poetry texts, poem archive at plagiarist.com

I also thought that the trembling at the end was from orgasm, and I'm a girl, so I don't think that its necessarily a gender difference. The diction seems to imply that they orgasmed at the same time but the speaker is focusing on her reaction to the encounter. It is also possible that the woman isn't losing her virginity in the poem, this is just her first sexual encounter with the speaker, and they have to get used to each other in bed. The one thing that I don't like so much is the equation of a woman with a machine. At the risk of sounding like a feminist, it is objectifying, which is perhaps what cummings intended all along.

i reallyliked this poem because its true girls/women tremble after having sex for the first time. They're in pain and can't believe that the day has finally come...It's a big thing for women!

In this poem, women are not seen as objects. The speaker in the poem is "careful of her" and then explains how he has prepared for this moment. I agree with the guys (and I am female), the end isn't disappointing, the woman isn't freaked out that she has lost her virginity or might be pregnant. But it's not exactly the after effects of an orgasm either. It's a feeling of accomplishment accompanied by euphoria. They are both at a physical standstill after such an active ordeal! In my mind, they are both virgins! The speaker isn't sure of what he is doing, which is why he has to reverse and start in neutral again. One last thing about cars, men love their cars, men KNOW cars. The car metaphor is a compliment to women.

you guys are surprisingly dumb. and amazingly sex obsessed. Cummings was not talking about sex (as the main issue anyway) but instead was exploring the consumerism that came hand in hand with confority that cummings was so against. She being brand new is not about the concequences of sex for women (honestly did feminism ever happen for you guys?) but about the consuming of material goods to be replacing the natural pleasure of sex.

I'm female and when I first read this poem I totally thought that the trembling/dead stop at the end was implying that she was also coming down from an orgasm and enjoyed the experience.

But then again, my frist time was amazing, so maybe it just depends...