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John donne

1572-1631

Donne's somewhat nonsensical poetry is remarkably and paradoxically thought provoking with some of his works reflecting his views on spiritualism. The Elizabethan poet requires you to suspend disbelief in the best way. Known as one of the forefathers of Metaphysical poetry. Fantastic metaphor.

John donne.jpg

about the author:

his works:

1. the flea

A love poem from the Jacobian period, based on the misconception in Elizabethan times that blood mixed during sex. The flea was the symbol for much ribald humour. An example of metaphysical poetry. Whilst utilising the most unusual of conceits about a flea in order to persuade his mistress to engage in premarital sex. The comical absurdity of comparing a flea mixing its blood with another’s to coitus is enough to warrant laughter from the reader but it is his sheer desperation and dogmatic nature/audaciousness that evokes a sense of indignation as well as comedy from the reader. It is also surprising something so insignificant and pesky as a flea with the negative connotations attached of disease etc. is compared with something so sanctified during the era such as sex and the need to consummate after a marriage.

 

The poem itself is intensely theatrical, the flea has just bitten both the speaker and his lover and what follows is an amusing altercation in which the speaker thus assumes this is a form of third-party consummation and ridiculously suggests it is no more scandalous now to perform the act in proper themselves. There is a mock sermonising that this unification of blood is analogous to sex and therefore, rather caustically/petulantly, the speaker points out the injustice of the flea getting to enjoy his hedonistic pleasures whilst he cant. He suggests that to kill the flea would be sacrilege however this silent, supposedly subordinate woman displays her true daring and antagonistic nature by disregarding his pleadings and silences his argument by killing the flea. This purposeful show of defiance shows her power and stance in the relationship.

 

He claims initially that the flea represents the tiny moral decision facing her and then quickly adopts a less flippant tone, suggesting that the flea itself is a representation of the sanctity of their sexual contract. When the woman confounds him by killing the flea she ironically rebuffs him using the same argument of its insignificance. From a female point of view the wittily blasphemous argument is impressive and comic not so much for its detail or plausibility but for its persistence. The phallic imagery used is perhaps proportionate to the man’s own sexual desires. Questions cynically whether marriage is purely to sanctify sex – a means to an end so to speak. Blasphemy, undermines the sanctity of totems of religious piety, temples, marriage, virginity/chastity and consummation pre-marital coitus). His satirical reference to fleas and their connotations of dirt and disease gives a strong impression of the poet's disregard for societal affectations and absurd conduct.

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.

  • ‘mark but this flea, and mark in this,/how little that which you deny’st me is’ – deictic/imperative language used to attract her full attention, half rhyming couplet, little is diminutive language to belittle the sanctity of her virginity, a persuasion technique.

  •  ‘a sin, nor shame, nor loss of maidenhead’ –

  • ‘pampered, swells with one blood made of two/and this, alas is more than we would do’ – suggestion that this creature doing as evolution bid is pampered alludes to the speakers bitterness, and attempt at emotional blackmail the phallic innuendo

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  • ‘this flea is you and I, and this/ our marriage bed, and marriage temple is’ – semantic field of marital language and sacrament, makes it even more offensive to the idea to swear that this mixing within a flea is of any similarity, consistent to comedy however that marriage be the end result. Also a sense of bathos is felt as a flea in comparison to pre-marital sex is anticlimactic. Sacrilegious and blasphemous

  • ‘three sins in killing three’ – by killing this flea you would be killing all three of us – such hyperbolic dramatization of this act shows the extreme lengths this speaker is willing to go to receive satisfaction – ludicrous

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  • ‘blood of innocence’ – possible allusion to virginity

  • ‘cruel and sudden’ – he reflects on supposedly the brusque and cruel nature of her actions rather hypocritically

  • ‘cruel and sudden’ – alludes to the assertive killing of the flea by the woman however during the time often orgasms were described as small deaths.

  • ‘when thou yield’st to me’ – almost as though h were certain of the fact and the matter were not up for question.

2. holy sonnets: death be not proud:

Intending to almost humble or chasten, Donne apostrophises a personified Death in attempt to bring the hubristic 'entity' down a notch and thrust it back into the reality once you debunk all the stereotypes surrounding its indomitability. Death's power is not its own, rather it does not have autonomy over who it takes to the other side. Instead it is dependent on fragility and mortality - a cycle of dependency as it can only thrive in climates dependent on human conditions and actions. Donne's belief was that after Death came the afterlife and therefore even afterwards Death is defeated by the metaphysical eternal life

Death, be not proud, though some have called thee

Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;

For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow

Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.

From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,

Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,

And soonest our best men with thee do go,

Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery.

Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,

And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,

And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well

And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then?

One short sleep past, we wake eternally

And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.

  • 'be not proud' - almost an imperative usage 

  • 'mighty and dreadful' - talks of its infamy and its reputation

  • Donne talks of immortality/eternal life beyond the corporeal for those it think sit 'overthrow[s]' 'die not' - showing that living goes beyond breathing. For example George Eliot said 'our dead are never dead to us until we forget them' showing that legacy and memories prevail over measly skin and flesh. 

  • Talks of the 'pleasure' of death for some - a release, a catharsis for those for whom living is more of an endurance

  • Donne mentions how 'the best men' go with Death - it is not a matter of karma killing those who deserve it, but rather when death comes, it is something to embrace

  • 'Rest of their bones' - almost as though for the weary or the infirm, Death does not intimidate or impose his power, instead it almost accidentally grants them peace 

  • 'thou art slave'... - Death itself lacks agency and is at the whim/mercy of human flaws and vices - we are to an extent in control of our own death.

  • 'swell' - as if with pride

  • Almost disparagingly compares Death (who takes people presumably naturally or in a limited number of ways) is unthreatening in comparison to 'poison' or even 'poppies' which are just as, if not, more efficient in bringing this eternal sleep. 

  • 'We wake eternally' - based off of Donne's belief in death not being the final stage

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