Though not an attempt to author a provocative post not dissimilar to a harlequin romance, this section of my blog is indeed very sexual in nature. I read today Michael Pollan's article Into The Rose Garden and now am very aware that sexual imagery long preceded the advent of television, dvd's and skin mags. The flower pictured in this post is called Maiden's Blush, a sweet and innocent sounding name that conjures up images of a giggly 12 or 13 year old girl playfully skipping through the meadow, much like Laura Ingalls Wilder. The name, though, is much racier. Consider the French name, Cuisse de Nymphe Emue, which English translation I've chosen as the title of the post: "the thigh of an aroused nymph". Pollan, in his inimitable style, paints quite an arousing picture of the procuring, planting and cultivation of roses in general, referencing this particular alba on a few occasions. As I read through this piece I recalled how even Dan Brown pointed out the likeness of a rose to female anatomy in his wildly popular The Da Vinci Code. He was, of course, deep into describing "the sacred feminine" and therefore all too eager to point out anything that promoted looking at the fairer sex with a profound admiration, mixed with a slight blushing. As a self-described lover of the female form, appreciative of the most splendid artistic beauty the Creator has placed in front of us, I'm overjoyed (shall I even say enthralled?) by the description Pollan makes of a rose bed. This place now sounds arousing and lustful, if not a little mystical. Perhaps I'll have to focus more intently on the blossoming of the rose in the coming months, and allow the age-old fascination of feminine beauty to transport me beyond just the sights and smells of a flower.
Monday, March 05, 2007
The Thigh Of An Aroused Nymph
Though not an attempt to author a provocative post not dissimilar to a harlequin romance, this section of my blog is indeed very sexual in nature. I read today Michael Pollan's article Into The Rose Garden and now am very aware that sexual imagery long preceded the advent of television, dvd's and skin mags. The flower pictured in this post is called Maiden's Blush, a sweet and innocent sounding name that conjures up images of a giggly 12 or 13 year old girl playfully skipping through the meadow, much like Laura Ingalls Wilder. The name, though, is much racier. Consider the French name, Cuisse de Nymphe Emue, which English translation I've chosen as the title of the post: "the thigh of an aroused nymph". Pollan, in his inimitable style, paints quite an arousing picture of the procuring, planting and cultivation of roses in general, referencing this particular alba on a few occasions. As I read through this piece I recalled how even Dan Brown pointed out the likeness of a rose to female anatomy in his wildly popular The Da Vinci Code. He was, of course, deep into describing "the sacred feminine" and therefore all too eager to point out anything that promoted looking at the fairer sex with a profound admiration, mixed with a slight blushing. As a self-described lover of the female form, appreciative of the most splendid artistic beauty the Creator has placed in front of us, I'm overjoyed (shall I even say enthralled?) by the description Pollan makes of a rose bed. This place now sounds arousing and lustful, if not a little mystical. Perhaps I'll have to focus more intently on the blossoming of the rose in the coming months, and allow the age-old fascination of feminine beauty to transport me beyond just the sights and smells of a flower.
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4 comments:
If I recall correctly, I believe I read in Bryson's A Short History that such racy naming of flora and fauna has been pretty common in the past few hundred years. If I remember I'll look up that section when I get home tonight.
Yeah, let me know, but that appears to be the fact according to Pollan and others. I've read frequently of the rose in particular being named with sexual connotations, but do let me know if Bryson mentions such about other popular flora. Fauna? What creatures have been so named?
Have you never heard of the woodcock?
I guess I hadn't, but according to Wikipedia they are characterized by their long slender bill. So what are you saying?
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