The Poetry of William Cowper

William Cowper, born on November 26, 1731, in Hertfordshire, faced early life trauma with only two of seven siblings surviving infancy and the loss of his mother at a young age. After a difficult education and a decade of legal training, he suffered a mental breakdown while preparing for a position in the House of Lords, leading to a struggle with depression and eventual solace in evangelical Christianity. His subsequent collaboration with John Newton on Olney Hymns and later works, including his translations of Homer's epics, marked significant achievements in his literary career. Despite continued challenges, including the death of close friends, Cowper's legacy remains influential until his death on April 25, 1800.