Why I Love John Donne's "The Flea"

I would like to discuss John Donne’s “The Flea”. “The Flea” was published in 1633, but it was written before that. John Donne himself died in 1631, and it is not unusual for his poetry to have been published after his death. Many scholars of his day believed Donne’s work was brilliant; however, there were some that believed that he wrote more wit than poetry. In my opinion, “The Flea” is a work of art. Who on Earth would have ever thought that sex and a flea could be put together to make a light-hearted poem? Donne’s use of wit is brilliant.

            “The Flea” is a poem about a man wanting to have sex with a lady. A flea bites the couple, and it gives the narrator of the poem a reason to plea why his lady friend should sleep with him. He brings up that their “two bloods mingled bee” in the flea (line4). The narrator claims that the flea has gotten more action than then he has. He goes on to say that in the flea they are practically married. His lady friend threatens to kill the flea, and he tells her not to because she would be committing suicide. She does kill the flea and throws it in the narrator’s face that he is fine. He turns the whole argument around that sex would be the same uninteresting ride.

            “The Flea” varies between iambic pentameter and tetrameter, and there are three stanzas with nine lines each. The really interesting part of “The Flea’s” chosen form is that the rhyming scheme: AABBCCDDD. He makes it so that every two lines, a new argument of why his lady should sleep with him is brought up. Also, Donne use of metaphors is the prize of this piece. Again, he uses the subjects of flea and sex and somehow makes them work. It is brilliant. However, there are other metaphors of the same importance. He mentions how their blood mingling in the flea together is like the exchange of body fluids during sex. Another example is when Donne displays how their blood in the flea is like their life is in the flea. This also alludes to the mechanist views in England during the 17^th century. Mechanist believed that soul could exist, but if it did, it had to exist in a bodily form. In Donne’s case, it was in the blood. I believe it is the metaphors that gave “The Flea” the wit his critiques were concerned about, but I believe it is this wit that gives the poem its comedy and entertaining qualities.

            John Donne’s “The Flea” is a piece of work. Although it was written centuries ago, it still has its audiences shaking with laughter whenever they read it. The form and metaphors create a clean and cut poem that is easy to follow. People years from now will enjoy Donne’s work."The Flea"