Rochester and the Pursuit of Pleasure

Rochester and the pursuit of pleasure provides a reading of Rochester’s poems, dramatic works, and letters in a biographical context. It argues that there is a thematic unity--the pursuit of pleasure--underlying his work, that this pursuit is religiously motivated and reflects Rochester’s preoccupation with and, finally, acceptance of Christianity.

Larry Carver is Professor Emeritus in the Department of English at the University of Texas at Austin.