Home > William Cowper

He was born in Great Berkhamstead, Hertfordshire, England.

William Cowper was one of the most popular poets of his time. He changed the direction of 18th-century nature poetry by writing of everyday life and scenes of the English countryside.

He suffered from periods of severe depression, which caused him frequently to doubt his fervent evangelical Christianity, the source of his much-loved hymns - going so far once as to express his dismayed surprise at ever having written a particular hymn.

Cowper died in East Dereham, Norfolk.

1 Works

• Olney Hymns, 1779Events The Iron Bridge is completed across the Severn river in Shropshire; the first all cast-iron bridge ever constructed. Boulton and Watt's Smethwick Engine, now the oldest working engine in the world, is brought into service. The city of Tampere is fo, in collaboration with John NewtonJohn Newton ( July 24, 1725 December 21, 1807) was an English clergyman and songwriter, best known for the hymn, " Amazing Grace". Newton was born in London. With poet William Cowper, he was the author of many hymns. He was the son of a shipmaster in the
• John GilpinJohn Gilpin (18th century) was a real-life character whose exploits became legendary and featured in a well-known comic ballad by William Cowper of 1782, entitled, The Diverting History of John Gilpin''. Cowper had heard the story from a friend. John Gilp, 1782Events January 7 The first American commercial bank opens ( Bank of North America). January 15 Superintendent of Finance Robert Morris goes before the United States Congress to recommend establishment of a national mint and decimal coinage February 5 Span
• The Task , 1785Events January 1st The first issue of the Daily Universal Register later known as The Times is published in London. January 7 Frenchman Jean-Pierre Blanchard and American John Jeffries travel from Dover, England to Calais, France in a hydrogen gas balloon
• HomerFor other uses, see Homer (disambiguation). Homer ( Greek Ὅμηρος Hómēros was a legendary (or perhaps mythical) early Greek poet traditionally credited with authorship of the major Greek epics Iliad a, 1791Events January 25 The British Parliament passes the Constitutional Act of 1791, splitting the old province of Quebec into Upper and Lower Canada March 3 The United States Congress passes a resolution calling for the establishment of the United States Mint ( translationTranslation is an activity comprising the interpretation of the meaning of a text in one language — the source text — and the production of another, equivalent text in another language — the target text or translation''. Traditionally, translation has alw from the Greek)