The Flea
Mark but this flea, and mark in this,
How little that which thou deniest me is;
Me it sucked first, and now sucks thee,
And in this flea our two bloods mingled be;
Thou know'st that this cannot be said
A sin, or shame, or 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, we 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?
Wherin couls this flea guilty be,
Except in that drop which it sucked from thee?
Yet thy 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.
John Donne's life was full of tragedy as all poet's lives are causing them to reflect inward. His poetry is full of complex metaphors and irony which demands from the reader an imaginative effort. For example, he was on his way to a promising career since he attended both Cambridge, Oxford, and Lincoln's Inn (where lawyers receive training). Donne, in 1598, became the private secretary of Sir Thomas Egerton, one of the highest officials of the queen's court making his prospects for wordly advancement seem good. However, things took a turn for the worse in 1601 when he decided to secretly marry Ann More ( Lady Egerton's neice) thereby ruining his hopes for advancement. This marriage was a happy one, but since this was considered bad faith towards his employer, he was not forgiven or forgotten. In 1615, Donne became an Angelican priest after having grown up in a Roman Catholic family all his life. He was later appointed dean of St. Paul's cathedral. Donne was obsessed with the idea of death and this was a contribution to his dedication to the church.
Donne's poetry contains a lot of irony. Up until this time in history much of the poetry was Elizabethan, decorative and flowery. His poetry is mostly about love and the cliche' to this point had been bleeding hearts, lips like cherries, cheeks like roses, Cupids shooting arrows of love. These images appear in Donne's poetry only to be mocked. For example, in the poem, The Flea, he shows the love of his being commenced through the body of a flea. The two lovers being married by the blood. Also, "And this, alas, is more than we would do" (l.9), suggests we, alas, do not dare this consummation of our love, which the flea freely accepts. The idea of swelling suggests pregnancy. The flea's body is a temple of their love. If she kills the flea she is not only killing the flea but also them as well, "three sins in killing three" (l.18). There are three sins or murders committed. However, she kills the flea and he asks her what crime the animal has committed to deserve this death. Then, in conclusion, how when she kills the flea she is also taking the life of him. Donne has been compared to the modern poet, T.S Eliot. They are compared for their colloquial styles. For example, Donne not only twists and distorts images and ideas but also rhythnic and stanzaic patterns.
Links to other John Donne web sites
http://www.csus.edu/org/donne/
http://www.island-of-freedom.com/DONNE.HTM
http://www.ncsu.edu/johndonne/
http://www.natural-bridges.com/store5/rl/JOD.html
