Scintilla 26: The Journal of The Vaughan Association

Scintilla 26 arrives at an important point in the history of the journal. It signals the transition to what we hope is the next quarter-century (or longer!) of the Vaughan Association’s commitment to celebrate the work of the Vaughan twins, Henry and Thomas. In this 26th edition of the journal, we include 5 significant essays that contribute to our ongoing exploration of metaphysical poetry, 17th-century thought, as well as the lives of the Vaughans, and those in their orbit–as well as the consideration of their influence on the poetry of today. Henry and Thomas lived in a difficult time, a time of bewil- dering political and military loss because of the Civil War; the clos- ing of their parish at Llansantffraed, where Thomas served as priest; the banning of the Book of Common Prayer; and the complete rein- vention of once familiar political and theological institutions. These difficulties forced both men to reconstruct their lives and identities, Henry, as ‘Silurist’, and Thomas, as ‘Eugenius Philalethes”. Their poetry and prose demonstrate their thoughtful responses to these challenges as they faced questions of identity and purpose; as they probed the relationship between the past and the present; as they explored the relationships between their existential questioning of inner life and the outer world, especially the beautiful Usk Valley where the Vaughan brothers grew up and called home. This issue begins with an essay by Clay Greene, who investigates Thomas Vaughan’s interest in the preexistence of the soul. This fixa- tion grounds the telos of Vaughan’s alchemical project and explains the central concern of his philosophy, the acquisition of practical knowledge through experimentation as a means of imitating and praising the First Person of the Trinity. From Greene’s perspective, Thomas’ view of the preexistence of the soul also animates his desire to explore new frontiers, as well. We then turn to an essay by Holly Nelson, who considers the means by which British writers in the post-Civil War period con- ceived of the “chronotrope” as a form of navigating space and time that encourages the processing of personal and national trauma. Nelson asserts that while Margaret Cavendish and Henry Vaughan may have engaged in forms of escapism or reimagining their rela- tionship to nature as responses to the traumas of the period, they were coping with the life circumstances that confronted them, modi- fying their perceptions of reality in order to improve their emotional response to those challenges. Jean Ward scrutinizes the relationship between Elizabeth Jennings and Henry Vaughan. From Ward’s perspective, Vaughan plays a foundational role in Jennings’ study of mystical poetry in the Western tradition. For Jennings, Vaughan is a poet who occupies a supernaturalised world and possesses an innocence that reflects a sense of maturity and an enduring ability to face the most terri- ble things in this world. Jennings also notes Vaughan’s reliance on light imagery and references to childhood–both as starting points by which he dazzles the reader with technical skill and vivid imagery. Ward also reminds us that both Jennings and Vaughan possess a lyricism that encourages the reader to experience forms of love and exaltation in the divine. Jeremy Hooker introduces us to modern images of alchemy in the works of Lindsay Clark and David Gascoyne. Hooker compares and contracts the conception and utility of alchemical imagery in the creative works of both writers. Clarke relies on the imagery of fire, as well as images of reconciliation of opposites. Gascoyne understands alchemy as a form of magic that reconciles opposites. Hooker sees both writers as engaged in the task of demonstrat- ing the transformative joining together of opposites in the human being as a means of overcoming universal destruction and pursuing spiritual healing.
ASIN: B0CH292C5D
VSKU: BVV.B0CH292C5D.G
Condition: Good
Author/Artist:Ankerberg, Erik|Sterrett, Joseph|Stansfield, Kathrine|Davies, Damian Walford
Binding: Paperback
Note: Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.
Condition Notes: The item shows wear from consistent use, but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All pages and cover are intact including the dust cover, if applicable . Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials.