William Cowper
The Diverting History of John Gilpin
Showing How He Went Farther Than He Intended, and Came Safe Home Again
"The Diverting History of John Gilpin" by William Cowper is a comic ballad written in 1782. The poem recounts the misadventures of John Gilpin, a wealthy London draper, during what should have been a simple family journey to an inn. When Gilpin loses control of his horse, the animal bolts and carries him on an unplanned wild ride that takes him ten miles beyond his intended destination, separating him from his wife and children in a series of comic mishaps.