John Donne (1572 – 1631) had many careers – he was a soldier, secretary, clergyman and scholar, but he is remembered today as one of the great Metaphysical poets. He wrote erotic and love poems, then turned to writing religious verse when he was Dean of St Paul’s. I prefer his sensual verse and have always loved this one, The Flea, a poem of seduction with a most unusual approach:
The Flea by John Donne
Mark but this flea, and mark in this,
How little that which thou deniest me is;
It sucked me first, and now sucks thee,
And in this flea our two bloods mingled be;
Thou know’st that this cannot be said
A sin, nor shame, nor loss of maidenhead,
Yet this enjoys before it woo,
And pampered swells with one blood made of two,
And this, alas, is more than we would do.
Oh stay, three lives in one flea spare,
Where we almost, nay more than married are.
This flea is you and I, and this
Our marriage bed, and marriage temple is;
Though parents grudge, and you, w’are met,
And cloistered in these living walls of jet.
Though use make you apt to kill me,
Let not to that, self-murder added be,
And sacrilege, three sins in killing three.
Cruel and sudden, hast thou since
Purpled thy nail, in blood of innocence?
Wherein could this flea guilty be,
Except in that drop which it sucked from thee?
Yet thou triumph’st, and say’st that thou
Find’st not thy self, nor me the weaker now;
’Tis true; then learn how false, fears be:
Just so much honor, when thou yield’st to me,
Will waste, as this flea’s death took life from thee.
He insists that virginity is not important – why, he argues, should it be prized and preserved until marriage? This is, in many ways, a poem of rebellion, as the poet refuses to accept her values and also those of society. But at the end of the poem the mistress simply kills the flea. She is not impressed by his frustration, his arguments and unusual plea.
You can listen to this poem read magnificently by Richard Burton here:
Or read, also beautifully, by Julian Glover here:
Have you enjoyed this poem? I’d love to know what you think, let me know by leaving a comment.
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