author
Richard Crashaw
d. 1649
A major voice among the 17th-century metaphysical poets, his work blends intense devotion with dazzling imagery. His poems move from Cambridge scholarship and Anglican faith toward a late, fervent Catholic vision.
2 Audiobooks
The Complete Works of Richard Crashaw, Volume I
by Richard Crashaw
The Complete Works of Richard Crashaw, Volume II
by Richard Crashaw
About the author
Born in London around 1612 or 1613, Richard Crashaw was the son of the preacher William Crashaw. He studied at Charterhouse and Pembroke College, Cambridge, later becoming a fellow of Peterhouse, and quickly earned a reputation for learned, richly musical religious verse.
Crashaw is remembered as one of the great metaphysical poets, though his style often feels more lavish and emotional than that label suggests. His best-known work, Steps to the Temple, brings together sacred poetry and classical learning, turning scenes of worship, suffering, and spiritual longing into vivid, ornate lyrics.
The upheavals of the English Civil War changed his life sharply. After leaving Cambridge, he eventually converted to Roman Catholicism and spent his final years on the continent, dying at Loreto in Italy on August 21, 1649. His poetry has endured because it joins intellectual skill with genuine passion, making devotion feel immediate and alive.