John Wilmot

John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester, was an English courtier and poet of the Restoration period, known for satirical and explicit verse that critiques social and sexual hypocrisy. Biography ↓More ↓

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John Wilmot

A Woman's Honour

Love bade me hope, and I obeyed; Phyllis continued still unkind: Then you may e'en despair, he said, In vain I strive to change her mind. Honour's got in, and keeps her heart, Durst he but venture once abroad, In my own right I'd take your part, And show myself the mightier God. This huffing Honour domineers In breasts alone where he has place: But if true generous Love appears, The hector dares not show his face. Let me still languish and complain, Be most unhumanly denied: I have some pleasure in my pain, She can have none with all her pride.

John Wilmot

Love and Life

All my past life is mine no more, The flying hours are gone, Like transitory dreams giv'n o'er, Whose images are kept in store By memory alone. The time that is to come is not; How can it then be mine? The present moment's all my lot; And that, as fast as it is got, Phyllis, is only thine. Then talk not of inconstancy, False hearts, and broken vows; If I, by miracle, can be This live-long minute true to thee, 'Tis all that Heav'n allows.

Biography

John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester, was born in 1647 and died in 1680. He was a central figure in the hedonistic court of Charles II. His poetry employs wit, colloquial speech, and often obscene imagery to satirize the moral and intellectual pretensions of his era. Frequently, his personae adopt a skeptical or libertine stance, questioning reason, fidelity, and the possibility of human happiness. His verse ranges from biting satire to tender lyrics. Although most of his work circulated in manuscript, it influenced later development of English satire. Well-known poems include 'A Satyr Against Reason and Mankind' and 'The Imperfect Enjoyment'.

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