Lady Clare

-          Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892)

(This narrative story tells of how lovers can rise above social and economic status and are able to remain faithful and honest to each other. It is a literary comic ballad which unfolds mostly through dialogue and action.)

It was a pleasant time when lilies blossomed and sky became clear. Lord Ronald presented a white doe to his cousin and long-time beloved Lady Clare. They had been engaged and were going to marry the next day. Lady Clare believed that her lover did not love her for her land and property but her own true worth.

Alice, the nurse of Lady Clare, when she knew that they were going to wed, revealed the secret of Lady Clare. She was actually her daughter. When her master’s daughter died in her lap, she cheated him by replacing his child by her own. She buried the dead child as her own. When Lady Clare knew the truth, she put off the ornaments and decided to tell everything to her lover. She even didn’t care about the possibility of being rejected.

Lady Clare wore a simple dress like of a village girl and went to meet her lover. He was surprised to see her in such a simple dress. When he remarked that she should not wear such clothes, she said she was a poor girl by birth. But he accepted her as his beloved. She told her lover everything that her nurse (mother) had told her. At last, her lover declared that they were going to marry the next day and she would still be Lady Clare.