He came to read; two or three booksare lying open: history and poetry. But after just ten minutes of readinghe lets them drop. There on the sofahe falls asleep. He truly is devoted to reading-but he is twenty-three years old, and very handsome. And just this afternoon, Eros surged within his perfect limbs and on his lips. Into his beautiful flesh came the heat of passion, and there was no foolish embarrassment about the form that pleasure took.C.P Cavafy
About This Quote
The story of the young man who was reading, falls asleep on the couch reading, and his lover comes and takes him. The first and most important thing to note is that this young man falls asleep on the couch reading history and poetry. He is not reading a novel or a romance, he is not even reading a book about sex! He is just lying down and catching a little nap. He is lying down as if he were sleeping, as if he were sleeping with someone as beautiful as the woman described in the poem.
So beautiful that she came into his innermost being and made him feel passionate. This young man’s response to her beauty is an example of the power of Eros.
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