The Flea By John Donne summary and analysis

 

"The Flea" by John Donne is a metaphysical poem that uses a conceit involving a flea to explore themes of love, sexuality, and the complexities of human relationships.

The Flea

By John Donne

Mark but this flea, and mark in this,   

How little that which thou deniest me is;   

It sucked 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 pampered swells with one blood made of two,

    And this, alas, is more than we would do.

 

Oh stay, three lives in one flea spare,

Where we almost, nay more than married are.   

This flea is you and I, and this

Our marriage bed, and marriage temple is;   

Though parents grudge, and you, w'are met,   

And cloistered 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.

 

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 sucked from thee?   

Yet thou triumph’st, and say'st that thou   

Find’st not thy self, nor me the weaker now;

    ’Tis true; then learn how false, fears be:

    Just so much honor, when thou yield’st to me,

    Will waste, as this flea’s death took life from thee.

The speaker begins by inviting the reader's attention to a flea, asking them to closely observe.The speaker suggests that she denies him and the approach of love. Just like denying the insignificant tiny flea. The flea has bitten both the speaker and the beloved, becoming a symbolic link between them. The act of the flea sucking blood serves as a metaphor for physical intimacy.The mingling of blood within the flea is presented as a union or a metaphorical consummation of their love, creating a connection just like the physical act of lovemaking.The speaker argues that the act represented by the flea is not sinful, shameful, or a loss of virginity. The flea serves as a discreet and innocent intermediary.

The flea, without the need for courtship or seduction, enjoys the mingling of their blood, suggesting that their physical union can be as simple and natural as that of the flea. The last line implies that the flea has accomplished more than the two lovers would allow.

The speaker pleads with the beloved not to kill the flea, as it now contains the lives (represented by blood) of both the speaker and the beloved. The flea, in a sense, has united them in a way that goes beyond mere marriage.

The speaker extends the metaphor, claiming that the flea itself represents the union of the two lovers. The flea becomes their marriage bed and temple, emphasizing the sacred and intimate nature of their connection.

Despite the personal and social disapproval ("parents grudge"), the lovers are metaphorically joined and sheltered within the living walls of the flea (which is jet-black, symbolizing secrecy).

The speaker warns against killing the flea, arguing that it would be a form of self-destruction and sacrilege. The three sins refer to the lives (blood) of the speaker, the beloved, and the flea itself. The speaker accuses the beloved of cruelty for killing the flea, and the mention of "blood of innocence" emphasizes the triviality of the flea's death. The speaker argues that the flea's guilt is confined to the small drop of blood it took from the beloved, making the act of killing it an unfair activity.

The beloved, despite the speaker's objections, triumphs in killing the flea and claims that neither of them is weakened by its death.

when he says: “’Tis true; then learn how false, fears be:” he means to be saying that since she has not lost any honor from the flea’s sucking her blood, she should not fear that she should lose any honor from yielding to her lover, while the meaning of words like: “Will waste” means will be lost.

 

The poem uses metaphysical conceits where the body of the flea is exaggerated and stretched to give a meaning out of it. When the flea bites his mistress and him then their blood is mingled inside the body of the flea. It is further stretched where the body of the flea is compared to the wedding chapels and their sexual consummation or marriage bed. Here, Donne is using a conceit to express the body of the flea as their sexual union where both the analogies contradicts to one another yet it is stretched to give a meaning out of it.

The poet uses his wits and intellect to justify and expound his arguments in the poem. He uses his wit by stating that his mistress should not kill the flea since they can be one and united in the body of the flea even if their parents disapprove of their relationship. He tells his mistress that they are safe within the body of the flea and killing the flea itself will add to her list of sins including the three sins which will come out of killing the flea. The three sins include the sin of killing the flea, the betrayal of their marriage as well dishonoring her chastity. Here, Donne uses his wit to justify his argument rhetorically and are calculated precisely to make his argument justifiable to his mistress.

The poem embodies the idea of unification of sensibility. It is when the poem has a balanced proportion of wit and emotions at the same time. The poem has the aspects of writer’s wit and the emotions. The emotions arises out of his love for his mistress and seduction whereas the wits arises out his arguments and justification to his mistress. The poem blends the equal proportion of wits and emotions and hence the unification of sensibility is deposited.

 

"The Flea" is a witty and intricate poem that utilizes a flea as a metaphor to explore the themes of love, desire, and the complexities of sexual relationships. Donne employs a clever conceit to engage the reader in the poem.