The Qualities of Sex

“I, Being Born a Woman and Distressed” by Edna St. Vincent Millay, “To His Coy Mistress” by Andrew Marvell, and “The Gilded Six-Bits” by Zora Neale Hurston all speak of the impermanence of sex. The perspective of all three of these works are very different; one is written in the eyes of a woman, another in the eyes of a wanting man, and the other in a somewhat neutral fashion. Despite this, they all recognize that sex is extremely luring and satisfying but also agree on it being short-lived.
In To His Coy Mistress, the narrator of the poem confesses his love for his mistress and then proceeds to ask her to have sex with him. His rational for this is that even though their love will last forever, their ability to consummate when “Time’s winged chariot” (Marvell line 22) arrives. The narrator is basically begging his mistress to have sex with him before time runs out on them both.
I, Being Born a Woman and Distressed offers a different point of view on sex but with the same underlying theme of its imperishableness. Written from a woman’s standpoint, this poem has a very different approach towards sex. The narrator takes a very positive but casual standpoint towards sex, stating that it is “insufficient reason for conversation when we meet again” (Millay line 14). The narrator expresses no regret or embarrassment about being so casual about sex. It seems that she finds no shame in the pleasure and excitement found in sexual intercourse, nor does she think that any strings are attached.
The Gilded Six-Bits is a very realistic story about two people whose relationship is disrupted when Missy May cheats on her partner Joe. Missy May’s disloyalty was caused by a newcomer to the town, Slemmons, attracted her with his extreme wealth and flashiness. One day Joe catches Missy May sleeping with Slemmons. Missy May spent the next days realizing that she may have ruined her relationship with Joe, which was filled with love and was a very legitimate relationship, all for short-lived sexual relations. As it turns out, Joe takes her back and their relationship blossoms with the birth of their first child. Missy May’s relationship with Slemmons counteracts the casual nature of sex expressed in Millay’s poem, but continues the theme that sexual relations are usually short lived while love prospers on.
All of these works are clearly about sex and different perceptions of sex. in some cases, sex can put an exclamation point on a relationship and in others it can be a casual event with no strings attached. However, sex can also have negative side-effects like ruining a relationship. Sex’s lure can cause many bad decisions and causes many people to act irrationally simply for the temporary pleasures it omits.