The Task. A Poem in Six Books

Philadelphia: Printed for Thomas Dobson, Bookseller..., 1787. Good. "New edition" (First American edition - as per Evans, Cowper's second Work "Tirocinium" was often not bound, but issued separately, from "The Task," however "it should form a part of this issue;" not present in the current copy); 6 1/4 x 4; pp. [7], 2-186, [2] + 2 pp. advertisements; full roan over boards; red morocco label to spine; faded gilt decorations to spine and fore-edge of boards; endpapers replaced with beautiful marbled paper; wear to corners and bottom edge of front board with minor loss; lacking half-title page, else complete; in about good condition.Often referred to as his most significant work, poet and Anglican hymnwriter William Cowper's (1731 - 1800) "The Task" was written as a poem in blank verse in six books - "The Sofa", "The Timepiece", "The Garden", "The Winter Evening", "The Winter Morning Walk" and "The Winter Walk at Noon." It would touch on the subjects of slavery, religious faith, nature, and so on.