The Diverting History of John Gilpin by William Cowper
"The Diverting History of John Gilpin" by William Cowper is a humorous poem written in the late 18th century. This light-hearted work can be classified as a narrative poem and explores the comedic misadventures of its titular character, John Gilpin. The story revolves around themes of domesticity and unexpected adventure, set against the backdrop of a whimsical portrayal of British society. The poem follows John Gilpin, a respectable citizen and a linendraper,who sets off on horseback to celebrate his wedding anniversary with his wife. However, the journey takes a chaotic turn as his horse bolts unexpectedly, leading him on a wild and uncontrollable ride through town. Throughout his eccentric escapades, including encounters with startled onlookers and a frantic chase, the poem captures the hilarity and absurdity of John’s situation. Ultimately, despite the chaos, Gilpin manages to return home safely, which emphasizes the humorous and entertaining nature of the story, making it a classic example of comic verse. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Cowper, William, 1731-1800 |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Caldecott, Randolph, 1846-1886 |
| Title | The Diverting History of John Gilpin Showing How He Went Farther Than He Intended, and Came Safe Home Again |
| Note | Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gilpin |
| Note | Reading ease score: 77.9 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. |
| Credits | Produced by Suzanne Shell, Marit Henningsen and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres |
| Subject | Humorous poetry, English |
| Subject | Horses -- Juvenile poetry |
| Subject | Wit and humor, Juvenile |
| Subject | Horsemanship -- Juvenile poetry |
| Subject | Marriage -- Juvenile poetry |
| Subject | Horse racing -- Juvenile poetry |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 11979 |
| Release Date | Apr 1, 2004 |
| Most Recently Updated | Dec 26, 2020 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 247 downloads in the last 30 days. |
| Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free! | |
