E102B || SQ || John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester, "Satire on Charles II"
1. What story does Rochester's poem tell about Charles II? about his court?
2. Rochester is said to have "fled from court" on account of this poem, which he handed to Charles by mistake. Which lines do you think he feared Charles's reaction to? Why?
3. This poem may shock or offend you a little. If it does, which details do you find shocking or offensive and why? Why might it be difficult to talk about the details of the poem in class?
4. What connects the reductive treatment of the king's sex life with the political statement at the end of the poem?