The perceived views of men's and women's sexuality have been the subject of great speculation and conflict. Although great strides have been made over the years in the sexual "revolution", the basic views of male and female sexuality have remained the same.

Throughout history the ideas of proper sexuality for men and women have changed little. Men have always been portrayed as the aggressive pursuer of a woman's sexual favors. Women, in turn, have been required by society to diligently preserve their honor outside of the marital bed. Andrew Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress" offers a good example of the game-like behavior that has become almost expected of a man and woman in society. The narrator beseeches his Lady to "sport us while we may...like amorous birds of prey". The Lady on the other

Men on the other hand have often been revered for their sexual prowess. Kings often kept concubines, or mistresses. In some countries, it is acceptable for a man to have many wives. Sexual conquest has become almost a gauge by which manhood is tested. Men are often bombarded by peer pressure to become sexually active at an early age. Seen as a rite of passage by many men, they begin their pursuit of women before they are even capable of reproduction. In Stevie Smith's

hand, flirts casually and spurns the narrator's advances.

Changing times have allowed people to become a little more open in expressing their sexuality. However, more often than not, most men and women tend to conform themselves to expectations that remain the same even in today's society.

outside of marriage. In Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter", Hester

Some common words found in the essay are:
Lowells Patterns, Coy Mistress, Women Comparison, Middle Ages, Frog Prince, Hester Prynne, sexuality women, sexual favors, women forced,
Approximate Word count = 564
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)