The Yellowhammer's Nest Essay Questions

How does John Clare depict himself in relation to the yellowhammer?

In “The Yellowhammer’s Nest,” John Clare equates himself with the warbler. The opening of the poem invites the reader to stoop down alongside the speaker to see the warbler’s nest. This intimacy suggests that Clare has given up the elevated perspective of a human being in favor of getting down to the bird’s level. That parallel becomes more pronounced when Clare describes the yellowhammer as a poet just like himself.

What is ecology? How does it appear in “The Yellowhammer’s Nest”?

Ecology is the study of the relationships between organisms, as well as their relationships to their surroundings. Literary critics often use the term to refer to work that emphasizes the importance of relationships in the natural world, even if that focus isn’t especially scientific. In “The Yellowhammer’s Nest,” Clare’s attention to detail draws out the warbler’s place in a broader ecosystem. He notices that its nest is made up of the leavings of larger creatures, and emphasizes that although its home seems like a tiny paradise, it is affected by death and illness just like everywhere else on earth.