Henry Vaughan, Olor Iscanus, or The Swan of Usk

Glyn Pursglove (Swansea University)
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Olor Iscanus

(“The Swan of Usk”) is a very miscellaneous collection, mixing prose and verse, both original and translated, in a variety of genres. On its title-page it is described as “A Collection of some select Poems, and Translations, formerly written by

Mr.

Henry Vaughan ,

Silurist

. Published by a Friend”. A puzzle surrounds its publication. The dedication of the book is dated “

Newton

by

Usk

this 17. of

Decemb.

1647”, some four years before the book was actually published. The delay was perhaps due to a change in Vaughan's conception of the purposes of poetry. His

Poems

of 1646 was a collection well within the mainstream of Cavalier love poetry. In 1650, when his

Silex Scintillans

was published, his Preface denounced “lascivious compositions” on “idle and sensual”…

448 words

Citation: Pursglove, Glyn. "Olor Iscanus, or The Swan of Usk". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 07 July 2001 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=3086, accessed 19 March 2024.]

3086 Olor Iscanus, or The Swan of Usk 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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