avatarDaniel Lee

Summary

The web content discusses the concept of pleasure and the opposing viewpoints on the nature and experience of enjoyment.

Abstract

The text presents a reflection on two distinct notions of pleasure, highlighting the juxtaposition between safety and freedom in the experience of enjoyment. The author contemplates the constraints of constructing a fortress of rules to encase one's enjoyment of life, as opposed to the unpredictable, free-flowing pleasure that can catch one off guard. An anecdote from the south coast, reminiscing about joyous times shared with others over drinks, contrasts with a subsequent feeling of melancholy and abandonment by Eros, the god of love. The narrative includes a critique of the French, suggesting a superficiality in their romantic affairs, while the author laments a personal lack of excitement or anticipation in their current life. The content is interwoven with artistic imagery, personal sentiments, and cultural observations, ultimately suggesting a personal or societal disillusionment with the genuine experience of pleasure.

Opinions

  • The author implies that the finest pleasure comes from a place of freedom rather than following prescribed rules.
  • The text suggests that seeking refuge in the security of a constructed safe place is less fulfilling than embracing spontaneous or unbounded joy.
  • There is an expressed admiration for the past experiences of unbridled pleasure, such as those at the south coast, indicating a nostalgia for times when happiness seemed more attainable.
  • The author expresses a sense of disenchantment or disconnection from the passion and excitement that once characterized their interactions and relationships, particularly when contrasted with the vibrant, yet perhaps superficial, romantic affairs of the French.
  • The presence of cultural critique is evident, particularly in the discussion of societal norms and values surrounding pleasure, love, and relationships, as exemplified by the French cultural approach.
  • There is a suggestion that the author's current perspective on pleasure lacks vitality and is marked by a sense of absence, possibly due to a departure from the genuine essence of Eros and its associated passions.

I Think You Are Wrong

Pleasure poured out of foxholes and overran our defenses

photo by author (de Young Sculpture Garden)

There are two pleasures. One is the foregoing of the other. No pleasure’s so fine as when the beat and melody dance. You think there are rules and that we can construct a safe place in them like children who make a fort out of the couch cushions. Slim chance.

You close like a flower when darkness comes. I am the rising moon. I have a painting of a blue man with a blue guitar. I know the south coast. Yassas we’d shout, and bang the glass. The holy ghost danced round the room. I’ve been gloomy. Eros used to mediate and now he’s abandoned his post.

I think you are wrong. You disagree. You think oui oui is. Damn the French. They value their scandalous affairs. They refine them with poetry and wine in the gardens of a facile á vivre mind. No excitation comes now when I think of you. No anticipation.

Shadowgnosis

Adelia Ritchie

Lovestory
Affairs
Poetry
Life
Love
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