author
Earl of, John Wilmot Rochester
1647–1680
A brilliant and scandalous voice of Restoration England, this poet and court wit is remembered for sharp satire, daring lyric poems, and a life that became almost as famous as his writing. His work is clever, restless, and often startlingly modern in its frankness about power, pleasure, and self-deception.
1 Audiobook
The Works of the Right Honourable John, Earl of Rochester Consisting of Satires, Songs, Translations, and other Occasional Poems
by Earl of, John Wilmot Rochester
About the author
Born in 1647, he became the 2nd Earl of Rochester while still a boy and later moved in the lively, dangerous world of Charles II's court. Reliable reference sources describe him as both a courtier and one of the key poets of the Restoration, admired for helping shape English satiric poetry.
His writing ranges from polished songs and love lyrics to biting satires that mock vanity, political posturing, and human weakness. That mix of elegance, wit, and deliberate provocation helped make him one of the most distinctive literary voices of his age.
Rochester's reputation has long been tied to his rebellious public image, but his surviving poems show more than swagger: they also reveal intelligence, skepticism, and flashes of real vulnerability. He died in 1680, leaving a small but influential body of work that has kept readers interested for centuries.