kissing

Diane Ackerman “Kissing” In Diane Ackerman’s essay “kissing”, the use of literary devices and several types of method of development helps her create and sustain the vivid intimacy on kissing. It is evident to the readers that the author adds interest to her essay by using allusions and emphasizing on various types of authorities. Diane Ackerman alludes to authorities in order to establish credibility for her piece of writing and to add a more knowledgeable background on her topics. She also uses a significant amount of parallelisms and anecdotes. One knows that by using parallelism the author places emphasis on a specific word or phrase so that it will embed itself in the readers mind. Also the use of anecdote displays a more subtle yet effective way to form an experience with the readers. Anecdotes add a type of familiarity that can be very convincing to the readers. Diane Ackerman uses anecdotes to share a personal and emotional experience with the reader. Her first anecdote appears in the third paragraph, where she talks about her high school experience. Immediately she captures the audiences’ attention due to the same familiarity of high school. This captive and long sentence uses parallelism and repetition

Diane Ackerman uses a long quotation of prose from the zoologist, Desmond Morris, to briefly explain how French kissing began. Her style changes from a sensual and sexual and becomes more factual to give the history of kisses and the significance of it in different cultures. It is apparent that Diane Ackerman alludes to more authorities in the latter part of her essay. She similarly describes her allusion of the most famous kiss in the world, Rodin"tms bronze sculpture with her definition of sex. "Anthropologically at least, a kiss on the mouth, especially with all the plunging of tongues and the exchanging of saliva, is another form of intercourse" (Ackerman 12) thus making kissing and sex just about the same. In the fifth paragraph, she tries to explain that kissing may have begun as a way to taste and smell someone. By using allusions, the contents in her writing become more convincing to the readers since she alludes to several authorities. "In ancient Egypt, the Orient, Rome, And Greece, honor used to dictate kissing the hem or feet or hands of important persons. "We kissed torridly, with tongues like hot pokers; we kissed wildly, almost painfully"" (Ackerman 3). The whole third paragraph is one long sentence and Diane Ackerman uses this to make the reader grasp for air as if they themselves are kissing for hours. This boy would travel five miles to see her and five miles back to go home just so he can kiss his desire for an hour or so. She also defines kissing as "Setting out on a kiss caravan of the other"tms body" (1). Diane Ackerman manages to create and sustain a vivid intimacy on kissing by relating it to sex. "We kissed for hours in the busted-up front seat.