Joseph Trapp (9 April 1679 – 19 November 1747) was an English clergyman, poet, and academic, notable for becoming the first Professor of Poetry at the University of Oxford in 1708. He was educated at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in 1699 and Master of Arts in 1702.
Trapp was ordained in the Church of England and held several ecclesiastical positions, including the rectories of Swords (County Dublin) and St. Giles-in-the-Fields, London. In 1711 he was appointed a prebendary of Worcester Cathedral and later served as a canon of St. Paul's Cathedral.
As a literary figure, Trapp produced a range of poetry, translations, and sermons. His most prominent poetic work is the collection Poetical Works (1731), which includes odes, elegies, and occasional verses. He also translated classical texts, notably a prose translation of the Aeneid and parts of Virgil’s Georgics.
Trapp’s appointment as the inaugural Oxford Professor of Poetry marked a significant development in the university’s curriculum, establishing a formal position dedicated to the study and instruction of poetry. His inaugural lecture emphasized the moral and educational value of poetry, reflecting contemporary attitudes toward literature’s role in shaping virtue.
Trapp contributed to theological controversies of his time, defending Anglican orthodoxy against dissenting views. His published sermons often addressed topics such as the nature of the Holy Trinity and the authority of the Church of England.
He died in London at the age of 68 and was interred at St. Paul’s Cathedral. Trapp’s legacy endures primarily through his role in institutionalizing the study of poetry at Oxford and his contributions to early 18th‑century English literary culture.
