Julia Smith, general editor of the Oxford Traherne, will be speaking at the annual Traherne Festival at Credenhill on Saturday 6 June 2026, on 'How to look at an insect: Traherne and the smallest life in all nature'.
Traherne was fascinated by insects, and some of his finest writing is found in his sensitive descriptions of ants, and 'Curious & High stomachd Flies'. This talk will discuss how, carefully considered, Traherne's insects not only provide us with 'a clear Mirror of Almighty Power', but also offer a window into Traherne's views on the relationship of humans to the rest of creation, on ethics, the new science, the social hierarchy, politics, and geography.
