The words demand attention. A visual image immediately pops into your head. You can t help it. Also, words like parting flesh tend to give you a good visual depiction of what s going on here. It s graphic, and that is exactly the point.
Sex is graphic.
It s not all romance, candlelight and wispy curtains blowing in the breeze while a violin soloist plays in the background. Another great thing about the language in this poem is that it reads like sex. The form of the poem breaks it apart at exactly the wrong time. It s teasing you. Look at the first line and read it aloud.