Editing Robert Graves (section)

==Sexuality==
Robert Graves was [[bisexual]], having intense romantic relationships with both men and women, though the word he coined for it was "pseudo-homosexual."<ref>Graves, ''Robert. Good-Bye to All That''. Penguin Group (Australia), 2014, p. 33</ref> Graves was raised to be "prudishly innocent, as my mother had planned I should be."<ref>Graves (2014), p. 58</ref> His mother, Amy, forbade speaking about sex, save in a "gruesome" context, and all skin "must be covered."<ref>Seymour (2003), p. 16</ref> At his days in Penrallt, he had "innocent crushes" on boys; one in particular was a boy named Ronny, who "climbed trees, killed pigeons with a catapult and broke all the school rules while never seeming to get caught."<ref>Seymour (2003), p. 18</ref><ref>Graves (2014), p. 31</ref> At Charterhouse, an all-boys school, it was common for boys to develop "amorous but seldom erotic" relationships, which the headmaster mostly ignored.<ref>Graves (2014), p. 60</ref> Graves described boxing with a friend, Raymond Rodakowski, as having a "a lot of sex feeling".<ref>Graves (2014), p. 69</ref> And although Graves admitted to loving Raymond, he dismissed it as "more comradely than amorous."<ref name="Graves 2014, p. 70">Graves (2014), p. 70</ref>

In his fourth year at Charterhouse, Graves met "Dick" (George "Peter" Harcourt Johnstone) with whom he developed "an even stronger relationship".<ref name="Graves 2014, p. 70"/> Johnstone was an object of adoration in Graves's early poems. Graves's feelings for Johnstone were exploited by bullies, who led Graves to believe that Johnstone was seen kissing the choir-master. Graves, jealous, demanded the choir-master's resignation.<ref>Seymour (2003), p. 27–28</ref> During the First World War, Johnstone remained a "solace" to Graves. Despite Graves's own "pure and innocent" view of Johnstone, Graves's cousin Gerald wrote in a letter that Johnstone was: "not at all the innocent fellow I took him for, but as bad as anyone could be".<ref>Seymour (2003), p. 45</ref> Johnstone remained a subject for Graves's poems despite this. Communication between them ended when Johnstone's mother found their letters and forbade further contact with Graves.<ref>Seymour (2003), p. 51–52</ref> Johnstone was later arrested for attempting to seduce a Canadian soldier, which removed Graves's denial about Johnstone's infidelity, causing Graves to collapse.<ref>Seymour (2003), p. 65</ref>

In 1917, Graves met Marjorie Machin, an auxiliary nurse from Kent. He admired her "direct manner and practical approach to life". Graves did not pursue the relationship when he realised Machin had a fiancé on the Front.<ref name="Seymour 2003, p. 63">Seymour (2003), p. 63</ref> This began a period where Graves began to be interested in women with more masculine traits.<ref name="Seymour 2003, p. 63"/> Nancy Nicholson, his future wife, was an ardent feminist: she kept her hair short, wore trousers, and had "boyish directness and youth."<ref>Seymour (2003), p. 59–68</ref> Her feminism never conflicted with Graves's own ideas of female superiority.<ref>Seymour (2003), p. 68</ref> Siegfried Sassoon, who felt as if Graves and he had a relationship of a sort, felt betrayed by Graves's new relationship and declined to go to the wedding.<ref>Seymour (2003), p. 72</ref> Graves apparently never loved Sassoon in the same way that Sassoon loved Graves.<ref>Seymour (2003), p. 111</ref>

Graves's and Nicholson's marriage was strained, Graves living with "[[shell shock]]", and having an insatiable need for sex, which Nicholson did not reciprocate.<ref>Seymour (2003), p. 80/114</ref> Nancy forbade any mention of the war, which added to the conflict.<ref>Seymour (2003), p. 80</ref> In 1926, he met [[Laura Riding]], with whom he ran away in 1929 while still married to Nicholson. Prior to this, Graves, Riding and Nicholson adopted a [[Menage a trois|triadic]] relationship they called "The Trinity." Despite the implications, Riding and Nicholson were most likely heterosexual.<ref>Seymour (2003), p. 143</ref> This triangle became the "Holy Circle" with the addition of Irish poet [[Geoffrey Phibbs]], who himself was still married to Irish artist [[Norah McGuinness]].<ref>Seymour (2003), p. 163</ref> This relationship revolved around the worship and reverence of Riding. Graves and Phibbs were both to sleep with Riding.<ref>Seymour (2003), p. 167–168</ref> When Phibbs attempted to leave the relationship, Graves was sent to track him down, even threatening to kill Phibbs if he did not return to the circle.<ref>Seymour (2003), p. 172</ref> When Phibbs resisted, Riding threw herself out of a window, Graves following suit to reach her.<ref>Seymour (2003), p. 178</ref>{{clarify|date=April 2024}} Graves's commitment to Riding was so strong that he entered, on her word, a period of enforced celibacy, "which he had not enjoyed".<ref>Seymour (2003), p. 201</ref>

By 1938, no longer entranced by Riding, Graves fell in love with the then-married Beryl Hodge. In 1950, after much dispute with Nicholson (whom he had not divorced yet), he married Beryl.<ref>Seymour (2003), p. 287</ref> Despite having a loving marriage with Beryl, Graves would take on a 17-year-old muse, Judith Bledsoe, in 1950.<ref>Seymour (2003), p. 332</ref> Although the relationship was described as "not overtly sexual", in 1952 Graves attacked Judith's new fiancé, getting the police called on him in the process.<ref>Seymour (2003), p. 336</ref> He later had three successive female muses, who came to dominate his poetry.<ref>Seymour (2003), p. 388</ref>