• Classical Essays
• Interviews
• EAE
• Students
• BEC
• Teaching Portfolio
• Writing Portfolio
• About
• Contact

William Cowper

Biography

(1731-1800)

Essays by William Cowper

Complaints of an old bachelor

The female part of my acquaintance entertain an odd opinion, that a bachelor is not in fact a rational creature.

On conversation

Every one endeavours to make himself as agreeable to society as he can: but it often happens, that those who most aim at shining in conversation, overshoot their mark.

On keeping secrets

Confidants, in general, are like crazy fire-locks, which are no sooner charged and cocked, than the spring gives way, and the report immediately follows.

A letter from Mr. Village

If I was concerned to see several distressed pastors, as well as many of our country-churches in a tottering condition, I was more offended with the indecency of worship in others.

Patrick Madden's New Book

Search

Join Us on Facebook

Essayists

Alphabetical Addison, Joseph (1672-1719) Bacon, Francis (1561-1626) Barbauld, Anna Laetitia (1743-1825) Barbellion, W. N. P. (1889-1919) Belloc, Hilaire (1870-1953) Benson, Arthur (1862-1925) Bird, Isabella (1831-1904) Bly, Nellie (1864-1922) Browne, Thomas (1605-1682) Burney, Fanny (1752-1840) Cavendish, Margaret (1623-1673) Chesterton, G. K. (1874-1936) Chudleigh, Mary (1656-1710) Clinton, Elizabeth (1575-1638) Colton, Charles (1780-1832) Cooper, Anna Julia (1858-1964) Cooper, Susan Fenimore (1813-1894) Cornwallis, William (1579-1614) Cowley, Abraham (1618-1667) Cowper, William (1731-1800) Culpeper, Thomas (1626-1697) De Quincey, Thomas (1785-1859) Edgeworth, Maria (1767-1849) Eliot, T. S. (1888-1965) Emerson, Ralph Waldo (1803-1882) Far, Sui Sin (1865-1914) Felltham, Owen (1602-1668) Freud, Sigmund (1856-1939) Fuller, Margaret (1810-1850) Gerould, Katharine Fullerton (1879-1944) Gilman, Charlotte Perkins (1860-1935) Goldsmith, Oliver (1735-1774) Guiney, Louise Imogen (1861-1920) Hamilton, Gail (1838-1896) Harrison, Jane Ellen (1850-1928) Haywood, Eliza (1693-1756) Hazlitt, William (1778-1830) Howell, James (1594-1666) Howells, William Dean (1837-1920) Hume, David (1711-1776) Hunt, Leigh (1784-1859) Huxley, Thomas Henry (1825-1895) Hyde, Edward (1609-1674) Jacks, L. P. (1860-1955) Jacobs, Harriet (1813-1897) Jerome, Jerome K. (1859-1927) Johnson, Samuel (1709-1784) Kenko, Yoshida (1283-1350) Kirkland, Caroline (1801-1864) Lamb, Charles (1775-1834) Lamb, Mary (1764-1847) Landor, Walter Savage (1775-1864) Lee, Vernon (1856-1935) Marquis, Don (1878-1937) Martin, Edward Sanford (1856-1939) Martineau, Harriet (1802-1876) Meynell, Alice (1847-1922) Milne, A. A. (1882-1956) Montaigne, Michel de (1533-1592) More, Hannah (1745-1833) Morley, Christopher (1890-1957) Morris, Elisabeth (1870-1964) Osler, William (1849-1919) Plato, Ann (1820-?) Repplier, Agnes (1855-1950) Rhys, Grace Little (1865-1929) Seneca, Lucius Annaeus (4-65) Smith, Alexander (1830-1867) Steele, Richard (1672-1729) Stein, Edith (1891-1942) Stevenson, Robert Louis (1850-1894) Swift, Jonathan (1667-1745) Temple, William (1628-1699) Tomlinson, H. M. (1873-1958) Twain, Mark (1835-1910) Wharton, Edith (1862-1937) Wollstonecraft, Mary (1759-1797) Zitkala-Ša (1876-1938) Chronological Seneca, Lucius Annaeus (4-65) Kenko, Yoshida (1283-1350) Montaigne, Michel de (1533-1592) Bacon, Francis (1561-1626) Clinton, Elizabeth (1575-1638) Cornwallis, William (1579-1614) Howell, James (1594-1666) Felltham, Owen (1602-1668) Browne, Thomas (1605-1682) Hyde, Edward (1609-1674) Cowley, Abraham (1618-1667) Cavendish, Margaret (1623-1673) Culpeper, Thomas (1626-1697) Temple, William (1628-1699) Chudleigh, Mary (1656-1710) Swift, Jonathan (1667-1745) Addison, Joseph (1672-1719) Steele, Richard (1672-1729) Haywood, Eliza (1693-1756) Johnson, Samuel (1709-1784) Hume, David (1711-1776) Cowper, William (1731-1800) Goldsmith, Oliver (1735-1774) Barbauld, Anna Laetitia (1743-1825) More, Hannah (1745-1833) Burney, Fanny (1752-1840) Wollstonecraft, Mary (1759-1797) Lamb, Mary (1764-1847) Edgeworth, Maria (1767-1849) Lamb, Charles (1775-1834) Landor, Walter Savage (1775-1864) Hazlitt, William (1778-1830) Colton, Charles (1780-1832) Hunt, Leigh (1784-1859) De Quincey, Thomas (1785-1859) Kirkland, Caroline (1801-1864) Martineau, Harriet (1802-1876) Emerson, Ralph Waldo (1803-1882) Fuller, Margaret (1810-1850) Cooper, Susan Fenimore (1813-1894) Jacobs, Harriet (1813-1897) Plato, Ann (1820-?) Huxley, Thomas Henry (1825-1895) Smith, Alexander (1830-1867) Bird, Isabella (1831-1904) Twain, Mark (1835-1910) Howells, William Dean (1837-1920) Hamilton, Gail (1838-1896) Meynell, Alice (1847-1922) Osler, William (1849-1919) Harrison, Jane Ellen (1850-1928) Stevenson, Robert Louis (1850-1894) Repplier, Agnes (1855-1950) Freud, Sigmund (1856-1939) Lee, Vernon (1856-1935) Martin, Edward Sanford (1856-1939) Cooper, Anna Julia (1858-1964) Jerome, Jerome K. (1859-1927) Gilman, Charlotte Perkins (1860-1935) Jacks, L. P. (1860-1955) Guiney, Louise Imogen (1861-1920) Benson, Arthur (1862-1925) Wharton, Edith (1862-1937) Bly, Nellie (1864-1922) Far, Sui Sin (1865-1914) Rhys, Grace Little (1865-1929) Belloc, Hilaire (1870-1953) Morris, Elisabeth (1870-1964) Tomlinson, H. M. (1873-1958) Chesterton, G. K. (1874-1936) Zitkala-Ša (1876-1938) Marquis, Don (1878-1937) Gerould, Katharine Fullerton (1879-1944) Milne, A. A. (1882-1956) Eliot, T. S. (1888-1965) Barbellion, W. N. P. (1889-1919) Morley, Christopher (1890-1957) Stein, Edith (1891-1942) Women Barbauld, Anna Laetitia (1743-1825)Bird, Isabella (1831-1904)Bly, Nellie (1864-1922)Burney, Fanny (1752-1840)Cavendish, Margaret (1623-1673)Chudleigh, Mary (1656-1710)Clinton, Elizabeth (1575-1638)Cooper, Anna Julia (1858-1964)Cooper, Susan Fenimore (1813-1894)Edgeworth, Maria (1767-1849)Far, Sui Sin (1865-1914)Fuller, Margaret (1810-1850)Gerould, Katharine Fullerton (1879-1944)Gilman, Charlotte Perkins (1860-1935)Guiney, Louise Imogen (1861-1920)Hamilton, Gail (1838-1896)Harrison, Jane Ellen (1850-1928)Haywood, Eliza (1693-1756)Jacobs, Harriet (1813-1897)Kirkland, Caroline (1801-1864)Lamb, Mary (1764-1847)Lee, Vernon (1856-1935)Martineau, Harriet (1802-1876)Meynell, Alice (1847-1922)More, Hannah (1745-1833)Morris, Elisabeth (1870-1964)Plato, Ann (1820-?)Repplier, Agnes (1855-1950)Rhys, Grace Little (1865-1929)Stein, Edith (1891-1942)Wharton, Edith (1862-1937)Wollstonecraft, Mary (1759-1797)Zitkala-Ša (1876-1938)

Essays

by William Cowper A letter from Mr. Village Complaints of an old bachelor On conversation On keeping secrets