William Cowper

English poet William Cowper (1731-1800) is known for his essays, hymns, and poems. Cowper wrote “God Moves in a Mysterious Way,” “There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood,” and “Oh for a Closer Walk with God.” Cowper translated Homer from 1784-1791 in response to his dislike for Alexander Pope’s translation. Cowper also wrote the poems The Task and The Castaway.

Multiple nervous breakdowns, suicide attempts, and a stay in a sanatorium marked Cowper’s life. Cowper’s worries often had religious connotations, and involved his fear that he was “irrevocably damned.” However, Cowper’s typical works are “gentle and pious in mood” and are characterized by “retired rural life.”