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John Donne on Women

     *originally written on December 7th, 2016*

     In his “Song”, John Donne’s portrayal of Women may be seen as chauvinistic and purposely deceitful. The sexist tone radiates throughout the poem, assisted by Donne’s choice of exaggerated impossibilities and hyperbolic apostrophes. On the other hand, Donne’s poem “The Flea” appears to be heavily inclined towards women; the subject matter including religious and sexual innuendos. The Narrator of “The Flea” goes a strange, great length in order to win over a woman, through his comparison of their sexual experience to a pest. The contrast between the two poems scrambles the appearance of Donne’s true view of women. Alas, he employs different literary techniques, obviously distinct when reading the two poems. “The Flea”’s witty allusions and spiritual imagery aid in the creation of a playful, light tone. Both poems appear to contrast greatly in their subject matter, literary devices, and tones. Alas, the subject matter is actually relatable and comparable.

Stanza One of “Song” includes impossible requests such as “catching a falling star” (line 1) and retrieving a “mandrake root” (line 2). His subsequent reference to mermaids makes clear the mocking tones. All impossible, Donne uses these references to imply that women are deceptive. Donne is implying that a good woman is impossible to find. Line 9’s reference to “an honest mind” can be inferred to mean that women are liars, and that finding a woman who is straight-forward and uncomplicated is a dubious task. The impossibilities continue into stanza two, with references to long periods of time, such as “ten thousand days and nights” (line 12). One could travel for years, until they age with “snow white hairs on thee” (line 13), but they will never come to find a sincere woman, according to this poem. The entire stanza is hypothetical in and of itself, because of its beginning with “if”. This further elevates the mocking tones, as the narrator is doubting that the journey could even happen. Donne’s writing style appears as if he is writing directly to an unknown person, in a commanding way. The repetitive use of the words “if”, “till”, and “yet” hint directly that the narrator truly believes that a decent woman does not exist.

Marriage and religion play major roles in “The Flea”. The narrator hides his underlying sexual intentions by referring to sexual intercourse as marriage, a holy union. Because the flea has bitten both the narrator and the woman he is pursuing, apparently, they are now bound forever by blood. “Three lives in one flea” (line 10) refers to the Holy Trinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Donne’s reference to holy figures implies that women are worth anything, especially for their bodies. The narrator is willing to employ the help of religious figures, which is often known as using God’s name in vain, a sin according to The Ten Commandments. The narrator is concerned about the woman killing the flea because “self-murder added be, and sacrilege, three sins in killing three.” (lines 17-18). The line appears sweet and caring at first glance, as the narrator appears to be concerned for the safety of the woman’s life. The aforementioned tactics may allow the reader to believe that Donne sees women in a mighty, earnest way. But, this is contradicted through lines 14 and 15, in which Donne describes how neither the woman nor her parents will agree to their union, but it will continue anyways. Ignoring a woman’s wishes and forcing yourself upon her is truly disrespectful and unacceptable. The portrayal of women in both poems actually appears more relatable, as in both poems women are regarded as mere objects for a man’s use and disposal of at his discretion.



This post first appeared on FEMME FATALE, please read the originial post: here

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John Donne on Women

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