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The Flea By John Donne

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The Flea by John Donne is an abstract poem about seduction. The innocence of the flea and the ability to blame it for joining the two of them in the eyes of God and the church is the primary motive for this humorous narrative. The narrator’s intentions are clear that taking her virginity would not affect her status in the eyes of God or social standings. The unlikely romantic figure of the flea is to blame for them already being bounded together. The narrator tries to convince the lady that because the flea has bitten them both and their bodily fluids have mixed inside the flea, they are married. “This flea is you and I, and this Our marriage bed, and marriage temple is” (Donne). This idea references the Bible Genesis 2:24 “they shall become …show more content…

If it were set in 2017, then the significance of this poem would not be as effective. In this time the thought of sex was a personal one, but now sex is talked and joked about more than ever. For example, the narrator says “Though parents grudge, and you, w 'are met,” (Donne) this line demonstrates how the seemingly mature woman is even concerned with how her parents might feel if she has sex with him. Donne’s bold attempt to make sex a light-hearted discussion between two people and a flea was an interesting approach for the time. The poem does not clarify where exactly this exchange is taking place because the spatial setting is not necessary. The importance of the poem is not dependent on who or where, but when and why. The significance of the poem is universal in that Donne is trying to explain that if this single flea can give us such a great bond, then sex should be just as great.
The new ideas that Donne brings to the unspoken world of seduction put a new light on the way people thought in the 17th century. The flea married two strangers or at least that is what the narrator wants you to believe. The art of seduction or the failed attempt at seduction, in this case, has brought to surface that sex is more than just bodily fluids mixing. It is about love and compassion which is what the woman tries to show the man by killing the flea and turning his request down. Sex is not just an act; it is a bond between two people which is more than the little flea can handle, so it is

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He refers to the bed full of fleas as appropriate and good for creative thought. The bed is unclean and shows how negative it is to believe that it is good for creative thought. It is harmful to the person who practices “unjust argument” as well as those around him, just like the bed of fleas is harmful to the person sleeping on it and people around

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Similes in the poem such as ‘till he was like to drop’ are used to create a more descriptive image in the reader’s mind. Metaphors when saying ‘He lifted up his hairy paw’ and in many other sections of the poem to exaggerate areas to give the reader a more interesting view. So the poet can express what he is trying to prove through and entertaining way. The imagery device enhances the poem to make it stand out more so it grabs the reader attention. The poem was a very entertaining and humorous.

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I view this poem as symbolism for a cycle of thought. Sex without love is viewed in a very positive and negative light throughout, leaving its audience to create their own conclusion to best suit their narratives in life. While it isn’t directly mentioning any people by name, it allows the audience to envision the scenes described to them

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It’s detailed like a memory and provides the audience of just one incidence the narrator was able to recollect. The poem’s main focus is to take a little look into the disparity between traditional feminine

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They were playful with each other and the poem highlights one

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Society’s superficial viewing of women is also reflected in the poem’s wring, as it may seem that this poem is strictly concerned with a prostitute, but in fact it describes all females. The male representative in the poem, Georges, then asserts his superiority, despite their similar conditions of being poor. Although he is sexually attracted to her as he “stiffens for [her] warmth”, suggesting an erection, he is unwilling to accept her as a human being as he deems her question “Why do you do this?”

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