Curated set · answers marked
What central argument does the speaker make by using the flea as a conceit in John Donne's poem "The Flea"?
Rationale
The speaker uses the flea as an extended metaphor (conceit), arguing that since the flea has already bitten both him and his beloved — mixing their blood inside its body — the physical union he desires has, in a way, already occurred. He asserts this mixing of blood is not seen as sinful or shameful, so giving in to him would not cost her anything more.
What central conceit does the speaker use in John Donne's "The Flea" to persuade his beloved to sleep with him?
Rationale
In "The Flea," the speaker contends that since the flea has drawn blood from both him and his beloved, their "two bloods mingled" within the flea — an action he likens to the intimacy of marriage and sexual union. He employs this extended metaphor (conceit) to argue that sleeping together would be no greater sin than what has already taken place inside the flea.
What is the main metaphor (extended conceit) that the speaker employs in John Donne's poem "The Flea"?
Rationale
In "The Flea," Donne's speaker claims that since the flea has bitten both him and his beloved, their blood is already mixed within it — a union he likens to marriage and sexual intimacy — and thus she should not resist his advances. This flea is the central metaphor that drives the poem's argument.