"The Flea"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses John Donne's poem, "The Flea", claiming that it illustrates a number of the central characteristics of metaphysical poetry. The paper describes the poet's use of language and imagery and a persuasive tone. The paper explains how the poem compares the image of a flea to love and physical union. The entire poem is a sustained argument to convince the protagonist's lover of the validity of this comparison. The paper contends that the poem is almost entirely cerebral and rational.

From the Paper:

"In lines 11 - 18 of the stanza the poet continues the conceit to demonstrate that their blood is already intermingled in the flea and therefore, by implication, they are "more than married" (line 11). Therefore, once again he stresses that there should be no obstacle to their physical union. This connection between the flea and their blood is cleverly manipulated so that the refusal to have intercourse is described as being tantamount to a form of murder. The convolutions of meaning related to the symbol of the flea and the intermingling of blood results in a number of conceits. The flea becomes the lovers as well as their marriage bed and temple. The poem also implies that killing the flea will therefore be a form of sacrilege. The poet plays with the convention in love poetry that by not yielding to him she will be in a sense 'kill' him."

More papers on "The Flea":

• Poem Review # 66048 : "The Flea" and "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time"
• Essay # 50781 : "The War of the Flea"
• Analytical Essay # 10549 : "The Flea"

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