William Cowper (/ˈkuːpər/ koo-pər;
26 November 1731 – 25 April 1800)[1] 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.
Although 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 often experienced doubt and after a dream in 1773 believed that he
was doomed to eternal damnation. Later, he would
recover and write more religious hymns.
His religious sentiment and association with John
Newton (who wrote the hymn "Amazing
Grace") led to much of the poetry for which he is
best remembered. His poem "Light Shining out of Darkness" gave
the English language the idiom "God moves in a mysterious way / His wonders
to perform." Wiki.
