Henry Vaughan

Henry Vaughan (1621–1695) was a Welsh poet and physician associated with the metaphysical tradition. Born in Llansantffraed, Brecknockshire, he was educated at Jesus College, Oxford. Vaughan’s early verse included secular and Cavalier-influenced poems, but his writing took a markedly devotional turn in the 1650s. His best-known work, *Silex Scintillans* (published in two parts in 1650 and 1655), gathers religious lyrics marked by spiritual intensity, vivid natural imagery, and meditations on eternity and grace. He also translated and adapted prose and poetry from continental writers. Vaughan practiced medicine in Wales and continued writing alongside his medical career.