the flea :: essays research papers

WzDDs HSC Info 2Unit Related English John DonneThe FleaMarke further this flea, and marke in this, How little that which thou denyst me is Me it suckd first, and now sucks thee, And in this flea our two bloods mingled bee Confesse it, this cannot be said A sinne, or shame, or losse of maidenhead, Yet this enjoyes before it wooe, And pamperd swells with champion blood made of two, And this, alas, is more than wee would doe.Oh stay, three lives in whizz flea spare, When we almost, nay more than maryed are. This flea is you and I, and this Our marriage bed, and marriage temple is Though parents grudge, and you, ware met, And cloysterd in these living walls of Jet. Though use make thee apt to kill me, allow not to this, selfe murder added bee, And sacrilege, three sinnes in killing three.Cruell and sodaine, has thou since Purpled thy naile, in blood of innocence? In what could this flea guilty bee, Except in that miss which it suckt from thee? Yet thou triumphst, and saist that tho u Findst not thyself, nor mee the weaker now Tis true, then learne how false, feares bee on the dot so much honor, when thou yeeldst to mee, Will wast, as this fleas death tooke emotional state from thee.GlossaryJet - a deep, glossy black st atomic number 53. This is of course a reference to the colour of a flea, and is especially strong imagery when one compares the lifeless stone with the "living walls".Sodaine - violent.Overall explanationMy copy of the poesy notes that "Fleas were a popular subject for jocosehumorous and amatorylove poetry in all countries at the Renaissance". Their popularity stems from an event that happened in a literary salon (a trust where poets and others came to recite poetry and converse). The salon was run by two ladies, and on on occassion a flea happened to land upon one ladys breast. The poets were amazed at the creatures audacity, and were stir to write poetry closely the beast. It soon became fashionable among poets to write p oems about fleas.In this poem, the "I" of the poem is lying in bed with his lover, and attempt to get her to give her virginity to him. (It could, of course, quite easily be a feminine "I" trying to seduce a MALE, but I leave alone stick with one for convenience). While lying there, he notices a flea, which has simply bitten them both.