Help needed for story (references)

[ProfessorA]

I am writing a story that involves sex passages from classical literature (works that might be read in a college literature class). Any tips, thoughts, references, citations, or quotes from such authors/books would be greatly appreciated... Anything from Bronte to the Bible, Lolita etc.. I would have thought that such a compilation would be easily found on the internet, but have been unable to find anything of the sort. Thanks everyone!

 

[MaeveoSliabh]

An easy one from the bible is the Song of Songs. But everybody knows that.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

What kind of "sex passages"? Graphic descriptions of sex, or just mentions of sex? There's plenty of incest in the OT, homosexuality in the story of Sodom, supposed masturbation in the story of Onan, rape, you name it.

In English lit there's a smattering of sex in Chaucer, a ton of sex in Shakespeare and a lot in Spenser too (a lot of rape in The Faerie Queen). Coleridge's epic poem Christabel is shockingly enough about a lesbian vampire. If the professor were progressive he might even have them read some Sade to see what the dark side of the romantic movement was about. Of course, that's not English Lit.

You're not going to find much overt sexuality in English Lit once you leave the Elizabethan/Renaissance period though, not until you hit the modern era and D.H. Lawrence. Sexual organs were banned from the time of Cromwell up through the Victorian era.

 

[oggbashan]

Here are three books:

Alan Bold: Mounts of Venus: Picador Book of Erotic Prose
Derek Parker (editor) An Anthology of Erotic Prose
Phillipe Cousin: (ABC) The Most Beautiful Lines in Erotic Literature

All of these and more should be available from abebooks.com - search for "erotic prose" or "erotic literature".

Og

 

[LoquaciousLady]

Don't forget "The Goblin Market" by Christina Rosetti, "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger, Bram Stoker's "Dracula", and Grace Metalious's "Peyton Place."

 

[christabelll]

.

Coleridge's epic poem Christabel is shockingly enough about a lesbian vampire.

QUOTE]

What? Sorry that was an Eye Popper! I'll have to go look at it now...

 

[dr_mabeuse]

.

Coleridge's epic poem Christabel is shockingly enough about a lesbian vampire.

QUOTE]

What? Sorry that was an Eye Popper! I'll have to go look at it now...

Didn't you know, love? I thought that was how you chose your name! It's a very famous and problematic poem, and even Coleridge himself tried to apologize for it and tack on some mealy-mouthed semi-Christian ending, but the thing's about as pagan and perverse as things got in those days.

Supposedly when Shelley heard some lines from the poem he swooned, and there's been great mystery about what Geraldine the vampire shows Christabel when she exposes her bosom. The literary rumor is that she has eyeballs where her nipples should be, and that's what Shelley dreamt about his mistress after he heard the lines.

 

[christabelll]

Didn't you know, love? I thought that was how you chose your name! It's a very famous and problematic poem, and even Coleridge himself tried to apologize for it and tack on some mealy-mouthed semi-Christian ending, but the thing's about as pagan and perverse as things got in those days.

Nope I did numerology for my "name" so to speak LOL

I used to collect turn of the century erotica - then my collection along with all of my other collections were stolen. Literally stolen out from under me... I rather gave up on collecting anything after that.....

And me be paganesque LOL... so now I really have to go find it LOL

 

[dr_mabeuse]

Nope I did numerology for my "name" so to speak LOL

I used to collect turn of the century erotica - then my collection along with all of my other collections were stolen. Literally stolen out from under me... I rather gave up on collecting anything after that.....

And me be paganesque LOL... so now I really have to go find it LOL

Here it is. It's long though. Geraldine's the vampire. Christabel's seduced about a third of the way down.

http://etext.virginia.edu/stc/Coleridge/poems/Christabel.html#305

Here's a taste:

Beneath the lamp the lady bowed,
And slowly rolled her eyes around ;
Then drawing in her breath aloud,
Like one that shuddered, she unbound
The cincture from beneath her breast :
Her silken robe, and inner vest,
Dropt to her feet, and full in view,
Behold ! her bosom, and half her side-- --
A sight to dream of, not to tell !
O shield her ! shield sweet Christabel !

Yet Geraldine nor speaks nor stirs ;
Ah ! what a stricken look was hers !
Deep from within she seems half-way
To lift some weight with sick assay,
And eyes the maid and seeks delay ;
Then suddenly as one defied
Collects herself in scorn and pride,
And lay down by the Maiden's side !--
And in her arms the maid she took,

etc...

 

[christabelll]

OOOOOhhhh I like... now I seriously have to go find the whole damned thing....

Thank you for sharing that!

 

[Guest]

Ovid has taught me...


Maharat

 

[R. Richard]

Try the Decameron.

 

[Oblimo]

Keat's Lamia:

Let the mad poets say whate’er they please
Of the sweets of Fairies, Peris, Goddesses,
There is not such a treat among them all,
Haunters of cavern, lake, and waterfall,
As a real woman, lineal indeed
From Pyrrha’s pebbles or old Adam’s seed.

amen.

...

(And then there's always the Epic of Gilgamesh, which starts with a week-long fuck-a-thon:

Then he, Enkidu, offspring of the mountains,
who eats grasses with the gazelles,
came to drink at the watering hole with the animals,
with the wild beasts he slaked his thirst with water.
Then Shamhat saw him--a primitive,
a savage fellow from the depths of the wilderness!
"That is he, Shamhat! Release your clenched arms,
expose your sex so he can take in your voluptuousness.
Do not be restrained--take his energy!
When he sees you he will draw near to you.
Spread out your robe so he can lie upon you,
and perform for this primitive the task of womankind!
His animals, who grew up in his wilderness, will become alien to him,
and his lust will groan over you."
Shamhat unclutched her bosom, exposed her sex, and he took in her voluptuousness.
She was not restrained, but took his energy.
She spread out her robe and he lay upon her,
she performed for the primitive the task of womankind.
His lust groaned over her;
for six days and seven nights Enkidu stayed aroused,
and had intercourse with the harlot
until he was sated with her charms.

But it's not quite as Romantic. )

 

[ProfessorA]

Thanks all, it looks like I have some reading to do... Specifically, I was looking for passages that could be used by a woman to seduce a man. Sounds like the romantics are really the place to be. Funny thing is, I am sure that I have read a fair portion of this stuff, but to remember specifically where to go back to is not as easy for me as I would like. If any other specific things occur to you, let me know-- y'all have been so helpful!

 

[fifty5]

Damn my memory - can't recall the reference at all, but maybe someone else can add chapter and verse...

There was this old testament guy who got visited by some 'high ups'. But the ruddy hoi poloi gathered round and made a din. The guy didn't like that, so sent his virgin daughters out to distract the crowd and keep them quiet.

"And as they did, so will I" might be words in your character's voice...

 

[LoquaciousLady]

Damn my memory - can't recall the reference at all, but maybe someone else can add chapter and verse...

There was this old testament guy who got visited by some 'high ups'. But the ruddy hoi poloi gathered round and made a din. The guy didn't like that, so sent his virgin daughters out to distract the crowd and keep them quiet.

"And as they did, so will I" might be words in your character's voice...

I believe, darling, that you're recalling Sodom and Gomorrah. Check your family Bible around Genesis 19 for the details.