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William Hayley
1745–1820
An English poet and man of letters remembered for his warm literary friendships, he is especially known today as the friend and first biographer of William Cowper. His life also crossed paths with major figures of the age, including the artist William Blake, giving his story a wider place in late 18th-century literary culture.
3 Audiobooks
Poems on Serious and Sacred Subjects
by William Hayley
Ballads, Founded on Anecdotes Relating to Animals
by William Hayley
The Eulogies of Howard: A Vision
by William Hayley
About the author
Born in Chichester in 1745, he was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge, and briefly entered the Middle Temple before turning away from law toward a literary life. He went on to build a reputation as a poet and writer in the late 18th century.
He wrote verse, essays, and biography, but his lasting reputation rests largely on his close connection with the poet William Cowper. He became Cowper's friend and, after Cowper's death, wrote an early life of him that helped shape how later readers understood the poet.
He also had notable links to the artist and poet William Blake, who worked on projects connected with him during Blake's years at Felpham. William Hayley died in 1820, and he remains a useful figure for readers interested in the literary networks and friendships of Georgian England.