Cowper's Grave

         William Cowper (1731-1800) is the writer of such hymns as God moves in a mysterious way, My Saviour Whom absent I love, There is a fountain, and at least three others in the Believer's Hymn Book. In 1719, Cowper collaborated with John Newton (author of Amazing Grace) in publication of a hymnbook, Olney Hymns. Sadly, Cowper suffered severe depression throughout much of his adult life and attempted suicide on numerous occasions. This is the unhappy background to much of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poem, Cowper's Grave. Here are seven verses out of the total of fourteen. Especially note Browning's grasp of the faithfulness and all-sufficiency of Christ and of His substitutionary death.

1. It is a place where poets crowned may feel the heart's decaying,—
It is a place where happy saints may weep amid their praying:
Yet let the grief and humbleness as low as silence languish!
Earth surely now may give her calm to whom she gave her anguish.

3. And now, what time ye all may read through dimming tears his story.
How discord on the music fell, and darkness on the glory,
And how, when, one by one, sweet sounds and wandering lights departed.
He wore no less a loving face because so broken-hearted.

10. ...Thus woke the poet from the dream his life's long fever gave him,
Beneath those deep pathetic Eyes which closed in death to save him!

11. Thus? O, not thus! No type of earth could image that awaking,
Wherein he scarcely heard the chant of seraphs round him breaking,
Or felt the new immortal throb of soul from body parted,
But felt those eyes alone, and knew, "My Saviour! not deserted!"

12.  Deserted! Who hath dreamt that when the cross in darkness rested,
Upon the Victim's hidden face no love was manifested?
What frantic hands outstretched have e'er the atoning drops averted?
What tears have washed them from the soul, that one should be deserted?

13. Deserted! God could separate from His own essence rather;
And Adam's sins have swept between the righteous Son and Father.
Yea, once, Immanuel's orphaned cry his universe hath shaken, —
It went up single, echoless, "My God, I am forsaken!"

14. It went up from the Holy's lips amid his lost creation,
That, of the lost, no son should use those words of desolation!
That earth's worst frenzies, marring hope, should mar not hope's fruition.
And I, on Cowper's grave, should see his rapture in a vision!

Elizabeth Barrett Browning, 1838