Analysis of “John Donne’s” “The Flea”

Phillip Hassoun slope 1102 Dr. Thomason 03/14/12 Analysis The Flea, By bath Donne Most of rear Donnes work during his beat frame was usually seen as be vulgar or too much, usually for the sexual themes he drift behind them. But existence the witty and clever author prank Donne was, it is by no surprise that closely state raise their optic brows after reading his verse attain titled The Flea. In the verse form, he coifs the unac routineed affiliation between a flea and sex between couples. Using a metaphysical conceit, the poem is written using that relationship in mind, which straight off well-nigh tidy sum would see as kind of funny or odd.In this unique comparison, he ultimately trys to be take for his honey to become fearless of the consequences in pre-marital sex. It is important to understand the use of metaphysical writing, and how it enabled writers desire caper Donne to write so well more or less devil actually(prenominal) seemingly different int imacys. When the term metaphysical is used, it is referring to a genuinely powerful progress to of philosophy dating back to Aristotle. It is used to explicate some topic usually complex in gutterdid to understand terms, by devising a comparison. One does this by asking themselves both questions what is there?And whats it resembling? These two questions lead the person into a higher aim thinking proses, which usually break up in a form of descriptive writing like parables and poems to add ever more catch and emotion to the thought. This is how authors like deception Donne fag write of comparisons between something impartial like a flea, and something as complex as the emotions we feel. However, the poem to most wad now would still non suck in sense. But when considering the association and ethics of the multitude during his fourth dimension frame, this poem makes much more sense.When flush toilet Donnes 16th century love poem was written, it was believed that when two citizenry had sex, the partners would sh be each others blood. Also hygiene wasnt a very giant stretch forth, since it wasnt common score forthledge to whap that bacteria and viruses could make you sick or more obviously that pot didnt share blood during sex. Due to lack of hygiene, race during this time all had some sort of hu art object flea that lived on them, which ate their blood. The bulk from this time frame really didnt see it as something sodding(a) like people would see today.Because everybody had fleas on them, they were all equally as unrefined to each other in their minds. When posterior Donne is act to express his good into sex with him, this is how he comes up with a metaphysical connection between the two, which is also a perfect example of why people thought he was coarse or dirty in his writing. retentiveness this cognition in mind as you read the poem is life-and-death in order to understand the poem. In the first stanza he begins to determined up his bank line with the girl he is addressing.Using the metaphysical conceit he makes between a flea and sex he writes to his beloved, justifying why he thinks she should corroborate no reason to be worried roughly having sex with him. adjust but this flea, and mark in this, How little you denist me is He says to open the poem. visualize at how small this flea is, thats how small the fact of why you wont have sex with me is, to reword what he is saying. Describing how little the eff is as he goes on in the first stanza. He says that the flea can suck his blood, and then jump to the girls and suck her blood, and share all ternary of the souls in one body.Then says that by doing so, the flea is not causing A sin, nor shame, not loss of maidenhead (1 pg. 571) talking about her virginity. He describes the nature of the flea to savour the mixing of blood from hu spells before it is in love, or without business organization at all since it is a flea. He finishes the line of credit at the decision of the stanza by saying to his beloved that the flea, is doing far worse than what lone(prenominal) they would be doing. He continues in the endorsement stanza by essay to protect the fleas life from the girl.It is understood from the reading that his beloved has become obviously wiped out(p) with what he said, and so she attempts to kill the flea in spite of him. To prevent her from doing so, he starts to explain to her that the flea is carrying triplet souls inside it, him, her, and the flea. And reiterates how the flea is doing far more than them even if they are to be married, since it shares all three souls. He says that since there blood is involved with inside the flea, to look at the flea as their marriage temple and their tradition right to properly have sex, since their blood is already mix.And furthermore says that although your parents drive you to not stir married to me, we already have inside the musical accompaniment soul o f the flea. He then in the last parts of the scrap stanza states his second argument for why they should have pre-marital sex. Though use make you apt to kill me, (1 pg. 172) hysterically saying that she wouldnt mind kill him. He argues that although she wants to kill the flea, doing so would mean sidesplitting herself, himself, and the flea.An odd personal manner of explaining that there mutual love would die, and the fleas love for both would also die, which would be sacrilegious by killing all three souls. As he continues to make this unconvincing argument to his beloved, she kills the flea at the beginning of the third stanza, likely from his roughly mockingly sounding poem about a commodious step in their relationship. However it is at that point when he turns the argument on her completely. Cruel and sudden, he describes her actions as she kills the flea. Saying that the flea was totally innocent, and only was guilty for was stealing two drops of blood.By killing the f lea that shared the couples blood, he asks her if she feels as if their relationship is weaker. Obviously not feeling like their relationship had grown apart, he then completely switches the argument on her, after destroying their wedding temple, By saying that he taught her a lesson of fear. He explains further in the end of the last stanza that the honor she disjointed in killing that flea, would be just as much honor baffled if she were to engage in intercourse with him, since she obviously did not oversee about the death of the flea.He reiterates in his last statements that he is doing the exact same thing as the flea that took life from her. This concludes his not so romantic poem, but very interesting explanation of their situation. thrones poem is written in a clever dash, unlike most of the poems people would read from Shakespeares century. He makes a good metaphysical connection between the flea and sex, and almost sounds like he denies the fact that he is really just trying hook up with her. If any girl was to be read this poem as a pickup line, and understand it, then they would plausibly be offended.This is why the poem cannot be read far too ill when he explains that the important subject of losing your virginity can be compared to the instinct of a flea, and dooms the poem to have you chuckling while you read it. However, when he ties everything up in the final stanza it turns into an look opening poem. This was a very ingenious vogue to explain the feelings of the man in a relationship. The one who is trying to get the girl in the bed, but she fears all of the consequences.The connection he make between something as small and irrelevant as a flea existenceness described into a deep elaborate though about love, and mans thoughts just show his great writing skill. Works Cited pageboy Barnet, Sylvan, William Burto, and William E. Cain. A Little Literature Reading/writing and Argument. New York Pearson/Longman, 2007. Print. John Donne Th e Flea and Persuasion StudyMode. com. 10 2011. 10 2011 .Analysis of John Donnes The FleaPhillip Hassoun side of meat 1102 Dr. Thomason 03/14/12 Analysis The Flea, By John Donne Most of John Donnes work during his time frame was usually seen as being vulgar or too much, usually for the sexual themes he define behind them. But being the witty and clever author John Donne was, it is by no surprise that most people raise their eye brows after reading his poem titled The Flea. In the poem, he makes the singular connection between a flea and sex between couples. Using a metaphysical conceit, the poem is written using that relationship in mind, which today most people would see as kind of funny or odd.In this unique comparison, he ultimately trys to persuade his beloved to become fearless of the consequences in pre-marital sex. It is important to understand the use of metaphysical writing, and how it enabled writers like John Donne to write so well about two very seemingly different thi ngs. When the term metaphysical is used, it is referring to a very powerful form of philosophy dating back to Aristotle. It is used to explain something usually complex in simple to understand terms, by fashioning a comparison. One does this by asking themselves two questions what is there?And whats it like? These two questions lead the person into a higher take aim thinking proses, which usually end up in a form of descriptive writing like parables and poems to add ever more pinch and emotion to the thought. This is how authors like John Donne can write of comparisons between something simple like a flea, and something as complex as the emotions we feel. However, the poem to most people today would still not make sense. But when considering the knowledge and ethics of the people during his time frame, this poem makes much more sense.When John Donnes 16th century love poem was written, it was believed that when two people had sex, the partners would share each others blood. Also hygiene wasnt a very big issue, since it wasnt common knowledge to know that bacteria and viruses could make you sick or more obviously that people didnt share blood during sex. Due to lack of hygiene, people during this time all had some sort of human flea that lived on them, which ate their blood. The people from this time frame really didnt see it as something gross like people would see today.Because everybody had fleas on them, they were all equally as gross to each other in their minds. When John Donne is trying to persuade his beloved into sex with him, this is how he comes up with a metaphysical connection between the two, which is also a perfect example of why people thought he was coarse or dirty in his writing. guardianship this knowledge in mind as you read the poem is crucial in order to understand the poem. In the first stanza he begins to set up his argument with the girl he is addressing.Using the metaphysical conceit he makes between a flea and sex he writes to his beloved, explaining why he thinks she should have no reason to be worried about having sex with him. check up on but this flea, and mark in this, How little you denist me is He says to open the poem. regard at how small this flea is, thats how small the fact of why you wont have sex with me is, to reword what he is saying. Describing how little the issue is as he goes on in the first stanza. He says that the flea can suck his blood, and then jump to the girls and suck her blood, and share all three of the souls in one body.Then says that by doing so, the flea is not causing A sin, nor shame, not loss of maidenhead (1 pg. 571) talking about her virginity. He describes the nature of the flea to applaud the mixing of blood from humans before it is in love, or without care at all since it is a flea. He finishes the argument at the end of the stanza by saying to his beloved that the flea, is doing far worse than what only they would be doing. He continues in the second stanza by tryi ng to protect the fleas life from the girl.It is understood from the reading that his beloved has become obviously vacate with what he said, and so she attempts to kill the flea in spite of him. To prevent her from doing so, he starts to explain to her that the flea is carrying three souls inside it, him, her, and the flea. And reiterates how the flea is doing far more than them even if they are to be married, since it shares all three souls. He says that since there blood is mixed with inside the flea, to look at the flea as their marriage temple and their custom right to properly have sex, since their blood is already mixed.And furthermore says that although your parents exalt you to not get married to me, we already have inside the living soul of the flea. He then in the last parts of the second stanza states his second argument for why they should have pre-marital sex. Though use make you apt to kill me, (1 pg. 172) hysterically saying that she wouldnt mind killing him. He arg ues that although she wants to kill the flea, doing so would mean killing herself, himself, and the flea.An odd expression of explaining that there mutual love would die, and the fleas love for both would also die, which would be sacrilegious by killing all three souls. As he continues to make this unconvincing argument to his beloved, she kills the flea at the beginning of the third stanza, probably from his almost mockingly sounding poem about a big step in their relationship. However it is at that point when he turns the argument on her completely. Cruel and sudden, he describes her actions as she kills the flea. Saying that the flea was only innocent, and only was guilty for was stealing two drops of blood.By killing the flea that shared the couples blood, he asks her if she feels as if their relationship is weaker. Obviously not feeling like their relationship had grown apart, he then completely switches the argument on her, after destroying their wedding temple, By saying tha t he taught her a lesson of fear. He explains further in the end of the last stanza that the honor she lost in killing that flea, would be just as much honor lost if she were to engage in intercourse with him, since she obviously did not care about the death of the flea.He reiterates in his last statements that he is doing the exact same thing as the flea that took life from her. This concludes his not so romantic poem, but very interesting explanation of their situation. Johns poem is written in a clever way, unlike most of the poems people would read from Shakespeares century. He makes a good metaphysical connection between the flea and sex, and almost sounds like he denies the fact that he is really just trying hook up with her. If any girl was to be read this poem as a pickup line, and understand it, then they would probably be offended.This is why the poem cannot be read far too ill when he explains that the important subject of losing your virginity can be compared to the ins tinct of a flea, and dooms the poem to have you chuckling while you read it. However, when he ties everything up in the final stanza it turns into an eye opening poem. This was a very ingenious way to explain the feelings of the man in a relationship. The one who is trying to get the girl in the bed, but she fears all of the consequences.The connection he make between something as small and irrelevant as a flea being described into a deep elaborate though about love, and mans thoughts just show his great writing skill. Works Cited rogue Barnet, Sylvan, William Burto, and William E. Cain. A Little Literature Reading/writing and Argument. New York Pearson/Longman, 2007. Print. John Donne The Flea and Persuasion StudyMode. com. 10 2011. 10 2011 .