Christopher Smart

Christopher Smart (1722–1771) was an English poet whose religious verse includes A Song to David and the manuscript Jubilate Agno, written during confinement in a madhouse.

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Jubilate Agno: An unfinished poem by Christopher Smart, composed in the 1750s and arranged in parallel lines beginning with “Let” and “For.” This manuscript is Smart’s most distinctive experiment in devotional poetry.
Pembroke College, Cambridge: A constituent college of the University of Cambridge, founded in 1347. Smart studied there, gaining the classical education behind his early literary career.
Samuel Johnson: An English writer, critic, and lexicographer whose works shaped eighteenth-century literary culture. Johnson knew Smart and later defended him against accusations of religious eccentricity.
William Cowper: An English poet whose works include The Task and several hymns. Cowper’s devotional verse offers a later comparison for poetry shaped by religious experience.
A Song to David: A religious poem by Christopher Smart, published in 1763, that praises David and the powers of creation. Its exuberant biblical praise became Smart’s best-known published poem.
The Student: An eighteenth-century periodical published in Cambridge and London, with which Christopher Smart was associated. Smart’s early writing and editorial work developed through this periodical.
Henry Fielding: An English novelist and dramatist best known for Tom Jones. Fielding supported Smart’s early career and published some of his work.
Robert Browning: A Victorian poet known for dramatic monologues and psychologically complex speakers. Browning’s praise helped renew attention to Smart’s neglected poetry.
Psalm 148: A Hebrew poem in the Book of Psalms calling the heavens, earth, and living creatures to praise God. Its universal call to praise offers a biblical parallel to Smart’s devotional vision.
The Universal Visitor: An eighteenth-century London periodical to which Christopher Smart contributed while confined in a madhouse. Smart continued publishing through this journal during his confinement.