How far are John Donne’s ‘The Flea’ and ‘The Message’ Essay Example

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Marvell provides a lavish description of the number of years he would spend admiring every aspect of her physical beauty. He states, "An hundred years should go to praise, Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze, Two hundred years to adore each breast." One could interpret this as Marvell viewing love solely in terms of physical intimacy. However, it is also possible that because he loves her deeply and romantically, he intends to honor and cherish her body with reverence and adoration.

He concludes his plea by assuring her that waiting for so long is worth it because she is worthy and beautiful, stating, 'For, lady, you deserve this state; Nor would I love at a lower rate'. Additionally, Marvell transitions from the hypothetical scenario presented earlier in the poem to confront the woman with the harsh truth that time is limited and death is imminent, declaring, 'Time's winged chariot hurrying near; And yonder all before us lie, Deserts of vast eternity'.

Marvell continues his somber depiction of death by referring to the grave in various ways: worms devouring her untouched purity, a clever use of the "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" funeral phrase as he says her honor turns to dust and lust turns to ashes, and ultimately stating that lovers should not embrace in the grave. He questions why she would want to remain a virgin in her grave. Having completed the second part of his argument (that life is brief and death is everlasting), Marvell now presents his proposition for them to engage in lovemaking.

Describing her youthful appearance as fresh as dew and her passion as instantly igniting fires, he implores her to

engage in playful activities with him and suggests that they should aggressively pursue each other like predatory birds. He urges them to seize the opportunity to enjoy themselves now, comparing their actions to amorous birds of prey. In conclusion, Marvell advises her that they should passionately embrace life, even though they cannot evade death or the passage of time, so that they can maximize the time they have.

Marvell seeks to convince a woman who is hesitant about engaging in sexual activity due to social and moral concerns. His aim is to persuade her into having sex with him. Therefore, it can be argued that this poem does not entirely reject love; instead, it promotes physical desire while seemingly disregarding romantic love since Marvell's primary objective is to persuade the woman to engage in sexual activity. However, one could argue that certain language used by Marvell in his plea hints at romantic affection.

Despite its flowery language and wordplay, the poem does not completely reject romantic love. Marvell's primary objective is to persuade the woman to partake in sexual intercourse. This theme can also be seen in John Donne's poem 'The Flea'. In this piece, the speaker, lying beside his lover, tries to convince her to engage in sexual activity with him. While they are lying together, they notice a flea that has bitten both of them. Donne acknowledges that during the 17th Century, sex was regarded as a "mingling of the blood".

Donne justifies that the flea, through mixing their blood within its body, has achieved the connection she refuses to have with him. He further contends that if the flea has already accomplished what she did

not desire – the blending of their blood – then why should they not proceed with intercourse? To bolster his point, Donne cites the marriage ceremony, which stipulates that "man and woman shall be one flesh." He posits that since they have combined their blood and are hence "one blood," they essentially constitute "one flesh" and are therefore wed.

Donne believes that the act of killing the flea is not only a reinforcement of his persuasive argument, but also provides him with ammunition to defend himself when the woman reacts by trying to kill it. He argues that by killing the flea and spilling both his blood and hers, she is essentially committing murder. Additionally, he accuses her of committing a sacrilege by breaking the sacred bond of marriage. However, despite his arguments, the flea is eventually killed, prompting the poet to change his approach. He claims that killing the flea was a simple task and that it caused no harm to either of them, implying that yielding to him will be equally effortless and painless.

The poem incorporates religious symbolism in order to add a sense of divine authority. John Donne's 'The Flea' employs unsuitable arguments as Donne suggests that because their blood has already mingled inside the flea, the woman has essentially already slept with him and therefore there is no reason why they should not do so again. Additionally, Donne makes inappropriate use of religion to support his claims, stating that their actions are not only endorsed by God but also going against them would be against God's will. The two Shakespeare Sonnets, on the other hand, exhibit clear differences.

Sonnet 'XVIII' and sonnet 'CXXX'

are different in their themes. While sonnet 'XVIII' expresses a more romantic and positive view of love, sonnet 'CXXX' has a more critical tone towards love. In 'XVIII', Shakespeare compares his lover to a beautiful summer's day, highlighting her loveliness and charm. This famous sonnet showcases the eternal beauty of his lover, contrasting it with the fleeting beauty of nature. Throughout the sonnet, Shakespeare emphasizes that his lover's qualities surpass those of a summer's day. Her beauty is everlasting, making her the ultimate standard for true beauty.

In the sonnet, the poet begins by posing the question 'Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? ' Although comparing his lover to a summer's day is itself a compliment, he further enhances her perfection by pointing out the drawbacks of a summer's day in contrast to her beauty and excellence. He mentions how the summer winds can be harsh and the weather can swiftly change, unlike his lover's calm and balanced nature. The poet also notes how summer ends too soon and how the sun can become intense or hide behind clouds, causing beautiful things to lose their charm either by chance or through nature's planned course. However, his lover remains unaffected by these factors, as her beauty is eternal. The memory of her life will never fade, and it will retain its inherent beauty, with death unable to claim him as its own.

When reading this sonnet, I found the personification of the Sun (lines 5 and 6) to greatly enhance the romantic and poetic essence of the sonnet. The phrases 'the eye of heaven' and 'his gold complexion' are skillful uses of language that add a

certain aura to the flow of the sonnet. The poet's response to such profound joy and beauty is to ensure that his lover remains in human memory, protected from the ultimate oblivion that comes with death. The poet achieves this through his verse, believing that as history is recorded, his lover will become intertwined with time. Through reading the poet's words, individuals will form their own vision of incredible beauty, ensuring that his lover's beauty will never fade despite changing trends and opinions.

In these lines, Shakespeare's words express the enduring beauty of his lover. The couplet serves to reaffirm his hope that his poetry will continue to live on, just as long as there are people breathing, thus securing the eternal beauty of his beloved. While Shakespeare's language may be flowery, it doesn't change the fact that he is still trying to win her over. "Sonnet CXXX" appears to be mocking the love poetry of the time period, which often portrayed women as superficial goddesses. Instead, this sonnet delves into a deeper and more intimate level of love, where physical appearance is no longer important and inner beauty takes precedence.

Shakespeare employs a delightful combination of metaphors and a simile in his portrayal. He begins by likening his mistress' eyes to the sun, using a simile. Then, he swiftly transitions to utilizing metaphors to compare her other qualities – her breasts resembling snow and her hair resembling wires. This poem follows the traditional structure of a Shakespearean sonnet, consisting of three quatrains and a couplet. The rhyme scheme for the poem is 'ababcdcdefefgg'. The "a" sound has an "-un" rhyme, while the "b" sound has an

"-ed" rhyme. The "c" sound has an "-ite" rhyme, and the "d" sound coincides with an "-eeks" rhyme. The sounds "e" and "f" are characterized by rhymes ending in "-o" and "-ound", respectively. Finally, it concludes with the sound "g", which rhymes with "-are", effectively bringing an end to the poem.

According to Helen Vendler, the setting of this poem seems to be influenced by a sonnet from the same time period. In that sonnet, someone praises their mistress who has eyes like the sun and lips as red as coral. Shakespeare then wrote a poem suggesting that the mistress in the other sonnet must be a goddess, implying that his own mistress is not. However, he still loves her for what she is not. This poem is intended to mock other love poems of its time.

The poem's format and Shakespeare's emotions in this piece serve two purposes. Firstly, they communicate the notion that despite his mistress not conforming to conventional beauty standards, there exists a distinct bond between them which he cannot find with anyone else, even his wife. It is not her outward appearance that holds significance for him, but rather their profound understanding of one another. Secondly, he expresses his lack of desire for a stunning or admired mistress; instead, these qualities are unattractive and repugnant to him.

In line 13, he expresses his love for the woman, describing it as uncommon or remarkable. Essentially, this means that he is astonished by his affection for a woman who is not conventionally beautiful, but possesses other qualities beyond physical appearance, such as companionship. The concept of genuine, unconditional love is beautifully portrayed in William Shakespeare's

"Sonnet 130." Even though his lover's lips are not plump, he desires them. Despite her lack of rosy cheeks, he perceives her inner radiance. While her hair may not be soft and her breath may not carry a sweet fragrance, he remains utterly captivated by her. Despite her inability to sing well, he adores the sound of her voice.

When she walks, her lack of grace does not diminish the love he feels for her awkward strides. This poem reflects a man's ability to love with his heart, instead of being solely influenced by appearances. Although all poems and sonnets can be interpreted as somewhat anti-love, none are entirely against it. In a way, 'Sonnet XVIII' is not opposed to love because Shakespeare compares his lover's everlasting beauty to the fleeting beauty of nature. However, it does express an aversion to physical love. On the other hand, 'To His Coy Mistress' and 'The Flea' are more opposed to romantic love, as their main aim is to seduce a lover into engaging in sexual acts.