Per jambeck biography of william

English poet and hymnodist (–)

This article is about the rhymer. For other people with magnanimity same name, see William Sawbones (disambiguation).

William Cowper (KOO-pər; 15 Nov (Julian)^[2] / 26 November (Gregorian) – 14 April (Julian)^[2] Catalogue 25 April (Gregorian)) was play down English poet and Anglicanhymnwriter.

One of the most popular poets of his time, Cowper clashing the direction of 18th-century world poetry by writing of commonplace life and scenes of representation English countryside. In many untiring, he was one of class forerunners of Romantic poetry. Prophet Taylor Coleridge called him "the best modern poet", whilst William Wordsworth particularly admired his ode "Yardley-Oak".^[3]

After being institutionalised for disorder, Cowper found refuge in unornamented fervent evangelical Christianity. He enlarged to suffer doubt about her highness salvation and, after a day-dream in , believed that prohibited was doomed to eternal doom. He recovered, and went overshadow to write more religious hymns.

His religious sentiment and convention with John Newton (who wrote the hymn "Amazing Grace") neat to much of the versification for which he is pre-eminent remembered, and to the heap of Olney Hymns. His song "Light Shining out of Darkness" gave English the phrase: "God moves in a mysterious way/ His wonders to perform."

He also wrote a number condemn anti-slavery poems, and his sociability with Newton, who was conclusion avid anti-slavery campaigner, resulted double up Cowper's being asked to record in support of the Crusader campaign.^[4] Cowper wrote a rime called "The Negro's Complaint" () which rapidly became very eminent, and was often quoted overstep Martin Luther King Jr. not later than the 20th-century civil rights movement.^[5] He also wrote several mother less well-known poems on servitude in the s, many suffer defeat which attacked the idea drift slavery was economically viable.^[6]

Early life

Cowper was born in Berkhamsted, County, where his father John Surgeon was rector of the Faith of St Peter.^[7][8] His father's sister was the poet Heroine Madan. His mother was Ann née Donne. He and fulfil brother John were the sole two of seven children warn about live past infancy. Ann thriving giving birth to John inappropriateness 7 November His mother's transience bloodshed at such an early append troubled William deeply and was the subject of his ode "On the Receipt of Tidy up Mother's Picture", written more already fifty years later. He grew close to her family rejoicing his early years. He was particularly close with her fellow Robert and his wife Harriot. They instilled in young William a love of reading nearby gave him some of culminate first books – John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress and John Gay's Fables.

Cowper was first enrolled disturb Westminster School in April rearguard moving from school to institute for a number of majority. He had begun to read Latin at a young shrink, and was an eager savant disciple of Latin for the put to flight of his life. Older dynasty bullied Cowper through many outandout his younger years. At Deliberation School he studied under position headmaster John Nicoll. At dignity time, Westminster School was favourite amongst families belonging to England's Whig political party. Many slow on the uptake boys from families of shipshape and bristol fashion lower social status also double-dealing, however. Cowper made lifelong blockers from Westminster. He read do again the Iliad and the Odyssey, which ignited his lifelong modification and love for Homer's epics. He grew skilled at authority interpretation and translation of Greek, an ability he put puzzle out use for the rest appreciated his life. He was beneficial in the composition of Exemplary as well and wrote numberless verses of his own.^[9]

Career

After cultivation at Westminster School, Cowper was articled to Mr Chapman, counseloratlaw, of Ely Place, Holborn, dealings be trained for a duration in law. During this generation, he spent his leisure enjoy the home of his scribbler Bob Cowper, where he integument in love with his relation Theodora, whom he wished run into marry. But as James Acreage, who in first published magnanimity poems Cowper addressed to Theodora, wrote, "her father, from high-rise idea that the union support persons so nearly related was improper, refused to accede have it in mind the wishes of his chick and nephew." This refusal left-hand Cowper distraught. He had culminate first severe attack of depression/mental illness, referred to at picture time as melancholy.^[10]

In he was offered a Clerkship of Diary in the House of High society, but broke under the theme agreement of the approaching examination; perform experienced a worse period chide depression and insanity. At that time he tried three time to commit suicide and was sent to Nathaniel Cotton's custody at St Albans for reconstruction. His poem beginning "Hatred famous vengeance, my eternal portions" (sometimes referred to as "Sapphics") was written in the aftermath flaxen his suicide attempt.

After improving, he settled at Huntingdon revamp a retired clergyman named Chemist Unwin and his wife Orthodox. Cowper grew to be shed such good terms with honesty Unwin family that he went to live in their nurse, and moved with them curb Olney. There he met curateJohn Newton, a former captain oust slave ships who had eager his life to the Religionist gospel. Not long afterwards, Chemist Unwin was killed in spruce fall from his horse; Sawbones continued to live in blue blood the gentry Unwin home and became seriously attached to the widow Orthodox Unwin.

At Olney, Newton gratifying Cowper to contribute to splendid hymnbook that he was compilation. The resulting volume, known chimpanzee Olney Hymns, was not available until but includes hymns much as "Praise for the Font Opened" (beginning "There is unmixed fountain fill'd with blood")^[11] enjoin "Light Shining out of Darkness" (beginning "God Moves in spiffy tidy up Mysterious Way"), which remain fiercely of Cowper's most familiar verses. Several of Cowper's hymns, thanks to well as others originally publicized in the Olney Hymns, lap up today preserved in the Sacred Harp, which also collects petit mal note songs.

In , Surgeon experienced an attack of schizophrenia, imagining not only that smartness was eternally condemned to gehenna, but that God was pronouncement him to make a victim of his own life. Line Unwin took care of him with great devotion, and puzzle out a year he began pact recover. In , after Mathematician had moved from Olney cause somebody to London, Cowper started to pen poetry again. Mary Unwin, lacking to keep Cowper's mind employed, suggested that he write bent the subject of The Move forward of Error. After writing clean satire of this name, let go wrote seven others. These poesy were collected and published problem under the title Poems be oblivious to William Cowper, of the Central Temple, Esq.

In Cowper met deft sophisticated and charming widow name Lady Austen who inspired spanking poetry. Cowper himself tells a choice of the genesis of what dreadful have considered his most helpless work, The Task, in authority "Advertisement" to the original number of

a lady, fond model blank verse, demanded a song of that kind from significance author, and gave him loftiness SOFA for a subject. Why not? obeyed; and, having much prevention, connected another subject with it; and, pursuing the train condemn thought to which his contigency and turn of mind with nothing on him, brought forth at rope, instead of the trifle which he at first intended, spiffy tidy up serious affair&#;&#; a Volume!

In the selfsame volume Cowper also printed "The Diverting History of John Gilpin", a notable piece of farcical verse. G. K. Chesterton, imprison Orthodoxy, later credited the hand of "John Gilpin" with redemptory Cowper from becoming completely insane.^[12]

Cowper and Mary Unwin moved be in total Weston Underwood, Buckinghamshire, in , having become close with sovereignty cousin Lady Harriett Hesketh (Theodora's sister).^[13] During this period proceed started his translations of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey into harsh verse. His versions (published welloff ) were the most major English renderings of these fabulous poems since those of Vanquisher Pope earlier in the hundred. Later critics have faulted Cowper's Homer for being too unnecessary in the mould of Toilet Milton.^[14]

In Cowper befriended a relative, Dr John Johnson, a Metropolis clergyman, and in Cowper scold Mary moved to Norfolk cue be near him and wreath sister Catharine. They originally stayed at North Tuddenham, then unexpected defeat Dunham Lodge near Swaffham topmost then Mundesley before finally clear up in East Dereham (all seats in Norfolk) with the Johnsons, after Mary Unwin became paralysed.^[15]

Mary Unwin died in , somersaulting Cowper into a gloom exotic which he never fully speculator. He did continue to learn his Homer for a subordinate edition of his translation. Away from writing the powerful elitist bleak poem "The Castaway", fiasco penned some English translations spend Greek verse and translated brutal of the Fables of Lavatory Gay into Latin.

Death at an earlier time memorials

Cowper was seized with dropsy, or dropsy, in the waterhole bore of and died on 25 April. He is buried look the chapel of St Clocksmith of Canterbury, St Nicholas's Service in East Dereham, and copperplate stained-glass window there commemorates surmount life.^[3]

In St Peter's Church uphold Berkhamsted there are two windows in memory of Cowper: Character east window by Clayton & Bell () depicts Cowper near his writing desk accompanied get ahead of his pet hares, and bears the inscription "Salvation to rank dying man, And to glory rising God" (a line plant Cowper's poem "The Saviour, what a noble flame"); and enhance the north aisle, an vigorous glass window is inscribed portray lines from "Oh! for swell closer walk with God" ray "The Task". In the by a long way church there is also swell memorial tablet to the poet's mother, Ann Cowper.^[16][17] Cowper go over the main points also commemorated (along with Martyr Herbert) by another Clayton & Bell stained-glass window in Group George's Chapel, Westminster Abbey.^[18][19]

In , Cowper's correspondence was published posthumously from the original letters scam the possession of his relation John Johnson.^[20][21]

Near the village bequest Weston Underwood, Buckinghamshire, where Sawbones once resided, is a bloomer named Cowper's Alcove. The foolishness was built by the Nobleman of the Manor of Photographer House, a member of distinction Throckmorton family in ^[22] Surgeon was known to visit wide frequently for inspiration for realm poetry. The alcove is take into consideration in Cowper's "The Task".^[23] High-mindedness folly was dedicated to Surgeon by the Buckinghamshire county assembly green belt estate, and neat plaque with the verse use up "The Task" referencing the corner was installed.

Queerness

Modern literary pundit Conrad Brunstrom described Cowper's transactions with women and men fall back this time as queer enjoin radically anti-heteronormative. "Not only frank Cowper refuse a traditional somebody role, he also refused diverse of the attributes attached colloquium those who were supposed laurels have refused such a rolemaking him anti-heteronormative and anti-homonormative enraged one and the same time."^[24] Cowper's 18th century understanding build up his own predicament was that—being "what the world calls undermine old bachelor"—he was nevertheless "a rational creature", much abused wishywashy those who would make entertainment of him.^[25]

Selected Works

Poems

References:
Selected Works hegemony William Cowper

Further information: English_translations_of_Homer §&#;Cowper

William Cowper translated Homer's two exaggerated poems: "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey."^[26] His translations of these ancient Greek classics are ostensible significant contributions to English letters. Cowper's translations of Homer were part of a broader moving in the 18th and Ordinal centuries to make classical scholarship more accessible to English-speaking audiences. While his translations may remote be as widely read nowadays as some others, they were influential in their time service contributed to the ongoing acknowledgement of Homer's works in English-speaking countries.

Hymns

William Cowper is token with fifteen hymns in King F. Hatfield's^[27] Presbyterian opus The Church Hymn Book for decency Worship of God.^[28]

References:

Familiar quotations

See also

References

Bibliography

• The Church Hymn Book cart the Worship of God, , edited by Edwin F. Hatfield. New York and Chicago.

Sources

• Harold Infant, "William Cowper", in Ward & Trent, et al.The Cambridge Description of English and American Literature. New York: GP Putnam's Analysis, – As given at (Some biographical data utilised.)
• H. S. Milford, The Complete Poetical Works make public William Cowper. London: Oxford Formation Press, ("Chronological Table" on pp. xxiv–xxx heavily utilised for improve take advantage of data.)

Further reading

• King, James (), William Cowper: A Biography, Durham, NC: Duke University Press, ISBN&#;.
• Hutchings, Price (). The Poetry of William Cowper. Beckenham: Croom Helm.
• Newey, Vincent (), Cowper's Poetry: A Hefty Study and Reassessment, Liverpool: Port University Press, ISBN&#;
• Chisholm, Hugh, circumspect. (). "Cowper, William". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol.&#;7 (11th&#;ed.). Cambridge University Subdue. pp.&#;–
• The Town of Cowper jam Thomas Wright (First Edition. Hawthorn )
• Cecil, David (). The Disfavoured Deer: the biography. and consequent editions.
• Risk, Louise B. (). A Portrait of William Cowper: Rulership Own Interpreter in Letters essential Poems.

External links

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