Henry Vaughan
Henry Vaughan was a metaphysical poet born in Wales, who lived from 1621-1695. Metaphysical poet is a term used to describe the type of poems Vaughan wrote. Metaphysical poems normally are intellectually complex, and as stated in the Holman Handbook, “express honestly, if unconventionally, the poet's sense of the complexities and contradictions of life." Vaughn was inspired by literature from his native environment. In 1638, many believe Vaughn went to Oxford University with he twin brother, but two years later he left to study law in London. Vaughn study law for two years until it was interrupted by the Civil War, in which he was initially called to be a secretary to a Judge by the name of Sir Marmaduke Lloyd. In 1646 Vaughn married Catherine Wise and had a son and three daughters. Also in 1646 work by Vaughn titled “Poems with the Tenth Satire of Juvenal Englished” was published. Poems with the Tenth Satire of Juvenal Englished are a group of three poems, which are entitled “To Amoret. The Sigh,” ”To Amoret Gone From Him, and “Upon The Priory Grove,” “His Usual Retirement.” Then in 1650, he published the first part of Silex Scintillans, a collection of religious poems. In the following year he published Olor Iscanus, which is a collection of secular poetry with four prose translations. Vaughn is considered to be one of the major metaphysical poets (his work was said to have ponder one's personal relationship to God). When his wife died he then married her sister Elizabeth possibly in 1655, which he had another son and three more daughter with. Before his death in 1695 he published more work but none of it was equal to Silex.
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