Product Description
William Cowper was an eighteenth-century Evangelical poet and translator, reowned for his celebrated gifts and genius. He is considered one of the most skillful poets and hymn-writers that England has ever produced. Although highly-acclaimed for his poetry in literary and religious circles, the difficult life and deep faith of Cowperhave frequently been misunderstood and misinterpreted. In this volume, Dr. George Ella takes a fresh look at the poet and shows how God's stamp thoroughliy penetrated Cowper's verse.From the themes, inspiration and theology of his poetry, Dr.Ella shows how that stamp extended throughout Cowper's entire life and even his periods of depression. With his scholarly analysis and theological understanding of Cowper, Dr. Ella paints a beautiful portrait of the man, his God and the depths of Cowper's literacy gifts. This book will make you want to read more of Cowper's poetry and learn more of Cowper's God! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Too much arguing,
This biography of William Cowper was clearly written by one who has, through extensive research and study, developed a great affection for him. The biggest problem with this book is that the author spends too much time "arguing" with those who do not share such affection.

There is a lot of print given to defending Cowper against critics who have either dismissed his faith as simply conforming to what was expected of him at the time, as the cause or effect of his mental illness, or simply irrelevant to his poetry.Those who have read the work of such scholars will be glad to see this account that takes Cowper's faith at face value and does not try to dismiss or devalue it. This was important, and I am glad Dr. Ella did it, but the method he used was a point/counterpoint style and I found myself feeling like I was at a ping pong match. Those of us who are committed Christians are used to the hostility of those who are not (particularly in the academic world) and it was not necessary to quote them as extensively as he did.

The chapter titled "Cowper the Calvinist" ostensibly sets out to prove that Cowper was a Calvinist (which it does) but in it, the author also offers a rigorous defense of Calvinism. While defending and explaining Calvinism, Dr. Ella accuses Armenians such as John Wesley of being hypocritical and wrongheaded in their theology. Given the widespread respect Mr. Wesley has even among those that disagree with some of the points of his theology, this seems harsh.Anyone not of a Reformed denomination will feel attacked and, more than likely, offended by this chapter.

Over all I feel like I know a little more about the life of William Cowper, particularly the influence the women in his life had on him, but a lot more about Dr. Ella's veiws on matters of faith, theology and the previous academic treatment of the poet.

This book would have been a lot better if the author had simply made his case for his interpretation of Cowper's life and then moved on. I was looking for an uplifting book to remind me of what the life touched by God can be and instead I read what felt like several acrimonious debates. ... Read more

Product Description
The Iliad of Homer - Translated into English Blank Verse by William Cowper is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by M. A. (Mary Ann) Dwight is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of M. A. (Mary Ann) Dwight then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Product Description
Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

ode to a couch
Cowper's The Task is hilarious.An ode to a couch!The John Gilpin poem, also in this book, is LOL stuff. J.Nelson ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Takes you back over 200 years
I bought this book because I was hoping it had some words to the Olney Hymns, but there were only four hymns. Many of the other poems were depressing, but some were quite entertaining, such as The Retired Cat.
This book of poetry will take you back to another age.

A good introduction to Cowper
This is a good introduction to Cowper's poetry, who in his day and in the 19th century was treated as a major poet. It includes his best known work--hymns, miscellaneous poetry, humorous verse, and excerpts from each of the 6 books of his longest work, The Task.
Cowper, the genial country gentleman, one of the earliest recorded lover of pets (that's why there is a rabbit on the cover of this book)and an amateur carpenter, in fact suffered desperately for most of his adult life from mental illness--severe depression and the total conviction that he was damned. A selection of his letters, nowadays esteemed higher than his poetry, would be an enlightening accompaniment to this volume, although the editor does have a nice short introduction and notes that help.




... Read more

Product Description
Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free.This is an OCR edition with typos.Excerpt from book:THE TASK.THE WINTER MORNING WALK.ARGUMENT OF THE FIFTH BOOK.A frotty morning—The foddering of cattle—The woodman and his dog—The poultry—Whimsica! effects of a frost at a waterfall —The empress of Russia's palace of ice—Amusements of mo- narchs—War, one of them—Wars, whence—And whence monarchy—The evils of it—English and French loyalty contracted —The Bastilo, and a prisoner there—Lilrty the chief recommendation of this country—Modern patriotism questionable, and why—The perishable nature of the best human institutions —Spiritual liberty not perishable—The slavish state of man by nature—Deliver him, Deist, if you can—Grace must, do it—The res|KJctive merits of patriots and martyra stated—Their different treatment—Happy freedom of the man whom "race makes free— His ie!ish of the works of God—Address to the Creator.'TIS morning; and the sun, with ruddy orbAscending, fires th' horizon ; while the cloudsThat crowd away before the driving wind,More ardent as the disk emerges more,Resemble most some city in a blaze, 5Seen through the leafless wood. His slanting raySlidos ineffectual down the snowy vale,And, tinging all with his own rosy hue,From ev'ry herb and ev'ry spiry bladeStretches a length of shadow o'er the field. 10Mine spindling into longitude immense,In spite of gravity, and sage remarkThat I myself am but a fleeting shade, Provokes me to a smile. With eye askance, I view the muscular proportion'd limb 15 Transform'd to a lean shank. The shapeless pair, As tney design'd,to mock me, at my side, Take step for step ; and, as I near approach The cottage, walk along the plaster'd wall, -Prepost'rous sight! the legs without the man. 20 The verdure of the plain lies buried deep Beneath the dazzling deluge ; and t... ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Don't invest in this edition
I wish I had purchased the Kessinger Publishing, LLC edition of this title instead (even though I don't like the "print-on-demand" yellow covers). The text as reproduced by Nabu Press is not easily legible. The scanned illustrations are completely basic, mostly black with no detail. This is a lower cost, very well-bound paperback, and the cover image is beautiful, but overall I'm very disappointed. ... Read more

Product Description
A selection of the work of the English poet, William Cowper. ... Read more

Product Description
The poems of William Cowper (1731-1800) are best known outside their literary context, as hymns or half-remembered popular ballads. This selection reveals the qualities that have made Cowper's work enduringly loved: his gentle humor and detailed, delighted observations of the incidentals of everyday life, his intimate, conversational tone, his spiritual hunger. Beneath Cowper's quiet gratitude for everyday pleasures, though, is a darker sense of loss, a longing for stability and calm. His sense of the healing and life-affirming power of poetry gives them a profound humanity. Nick Rhodes' selection includes the finest of the short poems and substantial extracts from Cowper's longer works, including The Task, the poem from which the Romantic poets took their bearings. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from GeneralBooksClub.com. You can also preview excerpts from the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Published by: Crosby, Nichols, Lee & company in 1860 in 506 pages; Subjects: Literary Criticism / European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh; Literary Criticism / Poetry; Poetry / General; Poetry / American / General; Poetry / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh; ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
These volumes complete the Oxford English Texts edition of Cowper's poems, and include most of his finest works, fromsuch frequently anthologized short poems as "The Poplar-Field" and "The Retired Cat" to such longer works as "The Cast-Away." Volume II also contains his masterpiece, The Task: a reflection on his own life and the England of his day, and one of the most approachable of the great English poems. ... Read more

Product Description
Bunyan - Cowper - Brainerd John Bunyan suffered long-term imprisonment, even when a simple promise to cease preaching would have freed him, and he was moved to rely on God even more- Despite month after month of debilitating depression, William Cowper's poetry reflected the sustaining character of God and led him to worship more deeply- David Brainerd so desired to honor God that through the loneliness of wilderness ministry and the agony of tuberculosis, he pressed on, transforming world missions forever. When Augustine handed over the leadership of his church in A.D. 426, his successor was so overwhelmed by a sense of inadequacy that he declared, "The swan is silent," fearing the spiritual giant's voice would be lost in time. But for 1,600 years Augustine has not been silent-and neither have the men who faithfully trumpeted the cause of Christ after him. Their lives have inspired every generation of believers and should compel us to a greater passion for God.

In this noteworthy Swans Are Not Silent book, John Piper invites you into the lives of John Bunyan, William Cowper, and David Brainerd to discover how God takes the privilege of faith and strengthens it with trials so that we experience a greater hunger for him. The perseverance of these godly servants exemplifies the essential fruit that affliction can produce in your own life. Their enduring faith will fortify you in your suffering, reminding you that "behind a frowning providence, God hides a smiling face." And their stories and witness will inspire in you a similar passion for the supremacy of God in your life.

Customer Reviews (14)

Sorry, but I disagree
Sorry, I have to disagree with at least part of the premise of the book.While I agree that God can and does bring good out of bad...and I agree that the lives of Bunyan and Brainerd are wonderful illustrations of that fact; William Cowper's situation is very troubling to me. The assertion that his insanity and his fear that he was predestined for Hell was somehow a blessing from God just does not stand up to the scriptures which state: "God has NOT GIVEN us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a SOUND MIND." (2 Timothy 1:7) and "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has torment and he who fears has not been made perfect in love." (I John 4:18)And yes, I realize that the Bible says that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge" (Proverbs 1:7), but doesn't that refer to reverance, rather than the debilitating, suicide-inducing fear from which Cowper suffered? If you have read some of the statements made by Cowper concerning his OVERWHELMING fear and fervent belief that he was damned, many of which are not included in Piper's book, you know how heartbreaking they are.Yet we are to believe that the "Prince of Peace" who promised his children "peace that passes understanding" and admonished us to "let not your heart be troubled" is the author of this mental torment and confusion?!
Additionally, if FAITH that the shed blood of Jesus has washed away one's sins is the basis for salvation, and that faith is given by God to his "elect", then Cowper's strict Calvinist upbringing and belief system must indeed convince him that he was not among the elect since he did not have this assurance.What other conclusion could he reach?
Sorry, but if you are a consistent Calvinist, you should probably conclude that Cowper was right to fear reprobation.

A remarkable book
I found this book profound and very helpful. It is very encouraging to read about the lives of people who didn't experience the happy endingtype of spirituality so popular today. John Bunyan imprisoned, William Cowper suicidal, David Brainerd ill and dying so young. John Piper doesn't spare us the dark moments of these heroes, to make the gospel more 'appealing. There are no illusions that, if we follow Christ, we will be spared. instead, by opening the window on their struggles, he makes it possible for us to identify, be strengthened, and know that the Christian life is a race , and no race is easy, and we are all in this together. I keep returning to this book. Don't miss it.

Helpful for the Christian Depressed
As a Christian, I have often struggled with depression and feelings of being lost.What a joy to discover that I was not alone in these feelings, and God has used even this to His glory.All the biographies were helpful - I was previously acquainted with John Bunyan and Daivd Brainerd, but had completely forgotten about William Cowper.I am sure this is a volume I will turn to again and again to remind myself that there is a purpose even in trials and sufferings, and what God can accomplish through them.

God-Glorifying Suffering
Piper's Hidden Smile of God is a journey through the sufferings of three men: John Bunyan, William Cowper and David Brainerd, with a view to how these sufferings were used by God to bring long-term spiritual influence through each man's life.Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, the second most important book in the English language for many years, was born of imprisonment and persecution.Cowper's legendary hymns, There is a Fountain and God Moves in a Mysterious Way, came from the pen of a tormented soul which had seen many times the frown of providence.Brainerd's diaries arose from a frail body and a heart given to discouragement and influenced many toward missions and lives of sacrificial service.Piper sees the incredible tragedies in the lives of each of these men as the unfolding of the plan of God for them.He contends that their impact would have been less without their sufferings.Their trials were the crucible where their faith was strengthened and where they were produced their lasting legacy to the Church, parable and poetry and diary.

Piper shows how each man affirmed the mysterious providence of God and affirmed His sovereignty.These giants of faith did not see life as a place of ease but as a spiritual war.

The book is a great encouragement that as we walk with a sovereign God He will order the steps of our lives for His glory and our everlasting joy.

For Sufferers
This book is perfect for those who are going through suffering. Many times, when a Christian experiences deep trials and suffering, there is little help available from their friends and family. This book has been like a balm to the soul. Highly recommended for those who are hurting. ... Read more

Product Description
Volume: 1General Books publication date: 2009Original publication date: 1803Original Publisher: Published by W. Pelham, Manning ... Read more

Product Description
This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from GeneralBooksClub.com. You can also preview excerpts from the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Volume: 4; Original Published by: Hodder and Stoughton in 1904 in 574 pages; Subjects: Authors, English; Letters; Literary Criticism / Poetry; Biography & Autobiography / Literary; History / General; Literary Collections / Letters; Literary Criticism / European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh; Literary Criticism / Poetry; Poetry / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh; ... Read more