Poetry Chaikhana
Sacred Poetry from Around the World

Christian : Protestant

17th Century

England
(Europe)

Thomas Traherne

Timeline (1636? - 1674)

Poems by Thomas Traherne
Books - Links

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Thomas Traherne was an Anglican clergyman, mystic, philosopher, and poet.

He was born in 1636 or 1637 in Hereford, England. His father was a shoemaker, but he and his brother received an excellent education, due probably to the help of a wealthy relative who was a tavern-owner and the local mayor.

Thomas twice attended Oxford, apparently an eager and inquisitive student. Some of his writings show a familiarity with Platonic and Hermetic mystical thought, which he probably first discovered during his Oxford years.

Thomas Traherne became rector of a church in the small town of Credenhill, not far from Hereford. During his time at Credenhill, the young clergyman went through a powerful mystical experience. As a student at Oxford, he had become something of an agnostic, but he now found himself transformed and sought to express his new "Felicity" through writing.

Traherene later became the private chaplain to Sir Orlando Bridgeman, who was to remain his benefactor for the rest of their lives, enabling him to continue in his spiritual search and his writings.

Religious conflict and controversy wracked England during this time. The Anglican Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the rising Puritan movement all struggled against each other, leading to civil war and rippling out into all aspects of politics and social life before settling into the opulent and somewhat decadent Restoration of King Charles II.

Yet, through all this period, there were also quiet movements of esoteric study and spiritual reawakening, which included Thomas Traherne.

Traherne wrote his Centuries of Meditations, a collection of brief philosophical inspirations, as part of a correpsondence with Susanna Hopton. Her home also became a gathering place of students of the deep spirituality that Traherne was expressing.

Although Thomas Traherne's philosophical writings had a minor impact on the mystical circles of his day, the majority of his poetry was not published until more than 200 years after his death -- precipitating a rediscovery and deeper appreciation of his exhuberant mysticism. In 1896, two of his manuscripts of poetry were accidentally discovered in a tiny used book store in London. They were published as the Poetical Works in 1903. In 1910, another manuscript of his poetry was discovered in the British Museum, published as his Poems of Felicity. Even as recently as 1967, another manuscript of poems was salvaged from a fire at a garbage dump, and published in 1989 as Commentaries of Heaven: The Poems.

"But it is an happy loss to lose oneself in admiration at one's own Felicity: and to find GOD in exchange for oneself." -- Centuries

Poems by Thomas Traherne

	Love
	The Bible
	The Rapture
	Wonder

Recommended Books

	Enjoying the World: The Rediscovery of Thomas Traherne, by Graham Dowell Amazon.com
	The Fountain of Living Waters: The Typology of the Waters of Life in herbert, Vaughan, and Traherne, by Donald R. Dickson Amazon.com
	Landscapes of Glory: Daily Readings with Thomas Traherne, by Thomas Traherne Amazon.com
	Metaphysical Poetry: (Penguin Classics), Edited by Colin Burrow Amazon.com
	Metaphysical Poetry: An Anthology (Dover Thrift Edition), Edited by Paul Negri Amazon.com
	Poetical Works of Thomas Traherne, by Thomas Traherne Amazon.com
	Poetry for the Spirit: Poems of Universal Wisdom and Beauty, Edited by Alan Jacobs Amazon.com
	Thomas Traherne, by Gladys Wade Amazon.com
	Thomas Traherne: Mystic and Poet, by K. W. Salter Amazon.com
	Thomas Traherne: Poetry and Prose: The Golden Age of Spiritual Writing, Edited by Denise Inge Amazon.com
	Thomas Traherne: Select Meditations, by Thomas Traherne Amazon.com
	Waking Up in Heaven: A Contemporary Edition of the Centuries of Meditation, by Thomas Traherne / Edited by David Buresh Amazon.com

Related Links:

	Thomas Traherne: His Search for Felicity, by E.B. Titchenell http://www.theosophy-nw.org/theosnw/world/modeur/rel-ebt.htm An extended article published by the Theosophical University Press.
	Thomas Traherne - The Academy of American Poets http://www.onlinepoetryclassroom.org/poets/poets.cfm?prmID=317 A brief biography.
	Thomas Traherne's Concept of Felicity, the "Highest Bliss" http://www.mum.edu/msvs/trahernepart1.html Article originally published in Modern Science and Vedic Science, comparing Traherne's descriptions of sacred states with those taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
	Traherne - Life and Work http://www.jnani.org/natmyst/n_traherne.html Biography and a selection of verses.
	Centuries of Meditations http://www.ccel.org/ccel/traherne/centuries.html The complete text of Traherne's Centuries of Meditations online in HTML or PDF format.
	KOR 18 - Thomas Traherne, 17th Century Mystic Poet and Philosopher http://www.sol.com.au/kor/18_02.htm An exploration of the mysticism of Traherne.

Please support the Poetry Chaikhana, as well as the authors and publishers of sacred poetry, by purchasing some of the recommended books through the links on this site. Thank you!

Poetry Chaikhana Sacred Poetry from Around the World

Thomas Traherne

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Poetry Chaikhana
Sacred Poetry from Around the World