Herrick's Julia by Helen Bevington (read by Tom O'Bedlam)

Several of Helen Bevington's books are available - from Amazon, for instance. I can't find a picture of her. Appreciation will depend upon you knowing the works of Robert Herrick (1591-1674) and you'll find everything you need to know about him here:
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/robert-herrick
http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/herrick/herribib.htm

There's a point to the poem that's worth exploring. It is the difference between sexual attraction in men and women. Men are excited by body parts and small instantaneous reminders of women's sexual attributes, such as details of dress and habit. This was kindled by what they saw in puberty, On the other hand, girls' daydreams are more about the development of situations and emotional circumstances.

Male desire becomes immediate, hard to hide and urgent, whereas women's desire is slower to develop, more secretive and more deliberate. Mating instincts don't always work as they should, it's a subject it ought to be covered in the educational curriculum. There's a certain frustrating experience that happens occasionally when you're an older man: a girl you knew once when she was young and pretty, one who seemed beyond your reach, says to you something like, "Where were you when I was so besotted with you...". Which serves you right for your lack of obervation and sensitivity. If you're a younger man, pay more attention to women and think less about what you want. It's no use waiting for wisdom, it always turns up too late for the party.

Incomplete pictures of women by :
Lord Frederick Leighton (1830-1896)
Guido Reni (1575-1642)
François Boucher (1703- 1770)
Jean-Baptiste Marie Pierre (1714-1789)
Santerre,Jean-Baptiste (1658 -1717)

Woman on a Black Divan by Jean-Jacques Henner (1829 -1905)

Whenas in perfume Julia went,
Then, then, how sweet was the intent
Of that inexorable scent.

Her very shadow walked in myrrh
And smelled (itself) of pomander
And Herrick could but covet her.

The sight of Julia's dainty limb
Recalled a smooth white egg to him.
And when he saw a smooth white egg,
I guess he thought of Julia's leg.
All that was fair, all that was neat
Did Herrick love: her silvery feet,
Her golden head, her double chin.
(Conceive the dither he was in.)

There were the riband on her throat,
Her silken air, her petticoat,
The soft pretension of her dress
To kindle in him lovingness.
They took his homage and his heart.
So, too, did every other part:
Her breasts, her eager lips, her hair.
I think she pleased him everywhere.

Then for his subjugation, ah,
There was the total Julia.

Видео Herrick's Julia by Helen Bevington (read by Tom O'Bedlam) канала SpokenVerse