William Cowper Author
- Gender: Male
- Citizenship: England
- Born: Nov 26, 1731
- Died: Apr 25, 1800
William Cowper was an English poet and hymnodist. One of the most popular poets of his time, Cowper changed the direction of 18th century nature poetry by writing of everyday life and scenes of the English countryside. In many ways, he was one of the forerunners of Romantic poetry. Samuel Taylor Coleridge called him "the best modern poet", whilst William Wordsworth particularly admired his poem Yardley-Oak. He was a nephew of the poet Judith Madan.
After being institutionalised for insanity in the period 1763–65, Cowper found refuge in a fervent evangelical Christianity, the inspiration behind his much-loved hymns. He continued to suffer doubt and, after a dream in 1773, believed that he was doomed to eternal damnation. He recovered and wrote more religious hymns.
His religious sentiment and association with curate John Newton led to much of the poetry for which he is best remembered. His poem "Light Shining out of Darkness" gave English the phrase: "God moves in a mysterious way/His wonders to perform."
Where men of judgment creep and feel their way, The positive pronounce without dismay.
positive
Variety's the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavor.
life
Absence from whom we love is worse than death, and frustrates hope severer than despair.
death & hope
Thus happiness depends, as nature shows, less on exterior things than most suppose.
happiness & nature
The earth was made so various, that the mind Of desultory man, studious of change, And pleased with novelty, might be indulged.
change
God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform. He plants his footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm.
God
They whom truth and wisdom lead, can gather honey from a weed.
truth & wisdom
Knowledge is proud that it knows so much wisdom is humble that it knows no more.
knowledge & wisdom
Wisdom is humble that he knows no more.
wisdom
How much a dunce that has been sent to roam, excels a dunce that has been kept at home.
home
Nature is a good name for an effect whose cause is God.
nature
Who loves a garden loves a greenhouse too.
gardening