Tzara
Continental
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2005
- Posts
- 7,611
It is a truism to state that the vast majority of self-labeled "erotic poems" posted here at Lit are neither erotic nor much of a poem. There are, undoubtedly, many different reasons for this, but probably the most common is that the typical author knows little and cares less about the techniques of poetry, preferring to simply write down a series of lines that graphically and uninventively describe some sexual act, something like
Perhaps that is what most readers want. Perhaps that is all most Lit poets want as well—to get someone to give the poem a five and leave a comment saying "REALLY HOT!!!!" I sincerely hope not, but that may be the case.
In the hope that at least some people are interested in trying to write better erotic poetry, I'd like to once again try and discuss the subject. Among other things, I'd like to talk about what kinds of things you find erotic in poems, about what the term "erotic poem" means to you (e.g., is an erotic poem simply a poem about sex or is it a poem that is sexually arousing?) and, particularly, try and discuss examples of what you think of as good erotic poetry.
To start, cite an example of a poem you consider to be a good example of erotic poetry. Tell us why you think the poem is erotic and how the workings of the poem make it so. The example can be from non-Lit poets (my first example is going to be a poem by Dorianne Laux, for example), or from a poem posted here at Lit. If it's a Lit poem, please only quote short excerpts in your post and link to the complete poem so that the poet can delete the Lit poem if they want to without leaving another copy of it on site. If you quote a non-Lit poem, please cite the author and source.
That's it for now. I'll be back to talk about Ms. Laux.
You are so wet
I slip my stiff rod deep in
Fuck you harder, pet
Than you ever have been.
Descriptive language, if any is present (often, none is), is comprised of the hoariest of clichés—erections are "like steel" or "hard as rock," vaginas are "dripping with sweet nectar," kisses are "tender" or "savage." The acts and actors being described are usually porn film fantasies with anatomical characteristics well into the 99th percentile in terms of size, foreplay is non-existent, and refractory periods unheard of.I slip my stiff rod deep in
Fuck you harder, pet
Than you ever have been.
Perhaps that is what most readers want. Perhaps that is all most Lit poets want as well—to get someone to give the poem a five and leave a comment saying "REALLY HOT!!!!" I sincerely hope not, but that may be the case.
In the hope that at least some people are interested in trying to write better erotic poetry, I'd like to once again try and discuss the subject. Among other things, I'd like to talk about what kinds of things you find erotic in poems, about what the term "erotic poem" means to you (e.g., is an erotic poem simply a poem about sex or is it a poem that is sexually arousing?) and, particularly, try and discuss examples of what you think of as good erotic poetry.
To start, cite an example of a poem you consider to be a good example of erotic poetry. Tell us why you think the poem is erotic and how the workings of the poem make it so. The example can be from non-Lit poets (my first example is going to be a poem by Dorianne Laux, for example), or from a poem posted here at Lit. If it's a Lit poem, please only quote short excerpts in your post and link to the complete poem so that the poet can delete the Lit poem if they want to without leaving another copy of it on site. If you quote a non-Lit poem, please cite the author and source.
That's it for now. I'll be back to talk about Ms. Laux.
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