SOURCE: “Walking into Public Notice” in William Cowper: Poet of Paradise, Evangelical Press, 1993, pp. 243-285.

In the following excerpt, Ella describes Cowper's public life. He details correspondence both with friends, such as Unwin and Newton, and enemies, such as Martin Madan.

After the publication of the Olney Hymns in 1779 Cowper's health improved greatly and the poet began to look around for new themes for his pen. Most of these he gathered from the news he obtained through his correspondence with friends such as William Unwin, Joseph Hill and John Newton and from the events recorded in the newspapers. Unwin, for instance, wrote complaining of those in politics who talk about virtue, but, because they do not know Christ, cannot implement it. This topic moved Cowper to write ‘Human Frailty’ which uses the seafaring imagery, so often used by him to portray the Christian life, as seen in the...