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1792 Poet WILLIAM COWPER ALS Anti-Slavery Poem: Famous for The Negro's Complaint

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1792 Poet WILLIAM COWPER ALS Anti-Slavery Poem: Famous for The Negro's Complaint
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Black History
1792 Autograph Letter Signed by the Poet William Cowper His Historic Anti-Slavery Poem "The Negro's Complaint" (1788) was Often Quoted by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
WILLIAM COWPER (1731-1800). English Poet and Hymnodist, wrote “God moves in a mysterious way / His wonders to perform.”, also wrote a number of Anti-Slavery poems including “The Negro's Complaint” (1788) often quoted by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the American Civil Rights movement.
October 13, 1792-Dated, Autograph Letter Signed “Wm Cowper,” 4 pages, Weston, with Integral Postal Envelope Cover, Very Fine. Written to William Hayley, his friend and biographer, writing about his melancholy (a recurring problem), “Old Homer’s Heroes” (he translated the Iliad and the Odyssey into blank verse), being unable to write and reading only Hayley’s works, mentioning (Samuel) Johnson, Hayley’s Life of Milton, commenting on the French Revolution, and more. Boldly penned and signed. Mounting remnant on blank portion of address panel. Accompanied by Two Letters one tipped to an album page the other with some fold splits with Integral Postal Covers from Hayley to Cowper, dated Oct. 8th and 11th, 1792. (3 items)
William Cowper (November 1731 – 25 April 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 poem Yardley-Oak. He was a nephew of the poet Judith Madan.

After being institutionalised for insanity in the period 1763–65, Cowper found refuge in a fervent evangelical Christianity, the inspiration behind his much-loved hymns. 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.

Cowper wrote a poem called "The Negro's Complaint" (1788) which rapidly became very famous, and was often quoted by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the 20th century civil rights movement. 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