William Cowper
Cowper's poem The Task is personal in nature and is heavily informed by his own beliefs and experiences. Therefore, the narrator might be seen as a stand-in for the author himself, revealing his opinions about various topics including religion and nature.
The author's friend
In the introduction to this poem, the narrator writes that the poem was inspired by a conversation between the author and his friend. His friend apparently challenged him to write a poem about a sofa, therefore giving rise to the first book of The Task which is titled "The Sofa."
