William Cowper’s last poem, “The Castaway”, at first glimpse seems to be the gloomy tale of a sailor who has been abandoned at sea. Readers see the sailor’s feelings expressed as he watches his life and the fleet he was with slip away from him in the last moments of his life. However, this poem can be read as Cowper expressing his own struggle with depression throughout his life. Cowper’s tragic life began at the age of 6 when is mother died. As he tried to satisfy his father’s desires, he began to pursue a career in law; ultimately attempting suicide as his examination with the House of Lords neared. Following these suicide attempts, Cowper was sent to St. Alban’s asylum. Here he began to grow in his faith and beliefs. After leaving St. Alban’s, one of his very close friends was killed after falling off of his horse. This event caused Cowper to relapse into another period of insanity and instability. The widow of his friend nursed him back to health, however, she too died – another devastating blow to Cowper. Not long after her death was when Cowper wrote “The Castaway.” He died one year after publishing the poem.
The first three stanzas set the scene for the stormy night when the sailor is washed overboard. The speaker of the poem is introduced as well where he calls both himself and sailor “destined wretch[es]” (Ln 1). These stanzas backup the idea that to be depressed is utterly miserable and can feel like one is in a never ending storm. The next two stanzas portray the idea that a depressed person will call out of help; yet that help or relief never seems to arrive. This might be how Cowper felt with every wave of depression that overcame him. In stanzas seven through eights, the sailor eventually gives up on fighting the waves and drowns. Without the right kind of help, depression will cause someone to give up on life whether literally or figuratively. After the sailor in the poem dies, the speaker takes over and begins relating his own life to that of the sailor: depression and drowning in sadness.
As saddening as it is to read of Cowper’s life and his expression through “The Castaway” in the 18th century, many who suffered from mental illness felt as though they were going through it alone. Very little knowledge was known on how to treat illnesses such as depression and those who suffered often did not have long lives. I am extremely grateful for how far medical knowledge has come since this time period.
18th Century British Literature Ideology 