Poetry of Desire: Exploring Sensuality and Passion

Poetry has long been a medium through which artists express their deepest emotions and desires. From love and heartbreak to longing and passion, poets have explored various facets of the human experience. Among these emotions, the desire for someone sexually has been a subject that both intrigues and challenges poets. In this article, we will delve into the realm of sensuality and explore a selection of remarkable poems that capture the intensity of wanting someone intimately.

1. "The Wanting" by Mark Strand

The Wanting
It is not the thing we love
that keeps us from loving,
but the wanting of it
and for that
we need time.

This short, poignant poem by Mark Strand encapsulates the inherent struggle between desire and fulfillment. The poet suggests that it is not the object of our desire that hinders love, but rather the longing for it. The yearning for someone sexually can consume our thoughts, often overshadowing the genuine affection that should accompany it.

2. "The Sensual World" by Margaret Atwood

The Sensual World
I would like to be the air
that inhabits you for a moment
only. I would like to be that unnoticed
& that necessary.

Margaret Atwood's evocative poem, "The Sensual World," offers a glimpse into the intensity of desire. With vivid imagery, the poet expresses a longing to become an integral part of the desired person's existence, even if only for a fleeting moment. The poem captures the essence of desire, where one seeks to merge their own being with another, becoming both unnoticed and indispensable simultaneously.

3. "Want" by Joan Larkin

Want
all my life I have wanted you
to fuck me

Joan Larkin's poem, aptly titled "Want," strips away any semblance of subtlety, leaving behind the raw essence of desire. This minimalist poem confronts the reader head-on with the poet's unfiltered yearning for sexual connection. In its simplicity, "Want" encapsulates the intensity and urgency of wanting someone sexually, leaving nothing to the imagination.

4. "A Dream Within a Dream" by Edgar Allan Poe

A Dream Within a Dream
I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand—
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep—while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?

While not explicitly about sexual desire, Edgar Allan Poe's "A Dream Within a Dream" conveys a sense of longing and the ephemeral nature of desire. The poem explores the fleeting nature of time and our inability to hold onto what we desire most. In the context of wanting someone sexually, one can interpret the poem as a reflection on the transitory nature of physical intimacy and the struggle to maintain a hold on desire.

The poems discussed above provide glimpses into the complex terrain of sexual desire. From the subtle and nuanced to the explicit and raw, these poets capture the intensity, urgency, and longing that arise when wanting someone sexually. Through their words, they invite readers to explore the depths of their own desires and reflect on the intricate emotions that accompany them. In the realm of poetry, desire finds a voice, giving expression to a fundamental aspect of the human experience.