John Wilmot, the notorious Earl of Rochester, was the darling of the polished, profligate court of Charles II. One of the finest poets of the Restoration, patron to important playwrights, model for countless witty young rakes in Restoration comedies, he lived a full but short life, dying in 1680 (with a dramatic deathbed renunciation of his atheism) at the age of thirty-three. This edition of Rochester's poetry, brilliantly annotated and introduced by David M. Vieth, has been a classic work for decades. Rochester had many admirers: Graham Greene wrote Lord Rochester's Monkey; Daniel Defoe quoted him often; Tennyson recited his poems; Voltaire admired his satire for 'energy and fire'; Goethe could quote him in English; and Hazlitt said that 'his verses cut and sparkle like diamonds' and that 'his contempt for everything that others respect almost amounts to sublimity'. Book jacket.
Rochester's scandalous reputation belies the variety and sophistication of his love poems and satires. This new, modern-spelling edition is the most textually up to date, based not on the unreliable printed editions but on the most authoritative manuscripts. It includes a valuable introduction, helpful notes, and an index of manuscripts.
The brightest star at the court of King Charles II, John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester (1647-1680), lived a life of reckless debauchery and sexual adventuring that led to his death at the age of thirty-three. He was described by Samuel Johnson as having "blazed out his youth and health in lavish voluptuousness". Rochester was also one of the wittiest and most complex poets of the seventeenth century, writing comic verse, scurrilous satires and highly explicit erotica. With endless literary disguises, rhymes and alliteration, humour and humanity, Rochester's poems hold up a mirror to the extravagances and absurdities of his age.--From publisher description.
John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester, was a poet and courtier of King Charles II's Restoration court, whose rakish lifestyle, biting satires and obscene verses established his name as one of the greatest wits of his time. The Delphi Poets Series offers readers the works of literature's finest poets, with superior formatting. This volume presents the complete works of Rochester, with beautiful illustrations and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1)Beautifully illustrated with images relating to Rochester's life and worksConcise introduction to the poet and his worksExcellent formatting of the poemsSpecial chronological and alphabetical contents tables for the poetryRare poems often missed out of collectionsEasily locate the poems you want to readIncludes Rochester's rare play LUCINA'S RAPEFeatures two bonus biographies, including Gilbert Burnet's seminal study - immerse yourself in Rochester's literary lifeScholarly ordering of texts into chronological order and literary genres Please visit delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting titles CONTENTS: The Poetry CollectionsBRIEF INTRODUCTION: EARL OF ROCHESTER The PoemsLIST OF POEMS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDERLIST OF POEMS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER The PlayLUCINA'S RAPE The BiographiesTHE LIFE OF THE EARL OF ROCHESTER by Dr. JohnsonSOME ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE AND DEATH OF JOHN WILMOT, EARL OF ROCHESTER by Gilbert Burnet Please visit delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting titles
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