I think Donne's pome might actually have been about sex, though. I'm
not convinced that Marvell's really is - you could argue that the
seduction scenario is just the MacGuffin for an exercise in
metaphysical brow-beating - although that bit about tearing one's
pleasures with rough strife through the iron gates of life brings to
mind the old condom vending machine graffito (modified): if this is
sex, it sounds extremely painful.
Dominic
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