 the audiovisual program of KKHSU. This video program will enable you to get an idea of the 18th century poet William Cooper as well as help you to describe his life and works. After listening to this video, you shall also be able to explain the context of the poem, the solitude of Alexander Selkirk, apart from explaining the themes, the poetic style of the poem. A poem is a reflection of the personal undertone of the poem. So before we delve into the poem in details, let us have a look at the life and works of William Cooper. William Cooper wrote in the 18th century drawing from his experiences of day-to-day life, regarded as the forerunner of English romantic poetry and mostly noted for his poetry of nature. William Cooper was a notable poet, essayist and hymnodist. He was born on November 26, 1731 to reverend John Cooper and Ann Don Cooper at Bergham Stat in London. With regard to his education, it may be noted that his experience of schooling at Dr. Pitman's school was not very happy because he was bullied there. He was next sent to Westminster where he spent seven years from 1741 to 1748. Later on he pursued law in Middle Temple. As regards his personal life, you might be interested to know that although he developed a romantic association with his cousin Theodora, his love was never fulfilled owing to the pressure of his parents against the relationship. This resulted in increasing depression and instability of the poet. Hence the loss of his mother at a tender age and his unsuccessful love life resulted in his mental breakdown and instability which led to his hospitalization at Nathaniel Cotton's Asylum for two years after three failed suicide attempts. However after his conversion to evangelism, he moved to Huntington to stay with a retired clergy Morley Unwin and his wife Mary. A family relationship developed among them with the support and care bestowed on him by the Unwins. Even after the death of Morley Unwin, he stayed with Mary and a close relationship grew between them. Mary took care of William Cooper in an attack of insanity in 1773 and successfully helped him to recover from his illness. They lived together until Mary's death in 1796 and this resulted in overshadowing his life with despair. In 1800 William Cooper breathed his last after he was diagnosed with dropsy after getting a glimpse of his life. Now let us have a look at his works. Some of his major works are The Only Hymns. The major theme of this work is the need for salvation of human beings. Some of the hymns included in this volume are There is a fountain filled with blood. Oh Lord, in sorrow I resign. There is a safe and sacred place etc. Apart from his hymns, he is famous for the comic poem titled The Diverting History of John Gilpin which was published in 1782. The task is another poem of about 5,000 lines written in blank verse which received wide critical acclaim. His later life was engrossed in the translation of Homer's Iliad and the Odyssey. Besides this, Cooper's letters are known for its humor and its lively treatment of everyday life. Now as we are aware of the life and works of the poem, let us first have a look at the poem. We are going to discuss in this video. Before we discuss and explain the poem, let us consider the background in which the poem was written. The poem is based on Alexander Selkirk, a sailor from Scotland. He ran away from home at the age of 19 to be left alone on a deserted island which was uninhabited also and the island was called Joan Fernandes. He landed on this island following a feud with a young captain. Even though he asked his shipmates to join him, he was refused by all and had to spend four years of his life in this deserted island which had no sign of human life in it. His only company were goats and cats, the animals which survived earlier shipwrecks. He spent his life there hunting and reading the Bible until he was rescued four years later by an English ship. So let us now discuss the poem, Stanza Weiss, the solitude of Alexander Selkirk by William Cooper. I am monarch of all I survey. My right there is none to dispute. From the center all round to the sea I am lord of the foul and the brute. O solitude, where are the charms that sages have seen in thy face better dwell in the midst of alarms than rain in this horrible place. So this first Stanza of the poem, the poem begins with the solitude life of the sailor in the island where there is no one to disrupt or interfere him. Being the only human presence, he is the king of the island. The lion better dwell in the midst of alarms than rain in this horrible place is reflective of his feeling of regret for his decision of staying in this uninhabited island. Now let us look at Stanza too. I am out of humanity's reach. I must finish my journey alone. Never hear the sweet music of speech. I start at the sound of my own. The beasts that roam over the plane, my form with indifference see. They are so unacquainted with man, their tenderness is shocking to me. Here in this lines the sailor regrets that he has no body to share his grief with. He is out in such a faraway island where the possibility of human vegetation is less or almost nil. Cut off from the society, he assured himself that he had to reside there all by alone. He longs to hear the sweet music of speech. By sweet music of speech, the poet is referring to human voices. Here in this poem, the protagonist reflected on the point that the island had never seen the presence of human beings before because he found that even the beasts look at him with indifference. The third Stanza states, society, friendship and love, divinely bestowed upon man. Oh, had I the wings of a dove, how soon would I taste you again? My sorrows I then might aswage in the ways of religion and truth, might learn from the wisdom of age and be teared by the salis of youth. This line represents how he longs for society, friendship and love, which are solely human affairs. He imagined how he could have escaped if he had wings like the dove. His sorrows then might be lessened by the new hope he would find in religion and he would learn from his wisdom of age, that is from his experience. Let us now look into the fourth Stanza. Ye winds that have made me your sport, convict to this desolate shore, some cordial endearing report, of a land I shall visit no more. My friends, do they now and then send a wish or a thought after me? Or tell me, I yet have a friend, though a friend I am never to see. The fourth Stanza reflected his utter desolation and his eagerness to go back to a life he earlier had lived with friends and family. Out of frustration he asked the wind to convey his message to his dear ones about how he was missing them. The sailors' imagination is at full play in this Stanza. Half lead is a glance of the mind compared with the speed of its light. The tempest itself lags behind and the swift winged arrows of light. When I think of my own native land, in a moment I seem to be there. But alas, recollection at hand soon hurries me back to despair. The fifth Stanza is the sailor's return to his reality. Cooper beautifully describes the imaginative power of Selkirk and emphasized on the fact that it could not last forever. The sailor had to accept his self-chosen fate. The last Stanza of the poem states thus, But the sea fall is gone to her nest. The piste is laid down in his lair. Even here is a season of rest and I to my cabin repair. There's mercy in every place and mercy and encouraging thought gives even affliction a grace and reconciles man to his lot. The poem thus ends with a note of hope for human beings who are strong enough to survive any situations and what encouraged the sailor is the hope that mercy still pervaded. This strong band of mind led to the survival of the sailor in such an uninhabited island and even after four years he was still alive there in spite of his hopeless situation. Alexander Selkirk's determination and courage to survive has been an inspiring story for many writers. For instance, Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe is also based on this story of the sailor in an uninhibited island. Through the poem, William Cooper thus manages to throw light on human trials and the necessity of courage and the will to survive. After finishing the poem, the major themes that have emerged are the power of imagination and man's relation to nature and man's relation to the society. Stuck in an uninhibited island alone, Alexander Selkirk spent four years of his life in that island and devoid of other human beings and other human lives, he was compelled to live alone there. His only activities were hunting goats and reading the Bible. It was however the flight of imagination of the sailor that has saved him from breaking down completely. Although he's aware of his reality, yet his imaginative bent of mind helped him to survive in such a deserted island. The company he had in the island comprised only animals, that too which has survived shipwrecks. Cooper emphasized how one's imaginative power can lead him or her to the source of happiness. If not permanent, yet a temporary relief was found by the lonely sailor which encouraged him to struggle to live until finally rescued. Another theme that is evident in the poem is man's relation to nature and society. As part of the society, men are habituated to the company of friends and family. The poem throws light on the fact that a life without society is worthless. A human being is complete only in relation to another human being. Also the reliance of man on nature is quite evident through the poem. The sailor lived in the island amidst nature and survived by the provisions of nature. So in short we can say that the three important themes that have emerged after reading the poem are power of imagination, man's relation to society and man's relation to nature. The influence of evangelism on William Cooper was reflected in his hems as regards his poetic style. Although his tone is didactic, his poems reflect his love for nature, humanity and society. William Cooper is also noted for his use of blank words. The language in the poem as we have seen is very simple yet it has deeper philosophical implications. Cooper's strong sense of observation is evident as we read the poem. As we have come to the end of our lecture session let us reflect on what we have discussed in the lecture. In this video we have dealt with one of the forerunners of English Romantic poetry namely William Cooper and reflected on one of his significant poems titled The Solitude of Alexander Selkirk. Apart from dealing with the life and works of the poet we have also summarized the poem. Stanza wise we have tried to provide a background knowledge regarding the poem. We have also discussed the major themes that has been reflected in the poem and finally we have dealt with the style and language of Cooper. I believe the suggested reading that have been given to you shall be of help. You can refer to these books for your better understanding of William Cooper as a poet. From examination points of view some of the questions you may consult are for example critical appreciation of the poem, the central theme of the poem or short notes on the poetic style or the summary of the poem. Also you have to prepare on the life and works of William Cooper or explain the poet's intention behind writing the poem. Lastly I would request you to read your SLM along with this video lecture for a better understanding of the unit as a whole. Thank you.