Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Adult themes

Thanks to Lapham's Quarterly I am now acquainted with John Wilmot, second Earl of Rochester - who set a high standard when it came to Restoration debauchery. Perhaps his greatest feat was, while drunk, handing Charles II a copy of a poem he had written that, err, did not paint the monarch in a flattering light. The poem (Danger! Adult words and themes!) is a hoot, with perhaps the most swearing I have ever seen in verse form. Fabulous.

1 comment:

Mike Keyton said...

Yup he's a favourite of mine too. Johnny Depp did a nice 'version' of him. (Forgotten the film) and Graham Green wrote a fine biography