Literature
Thesis Statement: Sex without love means making the biggest mistake in life since sex is a sacred act which is to be shared only by two people who have strong feelings for each other.
The poem of Olds “Sex without Love” is a reminder for the audience to have sex only to people you love. Olds wants to impart the message to the audience to remain ethical when it comes to having sexual intercourse with a partner and not use the act of sex merely for pleasure. The tone of the author expresses resentment over people who no longer know the true value of sex. The first line of the poem indicates that author is wondering how some people engage in sexual intercourse even if there is no love involved. The author poses this question because she wanted to highlight on how the modern society had become promiscuous in terms of giving in to physical pleasures without contemplating the consequences of their actions. Engaging in sexual intercourse is common especially for young adolescents who no longer know the value of loyalty to only one partner. For those who belong to the religious community, they preserve their virginity only for their husbands or wives. However, for those who only seek pleasure and corporal sensation, they do not give importance to the concept of loyalty, faithfulness and fear of God. The author’s attitude towards casual sex is admonition. She strongly disapproves people who engage in sex without seeing the true meaning of the act which must only be shared by two individuals who are in love with each other.
Careful analysis of this line will mean that ice skaters perform the act of dancing on ice to signify fake happiness and beauty. The dance number performed by the ice skaters represents the sexual act which they do for fun, and ice symbolizes that these people are cold-hearted and impersonal. In the line “These are the true religious, the purists, the ones who will not accept a false Messiah” (Olds 19) means that they do not fear God even if what they do is immoral. Having sex or carnal knowledge with different partners, other than the husband or the wife is a sin. Here, the author questions how these people deal with sex without love. The central theme of this poem is that there are some people have the ability to separate themselves from the spiritual and corporeal aspect of their lives. These people like to play with fire, by engaging in sex and not allowing themselves to be trapped in love. Some couples these days no longer value loyalty and commitment by maintain relationships with no strings attached.
Olds stressed that these people will not accept a “false Messiah and love the priest and not God” (Olds 19). This line is an indication that some people give in to their earthly desires by wanting to the feel the euphoria of sex with no feelings involved. Since the conventional people regard their bodies as the temples of God, they do not allow immorality to rule their lives. This is common in among young people who engage in premarital sex even they are still minors. They have become liberated and engage in sex even before marriage without committing themselves to their partners. This modern outlook is condemned by the religious sector just as the author defies sex for pleasure.
Finally, the author presents the audience with a metaphor of a great runner. Such metaphor is ironic since most runners are respected because they are disciplined by being healthy and fit. The physical benefits lead to the idea that sex without love is just a matter of physical attraction. In the end, people who engage in sex without love are hooked in the mechanical behavior of the great runners who constantly train, but sometimes having no goal in mind. Olds message tells that audience that sex should be sacred and not to be abused only for pleasure of the body. The use of irony gives the audience the images of the lovers who do not know that real meaning of love and passion. Based on the sentiments expressed by the author, we can infer that her relationship is monogamous in nature by explaining the value of engaging sex purely out of love. She considers sex or love making as an important aspect of every relationship and to be shared only by two people who are deeply in love with each other.
Works Cited
Olds, S. (2005). Sex without Love. New York: Oxford.
