Transcript The flea John Donne
The Flea
by John Donne LO: to develop a critical response to the poem The Flea (AO1)
Some students will make increasingly assured selection of relevant detail; are able to speculate/offer tentative judgements; are able to evaluate characters/relationships and attitudes/motives and may show appreciation of how writers use language to achieve specific effects.
A*- B Most students will make more detailed reference to text; discuss thoroughly and thoughtfully characters/relationships; probe the sub-text with increasing confidence; select and evaluate relevant textual details.
All students will be able to recall the narrative of The Flea and make a personal response to the text.
E + Entry level C-D
What is a flea?
Aged 23
Aged 43
Donne as a young man wrote about...
pain
As an older man he became deeply religious and wrote sermons on sin, preparing for death and our place in God’s kingdom.
MARK but this flea, and mark in this, How little that which thou deniest me is ; It suck'd me first, and now sucks thee, And in this flea our two bloods mingled be.
Thou know'st that this cannot be said A sin, nor shame, nor loss of maidenhead ; Yet this enjoys before it woo, And pamper'd swells with one blood made of two ; And this, alas ! is more than we would do.
O stay, three lives in one flea spare, Where we almost, yea, more than married are.
This flea is you and I, and this Our marriage bed, and marriage temple is.
Though parents grudge, and you, we're met, And cloister'd in these living walls of jet.
Though use make you apt to kill me, Let not to that self-murder added be, And sacrilege, three sins in killing three.
Cruel and sudden, hast thou since Purpled thy nail in blood of innocence?
Wherein could this flea guilty be, Except in that drop which it suck'd from thee?
Yet thou triumph'st, and say'st that thou Find'st not thyself nor me the weaker now.
'Tis true ; then learn how false fears be ; Just so much honour, when thou yield'st to me, Will waste, as this flea's death took life from thee.
PAIRED TASK
minutes words highlighted
metaphor
Find as many techniques as you can in 5 EAL/ SEN- use a dictionary to find the key
5 simile alliteration
Take a stanza each to attempt to answer the questions:
How is the speaker attempting to persuade the lady? (5)
5
What does the flea signify in this stanza?
4
What tone is adopted by the speaker?
He said angrily/ sorrowfully/ sweetly...
3
What do you think the lady’s reaction is to what is being said?
2
2 1 3
Pick a picture to represent the couple in your stanza.
5 4 1
The Flea
by John Donne LO: to develop a critical response to the poem The Flea (AO1)
Tell me about your stanza...
MARK but this flea, and mark in this, How little that which thou deniest me is ; It suck'd me first, and now sucks thee, And in this flea our two bloods mingled be.
Thou know'st that this cannot be said A sin, nor shame, nor loss of maidenhead ; Yet this enjoys before it woo, And pamper'd swells with one blood made of two ; And this, alas ! is more than we would do.
5
Tell me about your stanza...
5 O stay, three lives in one flea spare, Where we almost, yea, more than married are.
This flea is you and I, and this Our marriage bed, and marriage temple is.
Though parents grudge, and you, we're met, And cloister'd in these living walls of jet.
Though use make you apt to kill me, Let not to that self-murder added be, And sacrilege, three sins in killing three.
Tell me about your stanza...
5 Cruel and sudden, hast thou since Purpled thy nail in blood of innocence?
Wherein could this flea guilty be, Except in that drop which it suck'd from thee?
Yet thou triumph'st, and say'st that thou Find'st not thyself nor me the weaker now.
'Tis true ; then learn how false fears be ; Just so much honour, when thou yield'st to me, Will waste, as this flea's death took life from thee.
The Flea
by John Donne LO: to develop a critical response to the poem The Flea (AO1)
Some students will make increasingly assured selection of relevant detail; are able to speculate/offer tentative judgements; are able to evaluate characters/relationships and attitudes/motives and may show appreciation of how writers use language to achieve specific effects.
A*- B Most students will make more detailed reference to text; discuss thoroughly and thoughtfully characters/relationships; probe the sub-text with increasing confidence; select and evaluate relevant textual details.
All students will be able to recall the narrative of The Flea and make a personal response to the text.
E + Entry level C-D
Choose from the list of words on the board write at the bottom of your page to remind you of key features.
5 Love Lust Friendship Control Pain Passion Power Hate Security Emotion Honour Manipulation Religion Obligation Equality Marriage Disease Physical Jealousy Family Infidelity Sex Blood