The Sofa
In the introduction, we are told that the author was challenged by a friend to write a poem inspired by a sofa. Here, the sofa represents mundane, everyday objects that are seemingly hard to write poetry about.
Nature
Nature is depicted by Cowper as being a place of serenity and comfort, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Cowper often idealizes the thought of being alone with nature, connected to God.
God
Much of Cowper's verse is concerned with religious belief and God. In this poem, God is a symbol of moral goodness, safety, and strength, and is credited with the creation of all that is beautiful in nature.
The Task
The title of this poem is symbolic, as it represents the task of the poet to contain life within his verse. In this poem, the poet speaks about the full extent of life, from everyday objects to nature and duty.
Humanity vs. Goodness
Cowper is overall quite pessimistic about humanity and society. In his opinion, humanity symbolizes all that is bad in the world, while nature symbolizes innocence and goodness.
