Second Earl of Rochester

The satirists shared a talent for making other individuals feel uncomfortable, particularly by making them aware of their own moral inadequacies. They used irony, derision, and wit to attack human vice or folly. One method the satirist utilized to catch their readers' attention, while also making them feel uncomfortable, was to describe those things that were deemed inappropriate to discuss openly in society. The classical example of a topic that was discussed behind closed doors, yet the satirist used freely, was sex. Mention of such things as sex can always bring a giggle, excite feelings of hidden passion, or make one's cheeks rosy from embarrassment. John Wilmot, Second Earl of Rochester, and Jonathan Swift, were two satirist that were noted for using perverse language and graphic depictions to elicit desired emotions from their readers and to wage their attacks on human folly.

To understand Rochester's use of sex in his work, one must understand his distaste for reason. This can be seen in his poem, A Satyr Against Mankind, when he comments:

"Women and Men of wit, are dang'rous tools, and ever fatal to admiring fools." Rochester viewed reason as a vice rather than an admirable trait in man. When man fo

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He is not necessarily condoning widespread eroticism, but he is noting the lack of passion and emotion in the world. Masturbation is of course a means of self-satisfaction. Men are crude creatures that do think of sex and women in such a manner.

Swift also uses perverse images in Gulliver's Travels to express the lack of lust, feeling, and emotion in the modern world.

Rochester has an almost Hobbesian view towards human nature. They, however, could not accomplish this through bland social commentary. Swift realizes that no individual takes a serious interest in another man's bowel movement and would rather that person keep such happenings to themselves. Gulliver finds such erotic and passionate acts as repulsive. His words mock the very foundation of the moralist belief system. A normal male might respond with such a reply as: "Wow! Get a load of those huge knockers and those silver dollar nipples.

Rochester believed that to enjoy true happiness one must follow a course dictated by passion. The waste of the modern mind, which Swift would label as science and math, is extinguishes the fires of passion, emotion, and imagination. " Gulliver has to use numerical comparisons.

Approximate Word count = 2775
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)

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