The Flea By John Donne

John Donne’s poem, The Flea, was written during his early years while he was still a Catholic. This was before his major conversion to the Anglican church. Also, the theme of carpe diem, or “seize the day,” that is present in this poem was reflected in the wanton nature of Donne’s early life.
The image of the flea is John Donne’s main vehicle for conveying his message. Around the time this poem was written in Europe, the flea was a popular representation of unbridled erotic expression. The reason for this was that the flea travels around sucking blood from various people, or “mistresses.” Many poets expressed envy for this insect that was so free and guiltless in choosing its multiple partners. Throughout history, blood has been seen as a symbol of passion. The flea’s consumption of blood makes it an easy vehicle for the poet to express his or her envy over the seemingly “sexual” freedom of the insect. For example, the speaker says “And this, alas, is more than we would do” when speaking of the flea’s apparent ease with which it travels between partners. While the flea is only sucking the blood it needs to survive. Donne uses this as a metaphor to express the freedom that the individual should express
The speaker is referring to the institution of marriage. The speaker states “three lives in one flea spare, Where we almost, nay more than married are.” When he says, “This flea is you and I” the speaker is stating his belief that one should live like the flea and not hold back one’s passions. Later, the speaker relates the state of most human beings as cloistered, referring to cloistered religious people who live in solitude in convents or monasteries. Again, the speaker is making it clearly known that he thinks the societal norms surrounding sexual expression are like bondages restricting individual