William Cowper

William Cowper (1731–1800) was an English poet and hymnwriter whose work is often linked with the Evangelical revival. Born in Great Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, he was educated at Westminster School and trained for the law, though he never practised. After severe bouts of mental illness, he lived for many years in Olney, Buckinghamshire, where he became close to the minister John Newton. Cowper contributed hymns to the *Olney Hymns* (1779), including “God Moves in a Mysterious Way.” His long blank-verse poem *The Task* (1785) brought him wide acclaim, and he also produced influential translations of Homer.