The Complete Poems [Paperback]

Earl of Rochester (Author), David M. Vieth (Editor), John Wilmot (Author)

Book Description

Series: Nota Bene | Publication Date: September 1, 2002

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 33. This edition of Rochester's poetry is annotated and introduced by David M. Vieth. Rochester had many admirers: Graham Greene wrote "Lord Rochester's Monkey"; Daniel Defoe quoted him often; Tennyson recited his poems; Voltaire admired Rochester's satire for "energy and fire"; Goethe could quote Rochester in English, and Hazlitt said that "his verses cut and sparkle like diamonds" and "his contempt for everything that others repsect almost amounts to sublimity".

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"'Bawdy in thought, precise in words.' Rochester's description of the court prostitute in the poem 'On Mistress Willis' might equally describe himself. The earl's mind is never far from 'love's theatre,' as he calls bed. His love poems are tender, explicit, funny... If this guy was living today, I'd be camping out at the gates to his castle." -- Kathleen Ferguson, Irish Times

About the Author

David M. Vieth was professor of English at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (September 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300097131
• ISBN-13: 978-0300097139
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #335,970 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Great Neglected Ones, July 25, 2000

By 

Bruce Kendall "BEK" (Southern Pines, NC) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Complete Poems of John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester (Paperback)

The Earl of Rochester lived a life worthy of Tom Jones. He was indeed a deabauched libertine, slightly less worthy of censure than the Marquis de Sade. Yet he was something that De Sade was not, a great wit. Though nowhere near the range or genius of Pope or Swift, he nevertheless compiled a great body of satirical poetry in the Juvenalian tradition. His "Satyre Against Mankind," Like Swift's Houyhnhnms chapters, present human beings in their true place in nature, despite all the panegyrics and biblical references placing us at the top of the chain. If you are lover of satire, as I am, and don't mind observations that place us amongst the lower orders rather than atop some Parnassian peak, give this volume a try.

13 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars poet of love, March 25, 2004

By 

I ain't no porn writer (author, "Crippled Dreams") - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Poems (Paperback)

The 2nd Earl of Rochester (John Wilmot) is one of our greatest love poets in the English language. He and his work have been neglected in previous times because of the debauched lifestyle he had led and what was once perceived as the obscene nature of some of his poetry. Today, these poems are recognized as some of the most beautiful erotic verse ever written. They speak of every kind of sexual love, from unrequited love to fulfilled love, from young love to the nastalgia of remembering long-ago love, from ethereal love to barnyard lust--it's all there. Many of his more racy poems have been lost down the centuries through lack of publication, censorship and other similar factors, but much of his best work survives.

I like Rochester's poems for the colorful use of language they possess, the depths of passionate sentiment they convey, and the understanding of eroticism that is so characteristic of this great poet's work[...]

David Rehak
author of "Poems From My Bleeding Heart"

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice one, July 22, 2008

By 

Raul Gomez Reviriego (Caceres, Spain) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Complete Poems of John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester (Paperback)

Very old book, I think I could not find it in any bookstore (you have to look for it very intensely). Thanks for the service!!!