John Wilmot

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John Wilmot 2nd Earl of Rochester,(1 April 1647 – 26 July 1680), was an English poet and courtier of King Charles II's Restoration court, who reacted against the "spiritual authoritarianism" of the Puritan era. He died as a result of a sexually transmitted infection at the age of 33. [1].

Rochester's libertine lifestyle was marked by a rejection of conventional morality and an embrace of hedonism and pleasure-seeking. This was evident in his numerous public affairs with both men and women, an aspect of his life that was as scandalous as it was sensational. While he was married to Elizabeth Malet, a woman he initially attempted to abduct before their eventual marriage, his numerous extramarital relationships were well-documented and often very public.His poem "A Ramble in St. James's Park," for instance, contains vivid depictions of sexual encounters and is indicative of his unflinching approach to writing about sexuality [2].


References

  1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wilmot,_2nd_Earl_of_Rochester
  2. From Oscar Wilde Tours FB page July 9 2024