Anactoria, Part I

[kanij87]

Terrific reading, and good to see I am not the only still reading Swinburne. Interesting choice of poem too. I quite like it, though as one critic wrote, there is also something "absurd" in Swinburne's "notion of lesbianism, compounded of equal parts of sadomasochism, violent rhetorical attack, cannibalism, games of domination, sentimentality, devil worship, infantile orality, and the promiscuous coupling of identical unities of sound".

[phaedress]

"sweetness well beyond the edible stage" is a good way to put it.

Decadence of times past (be it one's own youth or the bored leisure class of yore) titilates but does not satisfy.

I do so enjoy your reading....on to part II

[killerclair]

you read beautifully.

[DClaudeKatz]

Thank you.

I read a word wrong in one or two places, but fortunately this poem is not very well known, so it's unlikely that anyone will catch me ;)

[gandersourcefilms]

"...as wise as heaven and crueler than hell."

thank you!