The Flea John Donne

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Derek Watson

EN 102

"The Flea" – John Donne

John Donne’s poem, "The Flea" is a complex yet simple explanation of a desire for sex. The speaker uses a flea as an argument as to why his beloved should engage in the sexual act. In 1633 when the poem was written, sex before marriage would be considered a sin and that’s why the speaker is trying to convince otherwise. The literal meaning of the poem is about a little flea who, sucks blood from the speaker and his beloved which gives the speaker courage to reason with his beloved about sex. He claims that what this flea has done has intertwined them already and therefore the actual act of sex would not be considered sinful. However she kills the flea, meaning that sleeping with him would make her more sinful than killing the flea.

The overall meaning of the poem is expressed through the three stanzas of the poem. As readers we get a conversational tone from stanza 1. He is trying to explain "how little" (2) the flea that she denies, is and explain what this flea has done. By sucking him first and then sucking her, "In this flea our two bloods mingled be" (4). Repetition of the word "suck" can also be seen as adding to the central theme of sex. The speaker then claims that what this flea has done, cannot be called sin "nor shame, nor loss of maidenhead" (6) which refers to virginity. Donne ends off the first stanza by explaining how the flea has joined them in a particular way which is "more than we would do" (9).

By the opening of stanza two, the topic of marriage is brought into the speaker’s argument as the beloved wishes to kill the flea. He attempts to convince her not to, by saying "This flea is you and I, and this our marriage bed and marriage temple is" (12/13) which coveys a message that they are now married because they’re blood is together inside this flea. Marriage also contributes to the central theme of sex because marriage would no longer make sex sinful. Therefore if the speaker can convince his beloved that they are technically married, he can hold hope of receiving what’s desired. Stanza two is also the turning point. Through another conversational tone, Donne says "though parents grudge" (14) we are "cloistered" (14) or secluded in the body of this flea and to not add "self-murder" (17) to the equation. There will be "three sins in killing thee" (18) meaning if she killed that one flea she not only kills it but herself and him.

The beloved ends the argument, probably out of annoyance, by simply killing the flea causing Donne to call her "cruel and sudden" (19) in stanza 3. In an effort for justification, he ask why she killed the flea, "wherein could this flea guilty be" (21) because all it’s done is take one drop of blood from each of us. However within her response, he concludes that her alleged fear of sin is false, because if she had sex with him it would be the same as the sin committed by killing the flea.

The way the poem is formatted also makes this poem great. The entire poem is made up of a combination of iambic tetrameter and iambic pentameter which is most common. The author uses the last two lines of each stanza to show iambic pentameter, making the entire poem a 4 then 5 stressed syllable line. The last two lines being 5 stressed syllable lines. The rhyme scheme in this particular poem follows an AABBCCDDD pattern which means that Donne rhymes the first two lines, the second two lines, the third two lines and the last three lines in each stanza. Sound devices such as alliteration are used throughout the poem making the rhythm lucid, like: "sucked" and "sucks (3) in stanza 1, "marriage" and marriage" (13) in stanza 2 and "thou triumph’st that thou" (23) in stanza 3.

The entire poem can be seen as a big metaphor as the flea is used to symbolize their love or sex. The blood the flea holds inside of him is compared to a marriage bed and marriage temple. The mingling of the blood also metaphorically stands for mingling of sex. There are a few symbols that stand out in this poem. Marriage for one is essentially symbolized. Donne tries to make his argument better by saying this flea has basically married us because our blood is joined inside him. Sex is also a symbol, however is discretely spoken of. His entire argument revolves around the act itself, which he later explains would not be less sinful then killing the flea. Imagery is used through the flea who, is also personified. As readers we picture something so small being personified to have such significance to the author’s argument. Similes were found once in the last line of the poem "as this flea’s death took life from thee".

Overall, John Donne is conveying a message that he would like to have sex with his beloved and it is not sinful which ironically she agrees to, as she commits a sin herself, allowing Donne to conclude her fear was wasteful. The particular form and devices used such as figurative language, Alliteration and the rhyme scheme help the poem seem effortlessly written because you don’t realize these parts about the poem until you further read. While the poem can be seen as a serious persuasion, it also consists of humor, which makes it perfectly logic.

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