THE FLEA by John Donne

CRITICAL APPRECIATIONThe flea has been the subject of love-poetry. The argument used by the poet is that the flea has a free access to the body of the beloved which is denied to the lover. Donne, however, makes a plea for physical union, which is necessary for spiritual love. Donne’s originality and intensity makes it a powerful lyric. Grierson observes: “It is a strange choice to our mind, but