Thank you for registering