Is masturbation self- violating or self-gratifying, although not fully gratifying? I guess it would be the way one perceives sexuality in general. I quite imagine both cutting and masturbation would be a release of sorts. Is masturbation masochistic? Then I guess one could call sex in general masochistic if one agreed with that premise. I'll agree that cutting and masturbation are definitely both self-inflicted acts. I think the author is trying to say that both acts are pleasurable in the short term but the tension builds up and one is compelled to repeat again for whatever reason. It's an interesting poem from an analytical standpoint, but I can't look at it in only that way. When ...

Is masturbation self- violating or self-gratifying, although not fully gratifying? I guess it would be the way one perceives sexuality in general. I quite imagine both cutting and masturbation would be a release of sorts. Is masturbation masochistic? Then I guess one could call sex in general masochistic if one agreed with that premise. I'll agree that cutting and masturbation are definitely both self-inflicted acts. I think the author is trying to say that both acts are pleasurable in the short term but the tension builds up and one is compelled to repeat again for whatever reason. It's an interesting poem from an analytical standpoint, but I can't look at it in only that way. When I read it I feel the pain of someone who would cut. Someone who tries to explain the anger that needs some outlet and I feel so much empathy for that individual even though I don't agree with the method of hurting yourself, but people hurt themselves all the time. People drink too much, do drugs, use sex for love, overeat, under-eat; whatever. How one deals with pain is a very personal issue I guess.