“Sex Without Love,” by Sharon Olds passionately describes the authorsdisgust for casual sex. She vividly animates the immortality of lustful sexthrough her language variety.
Olds clever use of imagery makes this poem cometo life. Olds frequently uses similes to make the audience imagine actualevents. For example, Olds describes making love as “Beautiful as dancers. “(Line #2) In this line, she questions how one can do such a beautiful act with aperson whom one is not in love with. Olds also describes sex as “gliding overeach other like ice skaters over the ice.
“(Line #3,4) She is referring to sexas a performance. Imagine an ice skating performance. Each ice skater isperforming for judges and an audience to win an award. Olds uses this simile torelate people performing for one another. When two people truly are in love,there is no need for any special show or performance.
Another simile the authoruses is “As wet as the children at birth whose mothers are going to give themaway,” (line #6,7,8) to simulate a sweaty lovemaking scene. The simile”light rising slowly as steam off their joined skin” (line #11,12,13) canalso be used to perceive the same image of a hot, sweaty, and passionate lovemaking scene. The author repeatedly questions how two people who are not in lovecan perform such a spiritual act. The simile “As wet as the children at birthwhose mothers are going to give them away,” can also be used to represent theoutcome of lustful copulation. When two people engage in sexual activities, alarge percent of the mothers choose to ignore the outcome and either abort orgive their children up for adoption.
Olds compares the lovers with “greatrunners. ” (Line #18) In this simile, she implies that lovers are alone withtheir own pleasures. Olds questions this selfishness throughout the poem. Howcan two people be alone in pleasure, when sex is supposed to be both physicallyand emotionally shared between lovers? Olds uses hyperbole to describe herbelief that sex and God are entwined. “These are the true religions, thepriest, the pros, the one who will not accept a false Messiah, love the priestinstead of the God.
” (Lines #13-17) In these lines she says that sex is morethan pleasure, and if one is merely using sex for pleasure they are accepting afalse God. She describes people as hypocrites who claim to love the lord, yetengage in immoral sex. In the lines, “come to the come to the come to the Godcome to the still waters, and not love the one they came there with,” (lines#8-11) Olds describes two people climaxing. Olds perceives sex as spiritual, andwonders how people can bring a person with whom they are not in love with beforeGod.
Olds uses hyperbole to share her disgust of casual sex with her audience. In conclusion, Olds clearly despises people who engage in sex without being inlove. She is able to emphasize her view in a tasteful manner by using imagerythroughout her poem. Olds is able to express her disgust by using imagery toportray her objection to casual sex.
