William Cowper (1)Recensioni

bug damage
"kitty williams'
"Hinckely Williams From FPM"

I love Cowper's writing style, his use of words and the way he expresses his thoughts and feelings. This is a collection I will return to often.

The poems I really enjoyed and appreciated were the abolitionist and religious ones. The others were sort of bland and bled together for me.

Presumably this book of two poems by William Cowper is in our holdings because it's the classic example of illustrations by Randolph Caldecott, after whom the Caldecott Medal was named. The first poem in the book, "John Gilpin's Ride," is funny and delightful. The second poem, "Babes in the Wood," has perhaps the most horrible ending of any children's poem ever and I wish I had not read it, because now I am a sad parent. Caldecott's illustrations, sadly, make it harder to wipe from my memory.

cowper seems a decent fellow. he is anti-slavery and pro-bunny. he even sustains a certain vigor in something like Yardley Oak. but to imagine that he presages the Romantics, especially compared to a contemporary like GRAY, is a bit excessive.

Cowper was one of those gentle empathetic souls, like Anne Bronte, who should never have been exposed to the idea of hell and damnation; it caused them great mental torment, and no wonder. Favourites: “Light shining out of darkness” (= “God moves in a mysterious way”) and “The Retired Cat” about a cat accidentally shut in a drawer. He gave us the often-misquoted “The cups that cheer, but not inebriate”, in “The Task”, and also the lovely word “stercoraceous”, describing his compost heap, also in “The Task”.

I love Olney Hymns for Cowper's hymns especially. Because of his illness, he contributed only 67 of the 379 hymns, but his verses include some of the finest poetry found in hymns.

This truly wonderful poet who seems so unappreciated and undervalued today is well-represented in this volume.
'The Task'
'On the loss of the Royal George'
'John Gilpin'
'The Retired Cat'
'The Castaway'
Are all excellent poems which,together with other,deserve to be better known.

A small selection of the poems of William Cowper contained in an even smaller book. Within these eighteen pages are 'The Diverting History of John Gilpin','The Dog and the Water Lily' ,'The Poplar Field and 'The Retired Cat. In addition a letter to the Reverend John Newton and other fragments. Atmospheric drawings by Christopher Fiddes complete a lovely little book.

"The relish for reading poetry had long since left me; but there is something so new in the manner, so easy, and yet so correct in the language, so clear in the expression, yet concise, and so just in the sentiments, that I have read the whole with great pleasure, and some of the pieces more than once." - BF to John Thornton, 8 May 1782.

Owner's name on t.p. : Scrivener.

Inscription dated 1882 inside front cover

Dated 1814, 2 volumes, gilt impressed spines.