The FleaJohn Donne.docx
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The FleaJohn Donne.docx
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TheFleaJohnDonne
Howdoesfactorssuchassex,convention,lossofvirginity,profanationoperatesinthespeaker’sargument?
TheFlea
Markebutthisflea,andmarkeinthis,Justlookatthisflea
Howlittlethatwhichthoudeny'stmeis;
Meitsuck'dfirst,andnowsucksthee,
Andinthisfleaourtwobloodsmingledbee;Manshallbejoineduntohiswifeandtheytwoshallbeoneflesh;sexasa"minglingoftheblood"
Confesseit,thiscannotbesaid
Asinne,orshame,orlosseofmaidenhead,
Yetthisenjoyesbeforeitwooe,courtawoman;seektheaffection
Andpamper'dswellswithonebloodmadeoftwo,impliessexand/orpregnancy(ie,motherandchildarethe"two")
Andthis,alas,ismorethanweewoulddoe.
Ohstay,threelivesinonefleaspare,Stopandyouspare(save)threelives
Whenwealmost,naymorethanmaryedare.
ThisfleaisyouandI,andthis
Ourmarriagebed,andmarriagetempleis;manandwomanshallbeoneflesh
Thoughparentsgrudge,andyou,w'aremet,
AndcloysterdintheselivingwallsofJet.
(seekingrefugein;hiddenacovent)
Thoughusemaketheeapttokillme,conventions
Letnottothis,selfemurderaddedbee,
Andsacrilege,threesinnesinkillingthree.Profanation;beheretical
Cruellandsodaine[violent;sudden?
inthetextbook],hasthousince
Purpledthynaile,inbloodofinnocence?
purplewasaveryexpensivecolour,associatedwithroyaltyandromance;virginity;thefleaisanoffenderagainstherchastity
Inwhat[wherein]couldthisfleaguiltybee,
Exceptinthatdropwhichitsucktfromthee?
Yetthoutriumph'st,andsaistthatthou
Find'stnotthyself,normeetheweakernow;
'Tistrue,thenlearnehowfalse,fearesbee;
Justsomuchhonor,whenthouyeeld'sttomee,makeconcessiontome
Willwast,asthisflea'sdeathtookelifefromthee.Justastheflea’sdeathtook(solittlelife)fromthee,so,whenyouacceptmyproposal,littlehonourwillwaste(belostordiluted)
Glossary
Jet-adeep,glossyblackstone.Thisisofcourseareferencetothecolourofaflea,andisespeciallystrongimagerywhenonecomparesthelifelessstonewiththe"livingwalls".
Sodaine-violent.
Overallexplanation
Mycopyofthepoemnotesthat"Fleaswereapopularsubjectforjocose[humorous]andamatory[love]poetryinallcountriesattheRenaissance".Theirpopularitystemsfromaneventthathappenedinaliterarysalon(aplacewherepoetsandotherscametorecitepoetryandconverse).Thesalonwasrunbytwoladies,andonoccasionsafleahappenedtolandupononelady'sbreast.Thepoetswereamazedatthecreature'saudacity,andwereinspiredtowritepoetryaboutthebeast.Itsoonbecamefashionableamongpoetstowritepoemsaboutfleas.
Inthispoem,the"I"ofthepoemislyinginbedwithhislover,andtryingtogethertogivehervirginitytohim.(Itcould,ofcourse,quiteeasilybeaFEMALE"I"tryingtoseduceaMALE,butIwillstickwithoneforconvenience).Whilelyingthere,henoticesaflea,whichhasobviouslybittenthemboth.Sincethe17-centuryideawasofsexasa"minglingoftheblood",herealizesthatbymixingtheirbloodstogetherinitsbody,thefleahasdonewhatshedidn'tdaretodo.
Then,heargues,sincethefleahasdoneit,whyshouldn'tthey?
Tobackuphisargument,hereferstothemarriageceremony,whichstatesthat"manandwomanshallbeoneflesh".Hearguesthatsincetheyhavemingledtheirbloodsandaretherefore"oneblood",theyarepractically"oneflesh"andarethereforemarried!
Notonlydoesthatreinforcehisseductionargument,butitalsoprovidesammunitionforhimtodefendhimselfwhenthefemaledoesthenextlogicalthingandmovestokilltheflea.Donnearguesthatbyspillinghisbloodandhersbykillingtheflea,sheispracticallycommittingmurder.Notonlythat,butbybreakingtheholybondofmarriagesheiscommittingsacrilege!
However,thefleafinallyiskilled,andthepoetisforcedtochangetactics.There,heargues,killingthefleawaseasy,andasyousayithasn'tharmedus-well,yieldingtomewillbejustaseasyandpainless.
Thispoemborrowsalotofreligiousimagery,becauseithelpsaddanabsurdauthoritytothepoem,asDonnetriestoarguethatwhattheyareabouttodoisnotonlysupportedbyGod,buttonotdoitwouldbeheretical.
PoeticDevices
∙Directaddress:
Markebutthisflea...
∙Repetition:
Andmarkeinthis
∙Conceits:
Flea>Church>Flea
MovementWithinthePoem
∙Firststanza:
Contemplativeandwhimsical
∙Secondstanza:
Becomesmoreabsurd,pacegetsfaster
∙Thirdstanza:
Slowingandreversalofargument.
∙Notagoodideatowritedown,butinterestingtonotethatthepaceofthepoemfollowsthatofsex-agradualbuild-upofintensityleadingtothesudden,climactic...deathofaflea.
Imagery
∙Muchreligiousimagery:
Confesseit
onebloodmadeoftwo-impliessexand/orpregnancy(ie,motherandchildarethe"two")
threelivesinoneflea-holytrinity
cloysterd
sacrilege,threesinnesinkillingthree-moreholytrinityimagery
bloodofinnocence
Generally
∙Circularargument.Thefleastartsandendsasnothing.
∙Hijackingofmarriageceremony.TheAnglicanmarriageceremonyincludesthelines
Manshallbejoineduntohiswifeandtheytwoshallbeoneflesh.
Comparewithonebloodmadeoftwo,ThisfleaisyouandI...,etc.
∙Argumentgainsconfidencethroughoutthestanzas,andisthenabruptlyturnedaround.
∙Notetheroleofthefemaleinthispoem-herobjectionsarenevernoted,justreactedto,andshemakesthemostpowerfulstatementinthepoem,yetitisanon-verbalstatement(hercrushingoftheflea)
∙Thereisalotofhyperboleinthispoem,atechniquethatDonneoftenusestomakeapoint.
∙Onebloodmadeoftwo...-inDonne'stime,thesexactwasthoughtobea"minglingofthebloods"-sothelineisbothlewdandplayful,especiallyasitisfollowedbytheteasingAndthis,alas,ismorethanweewoulddoe.
∙Purpledthynaile...-purplewasaveryexpensivecolour,associatedwithroyaltyandromance.AlsonotethatinthefirsttwolinesofthisstanzaDonneisarguingthatthedeathofthefleaismoreimportantthanthelossofvirginity.
∙Notagoodideatousethisinaformalexam,butnoteMeitsuck'dfirst,andnowsucksthee-apparentlyinthe17thcenturytheprinted"s"lookedalotliketheprinted"f":
"Itwouldbenosurprise...thatDonneisbeingdeliberatelyambivalenthere."(2/3URelatedEnglishhandout)
Quotes
∙Threelivesinonefleaspare
∙purpledthynaile,inbloodofinnocence...
∙Justsomuchhonour,whenthouyeeld'sttome
Willwast,asthisflea'sdeathtooklifefromthee.
Nomanisanislandentireofitself;everyman
isapieceofthecontinent,apartofthemain;
ifaclodbewashedawaybythesea,Europe
istheless,aswellasifapromontorywere,as
wellasanymannerofthyfriendsorofthine
ownwere;anyman'sdeathdiminishesme,
becauseIaminvolvedinmankind.
Andthereforeneversendtoknowforwhom
thebelltolls;ittollsforthee.
ErnestHemingway:
"'NomanisanIsland...andthereforeneversendtoknowforwhomthebelltolls;ittollsforthee.'TheepilogueofHemingway'snovelForWhomTheBellTollstakenfromapoembyJohnDonne.ForwhomTheBellTollsisanovelpurgedinemotion,thewritingsandinterpretationsofanAmericanontheSpanishCivilWar.Ladenwithaction,thrillsandhistoricalscenes,ForWhomTheBellTollsleavesthereadergaspingformoreandmore.OnefindsthemselvesfullyemergedinthewritingsandperceptionsofHemingwayconcerningthecivilWarandtheeventsthatflourishedfromit."
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- The Flea John Donne