Joseph Trapp

Joseph Trapp was an English clergyman, academic, and poet, notable for his role as the first Oxford Professor of Poetry, a position he held from 1708. His early literary career included the production of occasional verse and dramas, some of which were published anonymously or in Latin. Despite his academic achievements and High Church affiliations, Trapp's poetry did not earn him widespread acclaim; contemporaries like Jonathan Swift criticized his work, and poet Abel Evans famously mocked his translation of Virgil's 'Aeneid' in an epigram that alluded to the commandment against murder. Trapp's literary contributions, while not celebrated in his time, reflect the complexities of early 18th-century English poetry and the tensions between literary merit and personal belief. His legacy lies in his academic influence and the establishment of the Oxford Professorship, which would go on to shape the landscape of English poetry education. Although his poetry may not have achieved lasting fame, his role in the academic sphere and his High Church perspectives contributed to the cultural dialogue of his era.