Description: P O E M S : BY WILLIAM COWPER. WITH A BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL INTRODUCTION, BY THE REV. THOMAS DALE : A N D SEVENTY-FIVE ILLUSTRATIONS, ENGRAVED BY J. ORBIN SMITH FROM DRAWINGS BY JOHN GILBERT. LONDON :TILT AND BOGUEM D C C C X L I. DESCRIPTION(ii) + lxxii + 274pp + (ii)(ii) + viii + 336pp + (ii)Books measure 205mm x 140mm approximately.Beautifully bound in period full ivory vellum. Spine with elaborate gilt-decorated compartments and maroon author / title labels. Boards with multiple gilt boxed borders and superb gilt cornices. Marbled end-papers and paste-downs, all page edges in gilt. Series of 75 small engravings throughout.CONDITIONBindings are all holding very firm and tight. Boards and spine are in very good condition with some random surface scratches and blemishes, such is vellum, otherwise near fine. Page edge gilt is superbly bright.Internally the pages are in good general clean condition throughout. There is an occasional spot / small foxed patch to end-papers and title pages with some very light general uniform toning. Pages x to xv of vol I are a little loose.Please always refer to photo images for a clearer indication of condition.We are always happy to provide further photo images if required.INTERESTINGWilliam Cowper (1731 to 1800) 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 poetry. Cowper suffered from depression and insanity throughout his life and devoted much of his writing to religious works and the anti-slavery movement.After being institutionalised for insanity, Cowper found refuge in a fervent evangelical Christianity. 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 John Newton (who wrote the hymn "Amazing Grace") led to much of the poetry for which he is best remembered, and to the series of Olney Hymns. His poem "Light Shining out of Darkness" gave English the phrase: "God moves in a mysterious way/ His wonders to perform." He also wrote a number of anti-slavery poems and his friendship with Newton, who was an avid anti-slavery campaigner, resulted in Cowper being asked to write in support of the Abolitionist campaign. He also wrote several other less well-known poems on slavery in the 1780s, many of which attacked the idea that slavery was economically viable.
Price: 150 GBP
Location: York
End Time: 2024-12-29T11:50:42.000Z
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