SOURCE: Stewart, Stanley. “‘Infinite Center’: The Lyric Voice.” In The Expanded Voice: The Art of Thomas Traherne, pp. 139-69. San Marino: The Huntington Library, 1970.

In the following essay, Stewart analyzes the themes, strengths, and weaknesses of Traherne's lyrics.

Traherne's poetry has never quite caught on, not even with the admirers of so-called “metaphysical poets,” with whom his name is often linked. Critical disinterest in Traherne as a poet seems to me symptomatic of certain critical biases, in particular the concern, almost obsessive in some circles, for what is called “organic unity.” This concern goes hand in hand with the assumption that good poetry relies on concrete diction. As the most cursory reading shows, Traherne makes copious use of such abstractions as “Joy,” “Light,” “Treasure,” and “Infinity”; indeed, they are the main staple of his vocabulary. Unlike Marvell, Traherne never attempts to imitate “A Valediction Forbidding Mourning,” and his...