Though you and your parents grudge our meeting, we are already met in this flea’s blood, and so confined sacredly in its living form. Verse 2: Spare the life of this flea then, which represents three lives, its own yours and mine, since in its body, through the mingling of blood, we are almost more than married, while it represents our marriage bed and marriage temple too. Yet the flea enjoys its meal without asking first or paying court, and swells with over-indulgence, which is more, alas, than we would do. What the flea did, as you know, is not a sin, nor does it involve shame or loss of maidenhead. This flea has sucked both our blood, and our two bloods are therefore mingled in its one body. Verse 1: Note this flea as a symbol of how small a step is represented by that sexual union which you deny me. Will waste, as this flea’s death took life from thee. Just so much honour, when thou yield’st to me, Yet thou triumph’st, and say’st that thouįind’st not thyself nor me the weaker now. Though parents grudge, and you, we’re met,Īnd cloistered in these living walls of jet.Īnd sacrilege, three sins in killing three.Įxcept in that drop which it sucked from thee? Our marriage bed, and marriage temple is. Where we almost, yea, more than married are. How little that which thou deniest me is Īnd in this flea our two bloods mingled be.Ī sin, nor shame, nor loss of maidenhead Īnd pampered swells with one blood made of two,Īnd this, alas, is more than we would do! To view the original texts you can access the excellent Digital Donne website which contains texts and images of the source volumes. Note: This version of the Songs and Sonnets follows the 1635 edition, excluding only a single poem ‘Deare love, continue nice and chaste’. A Valediction of My Name, in the Window.This work may be freely reproduced, stored and transmitted, electronically or otherwise, for any non-commercial purpose. Kline © Copyright 2010, All Rights Reserved. The edited text of each poem with a line by line paraphrase, and occasional explanatory notes
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