Question- Write a note on the Henry Vaughan's poetry writing style and influences.

Answer -

Henry Vaughan was hailed by Samuel Johnson as one of the metaphysical poets, who were a group of seventeenth century British poets whose works were described as witty, elaborate and original and which questioned the meaning of spirituality and religion.

Vaughan's earlier poetry and his most famous work, silex, scientillians, there was a shift for Vaughan, he shifted from secular poetry to more religious themes and this has often been deemed a conversion. This conversion is thought to have happened in period shortly preceding the publication of first volume of silex scietillans (1650) as indicated by explicit statements in the preface to the second volume (1655). It is thought that perhaps Vaughan. suffered a prolonged sickness that inflicted much pain and believed he had been spared to make amends and start a new course not only in his life but in the literature he would produce. He described his previous work as foul and a contribution to "corrupt literature." The death of Vaughan's brother, William may have also contributed to his move from secular poetry, Vaughan's father in this period had to defend himself against legal actions intended to demonstrate his carelessness with other people's money.

Writing style and Influences: Vaughan was heavily influenced by George Herbert, who provided a model for Vaughan's newly founded spiritual life and literary career. His writing style such as use of monosyllables and long drawn alliterations, are very similar to that "The Temple" by Herbert's is often seen as the inspiration and model on which Vaughan created his work. Silex Scientillans is most often classed with this collection of Herbert's and borrow the same themes, experience and belief as "The Temple", Vaughan work: Mount of Olives also clearly parallels George Herbert.

Aside from Herbert, Vaughan was also influenced by the Welsh countryside that he had grown up and chose to write many of his poems set in this area. His work often shows a lack of sympathy with the world around him and often explores the physical and spiritual world and the obscure relation between the two. Although Vaughan is thought to have been a royalist, some poems express contempt for all current authority and lack of zeal for the royalist cause. His poems generally reflect a sense of severe decline, which may mean he lamented the effects of the war on the monarchy and society. Following the death of his younger brother Vaughan also drew on personal loss in two well-known poems: "The World" and "They are all gone into the world of Light", "The Retreat" also combines of theme of loss with the corruption of childhood. Vaughan was also the first poet to use slant rhyme or half rhyme.

Vaughan's poetry was largely disregarded in his own day and for a century after his death, however he shared in the revival of interest in 17th century metaphysical poets in the 20th century. Vaughan was an important devotional poet of the seventeenth century, following the lead of George Herbert. Despite not being as well-known as other poets of his time, such as Andrew Marvell or John Donne, Vaughan is still remembered as contributing greatly to English literature. Although he borrowed phrases from Herbert and other writers and wrote poems with the same titles as Herbert's, he was one of the most original poets of his day and had great spiritual vision and imagination that enabled him to write freshly and convincingly.

Vaughan influenced many famous poets who came after him, including William Wordsworth, Alfred Tennyson and Siegfried Sassoon. His work has also often been said to prefigure and foreshadow the style of romantic poets who wrote over a century after his death.

Works:

(1) Poems with the Tenth Satire of Juvenal Englished (1646).
(2) Olor Iscanus (1647)
(3) Silex Scitillans (1650 and 1655)
(4) Mount of Olives, or Solitary Devotions (1652)
(5) Flores Solitudinis (1654)
(6) Hermetical Physics (1655), translated from the Latin of Henery Nollius.
(7) The Chymists Key (1657) translated from the Latin of Henry Nollius.
(8) Several translations from the Latin contributed to Thomas Powell's Humane Industry (1661)
(9) Taila Rediviva (1678), a joint collection of poetry with his brother Thomas Vaughan after Thomas's death.

All these times Vaughan shows himself different from any other poet much of the distinction comes from an apparent lack of sympathy with the world about him. His aloof appeal to his surroundings detaches him and displays his love of nature and mysticison. He was loyal to the themes of the Anglican church and religious festivals, but found his true voice in the more mystical themes of eternity communion with the dead nature and childhood. He was a "poet of revelation" who used the Bible, Nature and his own experience to illustrate his vision of eternity. This gives Vaughan's poetry a particularly modern sound.

...Prev | Next...