The Flea John Donne

John Donne’s poem “The Flea” follows a man as he desperately tries to convince a woman to lay with him outside of wedlock. The speaker’s main tool in his argument is this small flea that he holds in his hand that has sucked the blood from him as well as the woman. He uses the flea as a metaphor for their coupling, flipping between its significance and insignificance as it fits his needs. However, the woman, who never speaks a word, denies his request and kills the flea, revealing herself to be the most significant player within the dynamic. Donne’s “unconventional analogy, [as well as his] extensive exploration of the subject to serve as a logical argument, and [his] playful intellectual tone gives [the poem] fresh, even revolutionary qualities …show more content…
The flea is taken on a journey through the speaker as he cajoles the woman. Initially the flea is insignificant, as the speakers says “Mark but this flea, and mark in this, how little that which thou deniest me is” (Donne 1-2), implying that the flea’s bite is as inconsequential as what he is requesting. By the next stanza the speaker has altered his position, stating the great significance of the flea. He insists it represents “… the marriage bed, the ideal of sexuality; the Church, the sanctifier of marriage; and at least an earthly reflection of the Trinity, in that it represents three lives in one: the lives of Donne, the lady, and the flea.” (Wright) When its suits the speaker’s needs he creates a world around the flea in which it’s existence is essential to his relationship with the woman, it transforms from a simple insect into a symbol for their sexual relationship. “Why this paradoxical shift? Apart from Donne’s love of paradox, he probably expects his argument to show that since all three of the impediments to sex — marriage, Church, and Trinity — can be summed up in a flea, they are not significant obstacles” for the speaker to overcome through his use of the insect (Wright). The flea retains its significance through its death when the woman crushes it beneath her nail, sealing her decision to abstain and …show more content…
Despite never speaking a word, the woman is a crucial element in “The Flea.” Through the speaker’s words we learn much about the woman’s character, including her moral standpoint and religious beliefs. Her beliefs are shown when he attempts to persuade her that killing the flea would be “sacrilege” as well as using the term “sins” to guilt her into giving in. Readers learn of the woman’s parents disapproval of the coupling in the line “Though parents grudge, and you, w'are met,” (Donne 14) allowing the reader to get a background on the woman and her upbringing as well as her personal values instilled in her by her parents. Though the speaker is the only one speaking , he gives all the power to the woman, for she is the one to make the final decision of whether they will consummate the relationship or not. As he struggles to convince her, she unceremoniously kills the flea, proving herself strong-willed and unaffected by the speaker’s pleading. It is important to note that when reading the poem in Donne’s ironic tone it becomes clear that “Donne's sympathies are clearly with the woman and with the moral values she consistently upholds”. (Evans) Despite appearing confident in his victory, the woman remains unconvinced and unaccepting of the speaker’s offer. She ends the poem as the dominant character and even more significant than the speaker himself. Donne asserts his ironic tone is putting numerous faults in the