Thoughts and Things

Clare opens her column with a mention of the new volume of poetry, Avolio, and Other Poems, by Paul H. Hayne. As a childhood acquaitence of Hayne, Clare claims not to have enough critical distance to remark on the poetry. Instead, she reprints the sonnet "Life" to allow the work to speak for itself. Clare also discusses the plot of the Magic Flute, Patti's "utterly melodious voice," and her satisfaction with the conclusion of Dickens's most recent serial (2). In light of the popularity of "philanthropic" societies and causes, Clare decides to announce her own cause and comes out at the "first anti-pietist." In a tone that clearly satirizes the writing and argument of several philanthropic societies, Clare goes on to detail the ills and dangers of pie and pie eating, her own experience eating Eel Pie on a train in England, and concludes her column "with the melancholy confessions of a pie eater" (2).