Negro's Complaint
'Negro's Complaint' Summary
William Cowper’s The Negro's Complaint offers a compelling first-person narrative from the viewpoint of an enslaved African who pleads for freedom and justice. Written in 1788, the poem denounces the inhumanity of slavery and questions the moral blindness of those who profit from human suffering. Through vivid expressions of pain, loss, and yearning for dignity, Cowper’s speaker highlights the inherent contradiction between the values of humanity and the existence of slavery. Widely quoted by later abolitionists, including Martin Luther King Jr., The Negro's Complaint is a historically significant poem that captures the urgency of the fight for human rights and equality.
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William Cowper
England
William Cowper was an English poet and Anglican hymnwriter. 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...
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