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But the act, called the sexual act, is not for the depositing of seed. It is for leaping off into the unknown, as from a cliff's edge, like Sappho into the sea.
D. H. Lawrence
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The sexual act transcends mere reproduction, embodying a deeper exploration of intimacy and connection.

D. H. Lawrence's quote emphasizes that the sexual act is not solely about procreation but rather a profound leap into emotional and experiential depths. It suggests that intimacy should be viewed as an adventure into the unknown, highlighting the transformative and expressive nature of physical love, akin to Sappho's passionate dive into the sea, which represents a plunge into the depths of human experience and connection.

Themes

LoveIntimacyExplorationConnectionUnknown

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion about relationships, this quote highlights the emotional significance of intimacy.

More from D. H. Lawrence

God how I hate new countries: They are older than the old, more sophisticated, much more conceited, only young in a certain puerile vanity more like senility than anything.
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And besides, look at elder flowers and bluebells-they are a sign that pure creation takes place - even the butterfly. But humanity never gets beyond the caterpillar stage -it rots in the chrysalis, it never will have wings.It is anti-creation, like monkeys and baboons.
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The Christian fear of the pagan outlook has damaged the whole consciousness of man.
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The cosmos is a vast living body, of which we are still parts. The sun is a great heart whose tremors run through our smallest veins. The moon is a great nerve center from which we quiver forever. Who knows the power that Saturn has over us, or Venus? But it is a vital power, rippling exquisitely through us all the time.
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... he preferred his own madness, to the regular sanity. He rejoiced in his own madness, he was free. He did not want that old sanity of the world, which was become so repulsive. He rejoiced in the new-found world of his madness. It was so fresh and delicate and so satisfying.
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