Poetry Slam!: "The Flea" by John Donne

In this poem, Donne uses a "metaphysical conceit," or extended metaphor. The poem's speaker attempts to woo his beloved by comparing their relationship to the actions of a flea.

Here are links to our lists for other poems by John Donne: "The Canonization", "A Valediction Forbidding Mourning", "Song: Go and catch a falling star", "Death, be not proud", "The Sun Rising"
17 words 272 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. mark
    notice or perceive
    Mark but this flea, and mark in this,
    How little that which thou deniest me is
  2. deny
    refuse to let have
    Mark but this flea, and mark in this,
    How little that which thou deniest me is
  3. mingle
    bring or combine together or with something else
    It sucked me first, and now sucks thee,
    And in this flea our two bloods mingled be
  4. shame
    a state of dishonor
    Thou know’st that this cannot be said
    A sin, nor shame, nor loss of maidenhead
  5. woo
    make amorous advances towards
    Yet this enjoys before it woo,
    And pampered swells with one blood made of two,
    And this, alas, is more than we would do.
  6. pamper
    treat with excessive indulgence
    Yet this enjoys before it woo,
    And pampered swells with one blood made of two,
    And this, alas, is more than we would do.
  7. stay
    stop or halt
    Oh stay, three lives in one flea spare,
    Where we almost, nay more than married are.
  8. spare
    refrain from harming
    Oh stay, three lives in one flea spare,
    Where we almost, nay more than married are.
  9. grudge
    accept or admit unwillingly
    This flea is you and I, and this
    Our mariage bed, and marriage temple is;
    Though parents grudge, and you, w'are met,
    And cloistered in these living walls of jet.
  10. cloister
    seclude from the world
    This flea is you and I, and this
    Our mariage bed, and marriage temple is;
    Though parents grudge, and you, w'are met,
    And cloistered in these living walls of jet.
  11. jet
    black or blackish; similar in color to dust from burnt wood or coal
    This flea is you and I, and this
    Our mariage bed, and marriage temple is;
    Though parents grudge, and you, w'are met,
    And cloistered in these living walls of jet.
  12. apt
    naturally disposed toward
    Though use make you apt to kill me,
    Let not to that, self-murder added be,
    And sacrilege, three sins in killing three.
  13. sacrilege
    blasphemous behavior
    Though use make you apt to kill me,
    Let not to that, self-murder added be,
    And sacrilege, three sins in killing three.
  14. triumph
    prove superior
    Yet thou triumph’st, and say'st that thou
    Find’st not thy self, nor me the weaker now
  15. honor
    the quality of having a good name
    ’Tis true; then learn how false, fears be:
    Just so much honor, when thou yield’st to me,
    Will waste, as this flea’s death took life from thee.
  16. yield
    give in, as to influence or pressure
    ’Tis true; then learn how false, fears be:
    Just so much honor, when thou yield’st to me,
    Will waste, as this flea’s death took life from thee.
  17. waste
    spend thoughtlessly; throw away
    ’Tis true; then learn how false, fears be:
    Just so much honor, when thou yield’st to me,
    Will waste, as this flea’s death took life from thee.
Created on Mon Aug 07 17:04:39 EDT 2017 (updated Wed Nov 29 10:25:37 EST 2017)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.