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Audiobook editionPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if a poem about a sofa could lead you into gardens, winter fields and the troubles of an age?
In The Task, William Cowper explores nature, faith and human struggles in a long poem in blank verse. He moves from a sofa to a garden, from a quiet winter evening to a country walk. Trees, hedgerows and changing light draw his eye, while human suffering keeps calling his thoughts beyond the countryside.
This collection pairs The Task with the comic ballad The Diverting History of John Gilpin, the schoolroom satire Tirocinium and a friendly verse letter. Cowper's voice is tender, funny and anxious. His Christian faith shapes reflections on God, kindness, slavery, cities and cruelty, bringing the pleasures of English country life beside the moral questions that trouble him.
What you’ll discover
- A sofa opens doors Follow an everyday subject into a wide, thoughtful journey through country life.
- Nature seen up close Linger over trees, winding water and changing light with a poet who watches closely.
- The warmth of winter Settle into The Winter Evening, then step outside for carefully observed walks in frost.
- Kindness and hard questions Explore how Cowper brings faith and concern for suffering into his reflections on society.
- Laughter beside reflection Meet another side of Cowper through John Gilpin's comedy and Tirocinium's schoolroom satire.
Who will love it
Readers who enjoy country walks, gardens, winter fires and quiet mornings will love this collection. It also suits those drawn to a poet thinking aloud, with humour, faith and tenderness.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A sofa opens onto the world
- Country pleasures include work and sorrow
- National power must answer to mercy
- Home gives quiet work its value
- The fireside keeps sympathy awake
- Freedom reaches beyond royal power
- Wisdom shows itself through mercy
- Laughter and grief share one voice
- Plain days teach a peaceful attention
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The Task, and Other Poems
by William Cowper · 1785
A lady asks for a poem about a sofa, and the poet follows his thoughts out into snow, gardens and the Ouse valley.
Medium level2–5 hours to read20 languages
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“Cowper was the greatest letter-writer in a language which has produced many great letter- writers—Walpole, Gray, Byron, Scott, FitzGerald, and a long list.”
In short
What do you write when a lady asks for a poem about a sofa? William Cowper begins with a joke and ends with a whole world.
The Task, and Other Poems at a glance
- Reading time
- About 2 h 55 min2 h 20 min fast, 3 h 25 min slow
- Length
- 41,400 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1785by William Cowper
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A sofa poem grows
The poem begins as a game. A lady asks for verse about a sofa, and Cowper opens with mock grandeur, announcing that he sings this humble object. Then he tells the history of the seat with a smile. First come the rough three-legged stools of early kings, which worms have since drilled full of holes. Necessity made the stool, convenience made the armchair, and luxury perfected the sofa.
The joke is gentle, but it sets the method for the whole work. Cowper takes a small thing and lets his thoughts follow it wherever they wish. He prays never to need the sofa for the pains of gout, because he loves the open country far too much.
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Details
- First published
- 1785
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 3 h 5 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Cowper, William. The Task, and Other Poems. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-task-and-other-poems.
Cowper, W. (2026). The task, and other poems. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-task-and-other-poems (Original work published 1785)
Cowper, William. The Task, and Other Poems. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-task-and-other-poems.
@book{cowper2026task,
author = {Cowper, William},
title = {The Task, and Other Poems},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-task-and-other-poems},
note = {First published 1785}
}
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What is The Task by William Cowper about?
It is a six-book blank verse poem that starts with a joke about a sofa and moves through country walks, gardens, winter evenings, politics, faith and kindness to animals, with Cowper's own thoughts always at the centre.
Why is the poem called The Task?
A lady asked Cowper to write a poem on a sofa as a task. He took it up, then let it grow into a work of six books, so the title recalls that first request.
What is the story of John Gilpin?
A London draper rides to meet his family for an anniversary dinner, but his borrowed horse bolts and carries him miles past the inn, losing his hat, wig and wine bottles on the way.
The author
William Cowper
1731–1800 · English poet and hymn writer
William Cowper (1731–1800) was an English poet and hymn writer. He was born in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, and lived for many years in Olney, Buckinghamshire. He contributed to Olney Hymns, published in 1779. His poem The Task appeared in 1785. He died in East Dereham, Norfolk.
“I sing the Sofa”
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