Who did John Donne write the flea for?
Who did John Donne write the flea for?
The exact date of its composition is unknown, but it is probable that Donne wrote this poem in the 1590s when he was a young law student at Lincoln’s Inn, before he became a respected religious figure as Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral.
When was the flea written?
1590s
What is the purpose of the poem the flea?
‘The Flea’ is a 17th-century English poem by John Donne and uses a flea as a metaphor to explore the sexual union between a man and a woman. The speaker in the poem shows a flea to a young lady that has apparently bitten both of them.
Why did Donne write the flea?
In this case a flea and love’s consummation. John Donne wrote this poem when a young man, training to be a lawyer, so many scholars think it was written to impress his male friends. Later on in his life Donne became seriously involved in religion, eventually ending up as dean of St Paul’s cathedral, London, in 1621.
How does the flea present love?
John Donne’s “The Flea” details the attempts of a lover to convince his partner of the insignificance of physical love through conceit. He begins by stating the sex that “thou deniest me” (Donne 2) means nothing, just like the flea’s bite. …
What three things will the woman killed by crushing the flea?
(Kind of like how it is almost diamonds) The woman will kill the flea, the blood of the male inside the flea, and the blood of herself. The three sins that she commits are destroying her “marriage bed” and “marriage temple” (which are considered sacred). She also kills the flea.
What is the conceit in the flea?
“The Flea” is a perfect example of a metaphysical conceit. The entire poem itself uses a flea bite as a way to talk a lover into a sexual relationship. Donne uses creative and complex analogies to compare their sexual union to the bite of a flea.
What seems to be the speakers purpose in the flea?
The speaker in this poem is trying to seduce a young woman to have sex with him, and he is using the flea to bolster his argument. While this may seem like a rather unconventional choice for a love poem, Donne makes it work. The clever metaphor and argument make this a great example of a metaphysical poem.
What happens to the flea in the flea?
The flea has bitten them both, and now their blood is mixed inside the flea. He says the flea represents the joining of their blood, as in marriage. If she squashes the flea, she will be killing herself, the speaker, and, oh-by-the-way, committing sacrilege against the institution of marriage.
What does the woman say to defend killing the flea in the flea?
She is apt to kill him, he says, but he asks that she not kill herself by killing the flea that contains her blood; he says that to kill the flea would be sacrilege, “three sins in killing three.”
How does the flea represent three lives in one?
Lines 10-11 As the woman raises her hand to kill the flea that is still sucking her flesh, the speaker begs her to hold off. In a desperate effort, he’s like, “Wait…you can’t kill the flea because… because…it represents our marriage!” The flea, he says, contains three lives: his, hers, and the flea’s.
Who is the speaker of the poem the layers?
The last lines suggest that the poet is the speaker in this piece. He is acknowledging the limits of his own poetry and accepting that he is not going to be able to “decipher” the future or adequately convey the past.
What are the images used in the poem the flea?
The tiny insect is the primary image of the poem, through which all the metaphors and puns that Donne is famous for are woven. He takes advantage of the contrast between the small size and general insignificance of the flea and the monumental importance that the speaker ascribes to it.
What is the main theme of the flea?
The Flea by John Donne is a metaphysical love poem which takes the form of an erotic humorous narrative. The predominant theme in this poem is seduction which is illustrated using a persuasive conceit of a humble flea.
What poetic devices are used in the flea?
Poetic Devices Meter: Each stanza contains alternating lines of iambic tetrameter and iambic pentameter with a closing iambic pentameter couplet. Repetition – “mark” and “sucked” is repeated in lines 1 and 3 respectively. Repetition is a rhetorical device. Rhetorical devices are common in persuasive speeches.
Is the Flea a symbol?
Donne has used a lot of symbolism in the entirety of the poem. Throughout the poem, he’s used the flea as a symbol of their togetherness, and expands on it being their marriage bed. He alludes to the symbolism of the Holy Trinity when he talks about three things in one body.
What is the rhyme scheme for the poem the flea?
Let’s start with the rhyme scheme: AABBCCDDD. These couplets (and one triplet at the end of the stanza) help you keep track of the speaker’s argument, which generally proceeds in two-line units.
Is the theme of love expressed in the flea explain?
I wouldn’t say that John Donne’s “The Flea” expresses the theme of love so much as sexual desire. In that regard, Donne was able to draw on an existing convention for the central conceit of his poem. It was quite common in those days for sex to be represented as the mingling of blood.
Where is the shift in the flea?
Shifts. -There is a very sudden shift at the beginning of the third stanza when the lover kills the flea. The poem goes from the speaker begging her to not kill it to him blaming her for doing so.
Does me rhyme with flea?
| Word | Rhyme rating | Meter |
|---|---|---|
| see | 100 | [/] |
| me | 100 | [/] |
| three | 100 | [/] |
| p | 100 | [/] |
What has formed the speakers blood?
What has formed the speaker’s blood? Answer: The soil, the air and the birthplace formed the speaker’s blood.
Why did the narrator always over Nanukaka?
The under secretary always obeyed Nanukaka, although he was never willing to do so, Why? Answer: The under secretary was never willing to serve Nanukaka as his Secretary or his driver. But he had to obey him because his mother insisted on it.
What similarities does the poet draw between two human beings?
The poet’Walt Whitman’ tells something about the similarities between two human beings. The poet wants to say that human beings are the same in many ways as they bom in similar ways. Their blood is the same. Everything is the same in all human beings.
What does Loafe mean?
Explanation: It means to be lazy or existing aimlessly with a sinister intent. However, it could be used as a loaf of bread in a sentence. In the stanza, the poet has used the line “I loafe and invite my soul,” shows that the poet is relaxing and trying to spend some spiritual time.
What does Kelson mean?
: a longitudinal structure running above and fastened to the keel of a ship in order to stiffen and strengthen its framework.
What does sufficed mean?
1 : to meet or satisfy a need : be sufficient a brief note will suffice —often used with an impersonal it suffice it to say that they are dedicated, serious personalities— Cheryl Aldridge. 2 : to be competent or capable. transitive verb.
What does no loafing mean?
1. loafing – having no employment. idleness, idling. inactivity – being inactive; being less active.
What does lopping mean?
1. To cut off (a part), especially from a tree or shrub: lopped off the dead branches. 2. To cut off a part or parts from; trim: lopped the vines back; lopped her curls shorter.
Is Loafting a word?
The act of relaxing or chilling. Often involves snacking or reclining.