Point of View

"The Flea" is written from the first person perspective of the (presumably male) speaker as he attempts to seduce his beloved. He addresses the lady directly, asking her to consider the flea that has bitten both of them and what it means for their physical and spiritual union. By framing the poem as a direct address to the lady, who protests his advances in order to preserve her honor, Donne organizes "The Flea" as an argument meant to refute a particular point of view. As such, the speaker is invested in presenting a logical case that the lady cannot refute, and therefore frequently lands on paradoxical formulations to support his perspective. On one hand, the speaker's reliance on paradox shows the ultimate weakness behind his argument that premarital sex will not affect the woman's honor. On the other hand, however, the paradox also underscores the...