In seeking a definition of literary erotica, the theme of love is of little use, because it is one of the most commonplace in the literature of all epochs. Nor are the usual terms “erotic,” “pornographic,” or “obscene” literature any more helpful, for they make distinctions not so much on the basis of the thematic or stylistic criteria they pretend to assert as on the basis of value judgment. It would be more useful to focus on the property intended…