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.

Awesome poety - filth & violence - what more could you want

A completely new way of looking at the poetry of Rochester--one that does not ignore his politicality. Using the theories of Foucault and others, the author analyzes Rochester's writings--poems, drama, prose, and letters--within their contemporary civil and cultural context. The book also makes relevent Rochester's problematic stance as a libertine to our own condition in the late 20th century. A gem.