Symbolism In John Donne's The Flea
John Donne’s poem, The Flea, is overwhelmed with symbolism. One of the biggest symbols being the flea itself. Throughout the poem, the flea is commonly referred to. Donne takes an insect with very little significance in this world, and turns it into something of great importance. In line 8 of the poem, Donne uses personification to indicate how the flea is seen more as a person and less as an insect. “And pampered swells with one blood made of two” (Line 8). The flea swells with both of the character’s blood, therefore their blood is “mingled”. In the end of the poem, the speaker is trying to keep the woman from killing the flea by stating, “Let not to that, self-murder added be, And sacrilege, three sins in killing three” (line 17-18). The
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There are numerous parts in this poem that allude back to having sex and a woman losing her virginity. Although the speaker never directly states that he wants to have sex, Donne’s play on words gives the reader this idea. The speaker states, “This flea is you and I, and this; Our marriage bed, and marriage temple is” (line 12-13). A marriage bed is for sex. Therefore, it is obvious that sex is what the speaker wants. During the time in which this poem was written, chastity was very important to women. If a woman were to lose her virginity before marriage, she would normally feel a loss of honor. Since a woman losing her virginity before marriage back then was such a big deal, the speaker uses the words marriage to make her feel as if them having sex is okay because in a way it is as if they are already married. The speaker states, “Where we almost, nay more than married are” (line 11). He continues to persuade her to give into his seduction. At the end of the poem the speaker says, “Just so much honor, when thou yield’st to me, Will waste, as this flea’s death took life from thee” (line 26-27). He is telling her that the honor she will lose when giving up her virginity will be equal to that she loss when killing the flea. It is obvious that while sex was never actually stated in the poem, it is what this poem is really
There are numerous parts in this poem that allude back to having sex and a woman losing her virginity. Although the speaker never directly states that he wants to have sex, Donne’s play on words gives the reader this idea. The speaker states, “This flea is you and I, and this; Our marriage bed, and marriage temple is” (line 12-13). A marriage bed is for sex. Therefore, it is obvious that sex is what the speaker wants. During the time in which this poem was written, chastity was very important to women. If a woman were to lose her virginity before marriage, she would normally feel a loss of honor. Since a woman losing her virginity before marriage back then was such a big deal, the speaker uses the words marriage to make her feel as if them having sex is okay because in a way it is as if they are already married. The speaker states, “Where we almost, nay more than married are” (line 11). He continues to persuade her to give into his seduction. At the end of the poem the speaker says, “Just so much honor, when thou yield’st to me, Will waste, as this flea’s death took life from thee” (line 26-27). He is telling her that the honor she will lose when giving up her virginity will be equal to that she loss when killing the flea. It is obvious that while sex was never actually stated in the poem, it is what this poem is really