A 17th Century seduction poem The Flea by John Donne How does Donne present sexual, eros, love in The Flea? A 17th Century seduction poem

SUMMARY The speaker tells his beloved to look at the flea before them and to note “how little” is that thing that she denies him. For the flea, he says, has sucked first his blood, then her blood, so that now, inside the flea, they are mingled; and that mingling cannot be called “sin, or shame, or loss of maidenhead.” The flea has joined them together in a way that, “alas, is more than we would do’ As his beloved moves to kill the flea, the speaker stays her hand, asking her to spare the three lives in the flea: his life, her life, and the flea’s own life. In the flea, he says, where their blood is mingled, they are almost married—no, more than married—and the flea is their marriage bed and marriage temple mixed into one. Though their parents grudge their romance and though she will not make love to him, they are nevertheless united and cloistered in the living walls of the flea. She is apt to kill him, he says, but he asks that she not kill herself by killing the flea that contains her blood; he says that to kill the flea would be sacrilege, “three sins in killing three.” “Cruel and sudden,” the speaker calls his lover, who has now killed the flea, “purpling” her fingernail with the “blood of innocence.” The speaker asks his lover what the flea’s sin was, other than having sucked from each of them a drop of blood. He says that his lover replies that neither of them is less noble for having killed the flea. It is true, he says, and it is this very fact that proves that her fears are false: If she were to sleep with him (“yield to me”), she would lose no more honor than she lost when she killed the flea.

Who was John Donne? John Donne (b. 1572 d. 1631) English poet, satirist, lawyer, and priest, is now considered the preeminent representative of the metaphysical poets. His works are notable for their strong and sensual style and include sonnets, love poetry, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs, satires and sermons. His poetry is noted for its vibrancy of language and inventiveness of metaphor. John Donne was born into a Catholic family at a time when the practice of the Catholic religion was illegal. Religion played a large part in this life and he eventually went on to become an Anglican priest. He was later appointed the Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral.

Fleas Fleas were a common part of everyday life in early modern times. Due to a lack of regular washing or changing of clothes people and animals often suffered from insect bites from fleas and ticks. This means that this was a much less revolting image for Donne to use in his seduction game than modern readers might believe!! Definition: wingless insects with mouthparts adapted for piercing skin and sucking blood. The flea body is hard, polished, and covered with many hairs and short spines directed backward, which also assist its movements on the host. The tough body is able to withstand great pressure, likely an adaptation to survive attempts to eliminate them by mashing or scratching. Even hard squeezing between the fingers is normally insufficient to kill a flea.. The imagery of the flea provided a popular subject for love poetry throughout Europe in the sixteenth century: the poet envied the flea its freedom on his mistress’s body, or its death at her hands while in the ecstasy of its contact with her. Donne varies the motif, turning the fact that the flea bites both the man and the woman into a seduction game. At this time, they believed that blood mingled during sex, so it is an increasingly apt conceit.

What is Donne’s metaphysical conceit in this poem? How does it work? Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the natural world. It is the study of being and reality. It asks fundamental questions such as: “Is there a God?” and “What is man’s place in the universe?” This study also includes questions of space, time, causality, existence, and possibility. Metaphysical poetry is dramatic and engaging, characterized by complex arguments and elaborate, arresting comparisons that bring together elements in ways that might at first seem highly unlikely but which upon closer scrutiny are seen to be clever, witty and, ultimately, true. Donne’s poems were originally written to be shared amongst learned and witty men – a private audience, rather than widely circulated or published. Does knowing this change your reading of the tone or effectiveness of the poem? What is Donne’s metaphysical conceit in this poem? How does it work? A metaphysical conceit is a conceit where the objects of comparison have no apparent connection. For example, in George Herbert’s poem Praise, he compares God’s generosity to a bottle full of endless tears. Another example is John Donne’s poem The Flea.

Sestet – what characterises it? What happens to the argument here? Triplet – what characterises it? What happens to the argument here? Stanza 1 Take note Where and why is sibilance used in this stanza? Mark but this flea, and mark in this, How little that which thou deniest me is; It suck'd me first, and now sucks thee, And in this flea our two bloods mingled be. Thou know'st that this cannot be said A sin, nor shame, nor loss of maidenhead; Yet this enjoys before it woo, And pamper'd swells with one blood made of two; And this, alas, is more than we would do What is ‘loss of maidenhead’? Why might this be a more serious concept to the addressee than it is to the speaker? Suggestive or erotic imagery – but ostensibly is describing the flea’s actions. Alas – regretful tone? Humorous? Iambic tetrameter and pentameter are used – what could this add to the tone of the poem? And to its effectiveness?

Stanza 2 ‘three lives’ could reflect the holy trinity O stay, three lives in one flea spare, Where we almost, yea more than married are. This flea is you and I, and this Our marriage bed, and marriage temple is. Though parents grudge, and you, we're met, And cloister'd in these living walls of jet. Though use make you apt to kill me, Let not to that self-murder added be, And sacrilege, three sins in killing three. How, where and why does this stanza incorporate religious imagery into his argument? Can you link this to your contextual knowledge? How is this developed in the triplet? How are caesurae used throughout the poem?

Stanza 3 The addressee’s response occurred between stanzas 2 and 3 – what was it? Note that she is not given a voice in the poem but her response is demonstrative. Cruel and sudden, hast thou since Purpled thy nail in blood of innocence? Wherein could this flea guilty be, Except in that drop which it suck'd from thee? Yet thou triumph'st, and say'st that thou Find'st not thyself nor me the weaker now. 'Tis true ; then learn how false fears be; Just so much honour, when thou yield'st to me, Will waste, as this flea's death took life from thee. Melodramatic adjectives to describe her action – theatrical tone Juxtaposition of the ‘innocence’ of the flea and her ‘sacrilegious’ act. ‘Thou triumphst’ – she is unchanged and unconvinced Donne ends with on a note of ‘carpe diem’ – seize the day. He is undeterred by her negative response to his witty argument and instead just changes tack in this final triplet – the flea’s death has caused her no harm, so she will suffer no harm nor loss of honour when she yields to him.

Person 3: answer the question Person 1: hold the cards Person 2: choose a card and read the question Person 3: answer the question Person 4: extend the thinking: ask a ‘how’ or ‘why’ question After each question pass the cards clockwise

How does Donne present sexual, eros, love in The Flea? Check that you have reference to the following on your mind map: Conceit Eros- lustful Spiritual Carpe diem Sestet and triplet Iambic tetrameter Metaphysical/ metaphysics Intellectual/ science Rhetoric Contrast Connotation Abstract and concrete Alliteration Rhyme Allusion Lexis Caesurae How does Donne present sexual, eros, love in The Flea? Extension: plan an essay response to this question

AO5- Amanda Boyd Donne’s poetry does not demean women but in fact acknowledges and appreciates all of their capabilities. He accomplishes this by describing not just the physical aspects of love making but the spiritual and intellectual sides of intimacy. To what extent do you agree? - Write a 2 sentence response.

Extension: websites http://blog.pshares.org/index.php/fleas-are-for-lovers/ http://www.forgottenbooks.com/readbook_text/Merry_Songs_and_Ballads_Prior_to_the_Year_1800_v1_1000400700/267 If you ask in the library, there are a collection of articles about ‘The Flea’ that you can read to develop some AO4 and AO5 ideas. What is significant about: 1)this collection in relation to ‘The Flea’? 2) La Pace de Madame des Roches (1582), which includes poems in French, Spanish, Italian, Latin and Greek