felis_ultharus: The Pardoner from the Canterbury Tales (Default)
felis_ultharus ([personal profile] felis_ultharus) wrote2007-10-12 12:20 pm

I love that this is standard reading in many American high schools

Come; let us squeeze hands all around; nay, let us all squeeze ourselves into each other; let us squeeze ourselves universally into the very milk and sperm of kindness.

Would that I could keep squeezing that sperm forever!

------ Moby Dick by Herman Melville, Chapter 94
The "sperm" here is the spermaceti oil of the Sperm Whale. I'd say the mind-in-the-gutter interpretation was unintentional, but having read "Billy Budd" -- Melville's short story about homosexuality -- and since the guy speaking here describes himself as married to another man, I know Melville wasn't quite that naive.

On that note I am finally reading Moby Dick, whose second half I skimmed for my exam, but didn't read carefully.

[identity profile] teecs.livejournal.com 2007-10-17 02:30 am (UTC)(link)
You are hilarious.
I haven't been around in awhile, hope all is well with you...

[identity profile] felis-ultharus.livejournal.com 2007-10-17 04:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Everything's going great ^_^

I'm glad you're doing well, as well.