One may perceive eros as sexual, and it very well may be. However, eros is a specific action or state of being—that of desiring, of lack. Anne Carson states in her tome, Eros the Bittersweet:
. . . The Greek word eros denotes ‘want,’ ‘lack,’ ‘desire for that which is missing.’ The lover wants what he does not have. It is by definition impossible for him to have what he wants if, as soon as it is had, it is no longer wanting.
Therefore, eros cannot be the act of sex. Eros may lead to it, but that moment of occurrence is where eros ends. Confusion may arise between eros and lust, which is more of an interest in one’s own sexual pleasure—fulfillment. Rather, eros should be approached as wanting, a desire that I think is often fueled by imagination.
Another line of Carson’s that is poignant: “Eros is a verb.”
Elisa
Passing time caring for critters.
Creating while they nap.
Passing time caring for critters.
Creating while they nap.
