The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-05-20
KISSING LITERATURE,

Considering what slender themes have
served to fill big books, it is remarkable that
the literature of kissing should be ex-
tremely meagre. Three or four brief essays
in prose; a dozen short poems mostly in
Latin and French; and thousand epigrams
(more or less )-these are about all that have
been written on one of the most piquant, if
not the profoundest, of topics. In Hebrew
literature the ''Song of Solomon" contains, it
is said, the most and the best to be found on
the subject of kissing. The Greek poets,
with one or two exceptions, make little men,
tion of it, save as an act of reverence. Sap
pho, who may be supposed to have known
something of the matter, does not appear
Judging by the fragments of her writings
which remain-to have thought the topic
worthy of her muse. Theocrtus clearly
knew the value of kiss, as demonstration
of affection Very prettily, but with singu-
lar moderation of feeling and diction, he says
to beautiful lady friend:-
81 would have been contented
With kiss OF your sweet mouth"
Plato, philosopher as he was, seems to have
been vastly more enthusiastic. In his elegant
versicle entitled ''The Kiss, he declares that
on certain occasion his soul quite deserted
his body, being literally lost in smack-ike
a shipwrecked fisherman With commenda-
BILE reticence, he does not mention the lady's
name, after the manner of later poets, who
kiss and tell with shameful freedom of
speech-provided, indeed, their Lydjas and
Lalages are not mere pseudonymes
OF the Roman bards, it is notable that
Horace makes little of kissing in his litera-
ture, whatever he may have done in his life.
Perhaps he was warned off the premises by
the wonderful success of Catullus in his
famous ode to LeS6tG-a poem altogether
unrivalled in its way, and leaving to later
poets noting bat to vie with each other in
attempting to initiate or translate it. 'Do
you ask, LeS6iG, sings Catullus, "how many
kissings of thine can be enough {.
AS many as are the sands of the African
DESERT or as many as are the stars that be-
hold the secret loves of mortals when night
is STILL" By-the-by, one of the finest of
American scholars, commenting on this pas
sage, calls attention to the poets felictous
use of the word ''kissings" (bdSGtiOneS), which
he employs instead of 'kisses" (6aSia), with
fine effect of multiplication. A French
poet, however, has improved on the mode of
computation which Catullus gives in his
''6GSia mile, etc.," by single ingenious
phrase which extends the luxury Gd inJint-
tum! In poem by Victor Hugo it is said of
two lovers,
"qn S1!. s'emnrasse .anoraSs chaque instant
kissing ''every moment and then again ~
| is an expression which reminds one of
''Three cheers and tiger !" only it is good
deal more multitudinous, and suggests, in
deed, what the mathematicians call an infni-
| tesimal series.
Perhaps the finest description of kissing
bout is the one contained in his poem to
"Acme, by Caius Valerius. OF many Eng
lish versions of the immortal ode to 'Lesbia, y
above mentioned, the best is in the form of
an imitation-it is much too free to be called
translation-by Sir Hanbury Williams. We
quote the better part of it,
''COme, Chloe land give me sweet kisses
(For sweeter, sure, girl never gaye);
But why, in the midst OF our blisses,
| Do you ask me how many crave?
I'm not to be stinted in pleasure,
SO, prlthee, my charmer be kind;
For since love thee beyond measure,
To numbers Ill neer be confined
Count the herds that DER Tempe are straying;
The MOWERS that enamel its nelds;
The grain that rich Sicily yields;
Go, number the stars in the heaven,
Co. count all the sands on the shore;
When so many kisses you've given,
still shall be crav ing for more ="
Among British bards, Burns and Moore
like all the amatory poets, made frequent
allusion to kissing; but neither they, nor any
of the modern lights of lovs-literature (witt
two notable exceptions), have devoted specia
poems to the subject. Browning has giyer
us remarkably dainty bit of verse, telling
in how many ways he would choose to b'
klsSed ana MS more giISu WIe IN ner cnarm
ing sonnet, commencing ''First Time h,
kissed Me" has shown how capable them
it is, for beauty and tenderness, in the hand
of genius.
OF American poems about kissing, SAKE
''Ode to Lesbis" is the only one we remem
ber, with the exception of an epigram entitle,
''Lip-Service," with a cGfE. of which we vii
conclude this article:- 4,
: "Julia once and once again,
IN coquettish fashion,
! Needless OF her lovers pam,
MOcSed his burning passion: -
words OF worship lightly fall
o From a cOnrter surely;
4 Mele Zip service" that is ALL
I. Said the maid, demurelY.
u Then his kisses fell like dew,
just where Love would choose 'eIn,
on her mOuth-and through and through
Thrilled her glowing bosom,
Til she felt-nOr uttered she
. Whisper of negatiOn-
Mere lip-sefVice' still may be
, Perfect adoration!"