MaggieKaetzel

DoctorGray
MH247
ArticleReview
SpeakingofSex:MetaphorandPerformanceintheItalianMadrigal
InherArticle,SpeakingofSex:MetaphorandPerformanceintheItalianMadrigal,
LauraMacypresentsideasabouttherelationshipbetweenItalianMadrigalsandsexual
intercourse.Macystartsbyaddressingthereasoningbehindsexandwhatisthoughttobe
happeningaccordingtoGalen.Afterestablishingafirmbackgroundthatsupportsherlater
points,Macythendescribeshowmusicwasportrayedduringthetimeperiod.Sheprovides
ideasregardinghowthetextofaMadrigalisdirectlyrelatedtosexualintercoursewithmultiple
examples(Macy).
Accordingtothetext,certainwordsthatappearinthetextofamadrigalmeandifferent
thingsthanwhatisexpected.Forinstance,thephrasetodieisarepresentorofanorgasm.
Laterinthearticle,Macyexplainsthatastimewenton,thetextformadrigalsbecamealittle
sneakier.Thetextwouldstillmeanthsamethingtothewriter,butcouldbeinterpretedina
varietyofdifferentways,allowingsomecreativitydependingontheperformerorthelistener.
Notonlyisthetextaboutsexualintercourse.Madrigalsareactuallyrootedmuchdeeper
intotheideathantheypresentfromtheoutside.Giventhesexualovertonesofaccountsof
conversationandtheintimatenatureofmadrigalsinging.Macyprovidesdirectexamplesof
otherwaystoconnectsexualintercoursetomadrigals.Evensomethingassimpleasanovertone
canbetakenasasexualinnuendo(Macy).

As istypicalofanepigrammaticpoint,thisperorationaddsanewtwisttoconceit.
In this case, it is a humorous twist, an elbow in the ribs at the end of a suggestive joke.
And like that gesture, it has a distinctly unerotic effect: humor, with its power to dispel
tension, is antierotic. Far from being a blunder on the part of the poet, however, this
pointless point serves an important dual purpose. First, it provides comic releasefrom
the sexual tension that is the essence of the erotic conceit. By concluding this almost
embarrassingly intimate confession withajoke,thepoetundercutsthesexualtensionand
releases us from its exquisite discomfort: the poems heat is doused instead of ignited.
Second, like the punchline ofajoke,itmarkstheendoftheprivilegedspaceofthe text it
concludes, confirming that whatever transgressionhastakenplace,orseemedaboutto,is
contained.(Macy)
By explaining the complexity of this particular connection with a simple analogy, Macy
is speaking directly to the audience on their level and creating a means for them to connect
something that does not seem out of the ordinary to something they are most likely not very
aware of. Macy does a phenomenal job at supplyingplentyofexamplestosupportanyideashe
hasinherarticle(Macy).
Macy uses aplethora ofmadrigalstosupporteachofherideasasawhole. By taking one
example atatimeanddissectingeachpartusingacommonspeechpatternthatismuch easierfor
the reader to understand, Macy earns a certain respect. Most people would rather not read an
article about something they do not know anything about. Instead, they wouldprefertobeable
todirectlyrelateeachsituationbacktotheirlifeorsomethingtheyhaveexperiencedinsomesort
ofway(Macy).

AlthoughMacyusesverysimplepointstodescribecomplicatedthoughtsandideas,some
of the words she uses are rather rare. Part of this could rely on the fact that this article is based
off of something that took place in the 1500s. However, Macy could have explained a few
terms and their meanings more fluently. Forinstance,thewordspiritisusedveryrepetatively
throughout the first section of the article without much actual explanation. Macy states, the
definition of spirit was a locus of disagreement in medical writings from Galen on, but for all
writers spirit existed within the bodys humors and was the essence of life, but what does she
really mean bytheessenceoflife?Thereaderisneveroncemadeawareofwhatspiritactually
is. She does, however, explain in the footnotes that it comes from the Greek word spiritus
(Macy).
An interesting concept mentioned in the beginning of thearticleiswomenbeingthought
ofintemperatures.
Pars recommendations of fondling and sexy talk are hardly surprisingly
innovative. Interesting for the present discussion is his language, which shows that he
understands female arousal wholly as a matter as a matter of temperature. If her lover
perceive her to be cold he embraces and tickles her. Fondling, in this context, is a
chafing aimed at raising body temperaturelikerubbingoneshandstogetherinthecold.
Combined with the recommended wanton words and speeches this friction will, with
luck,enflamehertovenery.(Macy)
Why are women known as the only party that needstobewarmedandhowdoesonetell
if the woman is indeed warm? Macy does not explain either of these questions. She could
have mentioned how the man would know if she was warm. But also, what happens in a

situation where the man is not warm but the woman is? Are there situations where the woman
does not want to be warm and what would happen in that situation? All of these are valid
questionsthatMacycouldhavegoneintofulldetailabout(Macy).
This article is very informative. I would suggest that a few small details be added or
explained a bit more. Overall this is a very qualified article. It establishes one opinion on the
topic and continues with it throughout the article. Macy goes into great detail providing a
complete analysis of a few Italian madrigals. Sheestablisheshertopicandreflects itdirectlyon
specific examples. By going through each partofthemadrigalitself,Macyprovesher immense
knowledgeofthetopic.


WorksCited
Macy,L.(1996).Speakingofsex:MetaphorandperformanceintheItalianmadrigal.Journalof
Musicology,14(1),134.