The Flea

Question 1

Describe the central conciet of the poem.

Answer 1

The central conciet revolves around the speakers blood being mingled with the addressees through the vessel of the Flea.

Question 2

“A sin, nor shame, nor loss of maidenhead” - What A02 would you pull from this quote

Answer 2

Here Donne uses decending tricolon to emphasise the lack of consequences if she were to have sex with him
- Cearfully constructed argument
- The speaker does this to embed this idea that the addressee would be ignorant if she didn’t have sex with him. Here we see the speaker try to intimidate the addressee STANLEY FISH “masculine persuasive voice”

Question 3

“It sucked me first, and now sucks thee”

Answer 3

Here we see a visual pun of the long S and the f
- humerous/ comic

Question 4

“Our two bloods mingled be”

Answer 4

• Here Donne sexualises the Flea, using the idea of their “mingled” bloods to highlight their physical and symbolic union.
• In religious context the idea of mingling blood may be seen as sacred. Donne uses this to argue how their physical union is already symbolically complete
• You could argue that Donne is subverting religious imagery for erotic persuasion, highlighting his clever manipulation of language and ideas.

Question 5

“Our marriage bed, and marriage temple”

Answer 5

Donne equates the Flea to a sacred place, eleveating the significance of the flea to a divine symbol of union

Question 6

“Purpled thy nail in blood of inncoence?” - how would you analyse this quotation A02

Answer 6

• The purple is indicative of royalty
• We see the speakers exagerating the death of the Flea to invoke feelings of guilt or remorse

Question 7

“The three sins in killing three”

Answer 7

Holy trinity baby, it is obvious that Donne uses religion

Question 8

What is the structure of the poem (Each verse)

Answer 8

AABB
But more significantly talk about the rhyming triplets and how they have a fading cadence, a smooth and almost hypnotic rythm that tries to seduce the addressee. We can also say how it mimics a sense of hopelessness and despiration in the speakers voice, the drawn out constants, reflecting how the speaker is longing for something, but it is something he cannot reach.

Question 9

What is unique about the first line of the poem and its structure

Answer 9

It is all monosylabols
- a very punchy and aggressive tone that reflects the speakers authority “Mark” imperative

Question 10

“Mark” “mark”

Answer 10

There is use of imperatives that reflects a commanding and autoritarian masculine voice
Furthermore the addressee has no voice in the poem reflecting the speakers vocational power over her, a more masculine and controling side of Donnes poetry