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Thomas Traherne
d. 1674
A seventeenth-century English poet, priest, and devotional writer, he is remembered for joyful, searching prose and verse that linger on innocence, wonder, and the soul’s delight in the world. Much of his work was not widely known until long after his death, which gives his writing the feeling of a remarkable voice rediscovered.
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About the author
Born in Hereford around 1636 or 1637, Thomas Traherne studied at Brasenose College, Oxford, and was ordained in the Church of England in 1660. He served as rector of Credenhill near Hereford and later became chaplain to Sir Orlando Bridgeman, spending his final years at Teddington.
Traherne wrote poetry, meditations, and theological works marked by a warm, radiant spirituality. He is often linked with the metaphysical tradition, yet his writing stands out for its childlike sense of joy, gratitude, and wonder at creation, especially in works such as Centuries of Meditations.
He died in 1674, still a relatively young man. His reputation grew much later, because important manuscripts remained unpublished for centuries; that delayed discovery has helped make him one of the most striking and surprising religious writers of seventeenth-century England.