This volume includes some of Cowper's finest works, among them such well-known short poems as 'The Poplar-Field', 'Epitaph on a Hare', 'On the Loss of the Royal George' (here restored to the form in which Cowper wrote it, and accompanied by the music for which it was written), and 'The Diverting History of John Gilpin' which, two years after its first anonymous publication in a newspaper, suddenly achieved huge popularity in a series of public readings. It also contains Cowper's masterpiece, The Task - one of the most approachable of the great English poems. Cowper's blank verse is a supple instrument, capable of every effect, from the parody-georgic on the growing of cucumbers to the visionary conclusion of Book VI. At the centre of the poem stands the poet himself, presented with wry humour and deep poignancy. The texts are based on manuscripts as well as early editions of the poetry, and are supplied with textual annotation and commentary. In the case of The Task, this is the first fully annotated edition for over a hundred years; its commentary relates the poem to the period in which it was written more fully than any previous edition.

William Cowper's profile page

John D. Baird's profile page

Charles Ryskamp's profile page

William Cowper (1731-1800) 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. John D. Baird is at University of Toronto.

'The Oxford English Texts edition of the poems answers a long-felt need.' Times Literary Supplement

Reviews of Volume I: 'excellent edition ... reliable and authoritative' British Book News

'notable achievement' Notes and Queries

'These volumes complete the new three-volume Clarendon edition of Cowper's poems, edited by Professor Baird and Dr Ryskamp. They establish what surely will be the standard edition for many years ... the editing is excellent ... The Notes (which occupy one-third of the volume) are very well done.' David Groves, Notes and Queries, Vol. 44, No. 3, September 1997