Which two lines in this excerpt suggest the physical union of the lovers?

The Flea

by John Donne (excerpt)

Mark but this flea, and mark in this,

How little that which thou deniest me is;

Me it sucked first, and now sucks thee,

And in this flea our two bloods mingled be;

Thou know'st that this cannot be said

A sin, or shame, or 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.

The possible answers are:

How little that which though deniest me is;

And in this flea our two bloods mingled be

A sin or shame or loss of maidenhead

and pampered swells with one blood made of two

And this alas is more than we would do

Question

English

Coby Snow

23 September, 09:31

Which two lines in this excerpt suggest the physical union of the lovers?

The Flea

by John Donne (excerpt)

Mark but this flea, and mark in this,

How little that which thou deniest me is;

Me it sucked first, and now sucks thee,

And in this flea our two bloods mingled be;

Thou know'st that this cannot be said

A sin, or shame, or 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.

The possible answers are:

How little that which though deniest me is;

And in this flea our two bloods mingled be

A sin or shame or loss of maidenhead

and pampered swells with one blood made of two

And this alas is more than we would do

+4

Answers (1)

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Yesenia · Answer 1

These two lines suggest the physical union of the lovers:

"And in this flea our two bloods mingled be". The flea has bitten both the poet and his beloved (the woman he loves so much). As a consequence, their bloods have mixed up. See underlined words. " ... and pampered swells with one blood made of two". The poet thinks that they have already made love through the flea's blood. However, this will no be punished since it is not a sin; the beloved's virginity has not been lost - loss of maidenhead-. The flea's body has got bigger because it has the blood of the poet and his beloved's. See underlined words.