W. S. Gilbert (1836-1911) was a noted satirist and dramatist by the time he met Sullivan. He was also famous for his comedic poems, collected as "The Bab Ballads". With Sullivan, he wrote a series of operettas which are still popular in the English-speaking world, including "The Mikado", "H.M.S. Pinafore", and "The Pirates of Penzance".