The Flea by John Donne (AQA A-Level English Literature A): Revision Notes

The Flea by John Donne

Overview

'The Flea' is a poem from the metaphysical tradition in which a male speaker attempts to seduce a woman by constructing an elaborate argument around a flea. The speaker uses the idea that the flea has bitten both of them, thus mingling their blood, as proof that they have already become intimately connected. He therefore argues that she should have no hesitation in sleeping with him, since what he proposes has, in essence, already occurred.

Throughout the poem, the speaker manipulates logic to serve his desires. He introduces religious and theological imagery in the second stanza, presenting the flea in almost sacred terms. Rather than following the conventional path of promising marriage after intimacy, the speaker dismisses the importance of virginity and traditional matrimonial commitment. The poem is playful, witty, and deliberately provocative, challenging social and religious conventions through its audacious comparison.

Synopsis

The poem unfolds across three stanzas, each marking a distinct stage in the speaker's argument:

Stanza One: In the opening stanza, the speaker draws his companion's attention to a flea that has bitten both of them. He minimises the significance of sexual relations by comparing it to this tiny insect bite, stating it is merely a small thing that she denies him. The speaker points to the flea, now swollen with blood from both of them, and laments that the insect has accomplished more than he has been allowed to do.

Stanza Two: The second stanza sees the speaker pleading with the woman to spare the flea's life. He argues that killing it would constitute a triple homicide, since the creature now contains blood from three beings. The speaker likens the flea, rather irreverently, to their marriage bed and even to a sacred temple, suggesting that their union has already taken place within this tiny creature.

Stanza Three: By the final stanza, it becomes clear that the woman has ignored his protest and killed the flea. The speaker shifts his argumentative strategy in response. He questions what guilt the flea possessed, other than having drawn blood from her. He then reverses his logic entirely, claiming that just as killing the flea resulted in no loss of honour for either of them, sleeping with him would similarly deprive her of nothing significant. In this clever twist, the speaker uses the woman's own action to support his seduction attempt.

Historical and literary context

The 1590s and Elizabethan England

Whilst the exact date of composition remains uncertain, 'The Flea' was most likely written during the 1590s, a period when love poetry, particularly sonnets, enjoyed extraordinary popularity in England. This newfound enthusiasm for romantic verse can perhaps be attributed to the relative peacefulness of the era. After decades of political turmoil and religious conflict, the stability under Elizabeth I's reign allowed people to turn their attention inward, exploring matters of the heart rather than warfare and survival.

However, whilst 'The Flea' is not strictly a love poem, it engages with themes closely aligned to love literature, namely seduction and sexual desire. It could be argued that Donne deliberately satirises conventional love poetry through his choice of subject matter. Rather than employing the overly elaborate and sincere expressions typical of Elizabethan love poetry, he creates a work that is self-consciously peculiar and outlandish.

Metaphysical poetry

'The Flea' exemplifies the characteristics of metaphysical poetry, a style that flourished in late sixteenth and seventeenth-century England. The term 'metaphysical' derives from 'meta' (meaning 'beyond' or 'after') and 'physical', suggesting poetry concerned with matters beyond the purely physical realm - namely, abstract or philosophical questions about existence and the universe.

Metaphysical poetry possesses several distinctive features:

• These poems characteristically employ strange paradoxes and puns, such as comparing lovers to a compass or the soul to a drop of dew
• These unusual comparisons are known as conceits - extended metaphors that draw surprising connections between seemingly unrelated things
• The poems are typically original and witty in their expression, often touching on religion or incorporating religious imagery, even if sometimes in sacrilegious ways
• They explore carpe diem themes or philosophical concepts, such as Marvell's 'To His Coy Mistress'
• The verse contains complicated thought and tends to be argumentative, intellectual, and rational in structure
• This complexity and subtlety can make metaphysical poems challenging to grasp on first reading
• These poems frequently employ scientific, medical, or legal imagery and language, alongside colloquial expressions that give them a conversational quality

Elizabethan monarchy and virginity

The poem was written during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, often referred to as the 'Virgin Queen'. Elizabeth had reportedly vowed to remain unmarried and maintain perpetual chastity throughout her life. This virginity became intrinsically linked to England's political stability; her celibacy was transformed into a powerful propagandistic claim that she sacrificed personal interests for the sake of public welfare. Simultaneously, her position as the highest authority in England whilst remaining unmarried generated considerable anxiety within the strongly patriarchal society of the time.

Authorial context

John Donne was born in 1572 into a prosperous Roman Catholic family. He pursued his education at the University of Oxford and subsequently at Cambridge, though he did not graduate from either institution. His Catholic faith prevented him from swearing the Oath of Allegiance to the Protestant queen, which was required for graduation. He then studied law at Thavies Inn and Lincoln's Inn. After several unsuccessful attempts to secure public office, he eventually converted to Protestantism and was ultimately appointed Dean of St Paul's Cathedral.

Donne gained wide recognition for his eloquent and powerful sermons. His poetry, conversely, was not widely known during his lifetime; it circulated almost exclusively in manuscript form among a select circle of friends and patrons.

Donne's poetic voice departs significantly from many conventions of sixteenth-century verse, particularly those established by poets such as Sidney and Spenser. He experimented boldly with genre, form, and imagery, and his poems often contain few descriptive passages. Instead, his poetic voices reflect emotional intensity and frequently speak directly to their subjects. One of his most famous openings, "For Godsake hold your tongue, and let me love", begins 'The Canonisation'. Donne transformed the conceit into a vehicle for conveying multiple or contradictory feelings and ideas simultaneously. Furthermore, he altered the Renaissance love lyric tradition - in which lovers contemplated their feelings privately - by introducing an addressee: the lady herself or some other listener. His genius only began to receive proper recognition from the nineteenth century onwards. Today he is considered one of the foremost metaphysical poets.

Detailed analysis

The opening and the conceit

Donne establishes his central conceit immediately in the opening line with the command "Mark but this flea". The word 'mark' functions as an imperative verb, instructing the woman to observe and compare the flea to sexual intercourse. The monosyllabic opening creates an informal, conversational tone, suggesting an ordinary exchange between two people who are familiar with one another. The use of 'thee' throughout reinforces this intimacy and creates a euphemistic quality - the four monosyllables combined with the caesura echo the first line, establishing a sense of regularity and reasonableness in the speaker's tone.

The flea itself serves as the extended metaphor that structures the entire poem. This cultural context adds another layer to Donne's deliberately provocative choice.

The speaker deliberately elevates the lowly flea to an exalted status. He refers to it as a 'minister' who joins them in marriage, describes it as their 'temple' and 'cloister', and suggests it functions as a sacred space where a sacrament occurs. This audacious comparison between a disease-carrying parasite and holy matrimony is both humorous and sacrilegious, demonstrating the playful yet transgressive nature of the poem.

Religious imagery and sacrilege

Religious imagery pervades the poem, creating a tension between the sacred and the profane. The speaker's comparison of the flea to a 'marriage bed' and 'marriage temple' invokes the sacrament of matrimony. His reference to 'three lives in one flea' constitutes a deliberate, if irreverent, allusion to the Holy Trinity - the three persons in one Godhead (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). This comparison becomes even more audacious when the speaker argues that killing the flea would be 'sacrilege' and comparable to 'killing three'.

Similarly, the repeated references to marriage invoke both social and religious conventions surrounding sexuality in the period. The speaker's description of blood as 'purple' and references to it being 'blood of innocence' create an oxymoronic effect, as spilling blood was commonly described as purple or crimson, and bleeding was traditionally viewed as sinful rather than innocent. These religious allusions work to naturalise or sanctify what the speaker proposes, whilst simultaneously challenging the Church's authority over sexual morality.

The argument's progression

The poem's argumentative structure demonstrates the speaker's quick wit and legal training:

1. First stanza: He minimises the significance of sex by equating it with a flea bite
2. Second stanza: He elevates the flea to sacred status, arguing that they are already united within it
3. Third stanza: When the woman kills the flea, he rapidly adjusts his strategy, using her action to support his case

This reversal showcases Donne's skill at manipulating logic. The line "Just so much honor, when thou yield'st to me, / Will waste, as this flea's death took life from thee" employs parallelism to equate the two acts. The alliteration in "how false, fears be" sets this phrase apart from the surrounding text, emphasising the deceptive nature of her concerns. The sibilance throughout creates a slithery, snake-like sound quality, aurally recalling the Devil as serpent in the Garden of Eden story, which links the speaker's persuasive attempt to that original temptation.

Structure and form

Rhyme scheme

'The Flea' is constructed from three stanzas, each containing nine lines. The stanzas follow an AABBCCDDD rhyme scheme, consisting of three rhyming couplets followed by a tercet.

Meter and rhythm

The poem alternates between iambic pentameter (five iambic feet per line) and iambic tetrameter (four iambic feet per line). The opening line employs tetrameter, followed by a pentameter line, and this alternation continues throughout each stanza, which concludes with a tercet composed of one line of tetrameter and two lines of pentameter.

Donne's choice to use mixed metre proves interesting when considered alongside traditional poetic forms. Iambic pentameter was conventionally employed in sonnets and heroic verse during this period, carrying with it certain prestigious associations. Iambic tetrameter, whilst lacking some of this prestige, compensates through its playful qualities. The deployment of these two contrasting metres - one weighty and serious, the other lighter and more whimsical - mirrors the gulf between the poem's grave subject matter (sin, sacraments, mortal death) and the speaker's playful, witty argumentative style.

Enjambment and caesura

Most of the poem's lines are end-stopped, with many containing caesura that divides them into near-perfect halves.

Enjambment occurs more sporadically throughout the poem, though with notable effect. The first instance appears in line 8: "And pampered swells with one blood/ made of two". The engorgement of the flea (or potentially, through double entendre, the speaker's arousal) is mirrored by the elongated, swollen phrase that stretches across the line break.

Later enjambment occurs when the mistress has killed the flea and the speaker appears momentarily caught off guard: "hast thou since/ Purpled thy nail" (lines 19-20). The unexpected line break following 'since' creates a sense of the speaker suddenly rushing forward in his eagerness to reformulate his argument, marking a contrast to the poem's otherwise slow, measured opening. This structural moment of surprise reflects Donne's characteristic formal carelessness and creates the impression of spontaneous thought.

Language and poetic techniques

Repetition

Repetition functions as a particularly effective rhetorical device in persuasive writing and speeches, working to embed an idea thoroughly in someone's consciousness. Donne employs this technique strategically throughout the poem. He repeatedly alludes to the Holy Trinity on lines 10, 12, and 18, reinforcing the notion that the flea functions as a holy creature, capable of sanctifying their physical union through its capacity to symbolically marry them.

Donne also repeats "sucks" in line 3, which can be interpreted as a double entendre, introducing a comedic undertone to the seduction attempt.

The extended conceit

The flea functions as a potentially inappropriate or grotesque object to employ as the foundation for a conceit about seduction and sexuality. As a bodily parasite, the flea carries distinctly unpleasant associations. However, the poem operates within a long European tradition of insects swarming around the necks, bosoms, and undergarments of ladies, exciting male observers who lack such intimate access to these locations.

During the Renaissance period, sexual intercourse was believed to involve the mingling of blood, and the credibility of the poem's conceit depends partly upon this understanding. The speaker employs synecdoche (discussed below) to represent their entire union through this mixing of blood within the flea's body.

Synecdoche

Synecdoche is a literary device in which a part of something represents the whole. Donne utilises synecdoche in stanza two when he states "This flea is you and I" (line 12). Since the flea has drawn blood from both individuals, it contains them both; the blood component stands in for their complete beings.

Allusion

The allusion to religion and specifically the Holy Trinity creates an incongruous contrast with the image of the flea. The flea represents a simple-minded, grotesque insect that spreads disease, standing in stark opposition to the sacred, elevated nature of the Holy Trinity and the dignified Sacraments (such as marriage). The speaker declares that killing the flea would constitute "sacrilege" (line 18), a term denoting the act of treating something sacred with violent disrespect or contempt. However, this claim rings hollow and ironic, given that the actual sacrilege involves comparing a parasitic insect to a temple and to the Godhead itself.

The poem was likely composed during Donne's law student years, before he assumed the position of Dean of St Paul's Cathedral. This timing adds an additional layer of transgression to his playful manipulation of religious concepts for seductive purposes.

Alliteration

Donne employs alliteration strategically to emphasise particular concepts.

Further alliteration occurs in line 25 with "how false, fears be". This phrase stands out from its surrounding context through the 'f' sound pattern. The positioning proves fitting, as the deceptive nature of fear constitutes the speaker's main argument in the final stanza, which could be summarised as: 'Your fears are unfounded; your honour will remain intact, so we should have sex.' The sibilance occurring throughout this phrase generates a slithering, serpentine quality that aurally evokes the Devil as snake in the Genesis narrative, subtly connecting the speaker's persuasive tactics to that original temptation of Eve.

Themes

Sex and lust

Lust forms the raison d'être (reason for existence) of the poem, representing a man's attempt to convince a lady to engage in sexual relations with him. Reading the poem as autobiographical, it merits noting that Donne possessed a reputation as a 'ladies' man' among his contemporaries; Richard Baker noted that Donne was considered "a great visitor of Ladies". The double entendres scattered throughout - such as "sucked me" (line 3) and "swelled" (line 8) - potentially gesture towards the speaker's aroused state.

The speaker appears to exist in a stable, established relationship with the lady he addresses. He references their familiarity through "use" (line 16) and hints at the relationship's depth by mentioning their "parents['] grudge" (line 14). This detail suggests the couple have reached a stage where marriage discussions have occurred, though familial objections persist. Nevertheless, any love the speaker harbours for the lady remains implicit rather than explicitly declared within the poem.

Marriage and religion

Donne experienced numerous conflicts with religious institutions throughout his life. Born into a Catholic family, he faced denial of degrees from Oxford and Cambridge because he refused to take the Oath of Supremacy, which recognised the English monarch as the supreme head of the English Church. Despite this background, he later converted to Protestantism and assumed the role of Dean at St Paul's Cathedral.

The poem's speaker avoids openly endorsing pre-marital sexual activity. Instead, he employs a twisted logic suggesting they have already entered into marriage. Nevertheless, the religious allusions throughout can be interpreted as sacrilegious and potentially threatening to ecclesiastical authority, particularly the Church's control over sexual morality.

Alternatively, these assertions might suggest that sex should not be interpreted as sinful or shameful behaviour. Through this reading, he not only sacrilegiously compares a parasite to a temple and the Holy Trinity, but also appears to challenge fundamental Christian values regarding sexuality and morality.

Critical perspectives

Amanda Boyd's interpretation

Amanda Boyd offers a more positive reading of the gender dynamics within the poem. She argues that "Donne's poetry does not demean women but in fact acknowledges and appreciates all of their capabilities". Boyd contends that the interaction portrayed represents an exchange between equally intelligent individuals, with each party challenging the other playfully within the context of their romantic relationship.

However, a counter-perspective might argue that the exchange remains fundamentally unequal despite the woman's resistance. The man's voice dominates the entire poem, consuming all linguistic space, whilst the woman's objection is merely reported rather than voiced directly. This structural imbalance potentially undermines claims of true equality within their interaction.

Peter Rudnytsky on logic and metaphor

Peter Rudnytsky observes that "Donne manipulates logic and metaphor" to construct his seductive argument. The manipulation of logic proves central to the poem's persuasive strategy.

Comparative connections

'The Flea' and 'The Scrutiny'

Similarities:

Both poems present speakers with notably selfish attitudes towards women. In 'The Flea', the speaker dismisses his mistress's concerns about virginity and honour in favour of pursuing his own physical pleasure. Similarly, in 'The Scrutiny', the speaker discards the woman he addresses after spending a single night with her, demonstrating callous disregard for her feelings.

Both poems employ twisted logic to justify their speakers' desires. The speaker in 'The Scrutiny' claims his pursuit of other women represents a positive action because he will eventually return to her "sated", implying she will benefit from his infidelities. Meanwhile, 'The Flea' pushes logical reasoning to absurd extremes by arguing that a parasitic insect functions as a marriage temple.

The poems share an interest in argumentation and casuistry - the construction of cases for particular positions. Both attempt to make convincing cases for behaviours that would typically be considered inappropriate or immoral.

Finally, both poems engage with the theme of lust as a driving force behind male behaviour, though they approach this theme from different angles and with different tones.

'The Flea' and 'To His Coy Mistress'

Similarities:

Both works belong to the metaphysical poetry tradition, featuring speakers who aim to persuade women to engage in sexual activity with them. Both address significant, profound subjects including time, mortality, sin, and religious belief. Both poems incorporate double entendres - 'The Flea' contains "sucked" and "swell", whilst 'To His Coy Mistress' includes "vegetable love should grow".

Differences:

The references employed differ significantly between the two poems:

• 'To His Coy Mistress' draws upon broader cultural allusions including the Ganges river and Greek mythology, demonstrating wide-ranging classical knowledge
• 'The Flea' maintains tighter focus on its central conceit, incorporating some religious references but remaining more concentrated in its imagery