Theflea全诗赏析.docx

Theflea全诗赏析.docx

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Theflea全诗赏析

Theflea

译文跳蚤

注意观察这只跳蚤，就会看到

你对我的拒绝显得多么渺小；

它首先吮吸我的血液，然后轮到你，

于是我们的血液在它的体内融为一体。

你知道，这根本谈不上是一种罪孽，

也不是羞耻或是失去少女的贞洁。

然而它没有求婚就尽情享受,

身体膨胀，对合而为一的血液过于迁就，

这一点啊，比我们的行为更胜一筹。

哦，停手，别伤害一只跳蚤中的三条性命，

我们在它体内几乎享受着比婚后更多的温情。

这只跳蚤就是你和我的共同形象，

这是我们的婚床和婚礼的殿堂；

尽管父母反对，你也不愿，我们依然相融，

并且隐居在黑玉色的活生生的墙壁之中。

尽管出于习惯你具有将我谋杀的用心，

可也不要再增添自杀和亵渎神灵

以及谋杀三条性命的三种罪行。

既然用无辜的血液将你的指甲染红，

这是一种多么残忍的出人意料的行动？

这只跳蚤究竟犯了什么样的罪孽，

无非是从你的身上吮吸了一滴血液？

而且你也以胜利者的口吻说过

你发现你我现在都没有变得更弱。

的确如此，那么，惧怕就显得毫无必要，

屈从于我，你的名誉也不会损失丝毫。

否则就虚度年华，如跳蚤之死也将你生命消耗。

主要内容“TheFlea”isapoemaboutclassdistinction,marriageandstrugglebetweenreligionconceptionandphysicalneeds.

PoeticDevices

•Directaddress:

Markebutthisflea...

•Repetition:

Andmarkeinthis

•Conceits:

Flea>Church>Flea

MovementWithinthePoem

•Firststanza:

Contemplativeandwhimsical

•Secondstanza:

Becomesmoreabsurd,pacegetsfaster

•Thirdstanza:

Slowingandreversalofargument.

•Notagoodideatowritedown,butinterestingtonotethatthepaceofthepoemfollowsthatofsex-agradualbuild-upofintensityleadingtothesudden,climactic...deathofaflea.

Imagery

•Muchreligiousimagery:

Confesseit

onebloodmadeoftwo-impliessexand/orpregnancy（ie,motherandchildarethe"two"）

threelivesinoneflea-holytrinity

cloysterd

sacrilege,threesinnesinkillingthree-moreholytrinityimagery

bloodofinnocence

Generally

•Circularargument.Thefleastartsandendsasnothing.

•Hijackingofmarriageceremony.TheAnglicanmarriageceremonyincludesthelines

Manshallbejoineduntohiswifeandtheytwoshallbeoneflesh.

Comparewithonebloodmadeoftwo,ThisfleaisyouandI...,etc.

•Argumentgainsconfidencethroughoutthestanzas,andisthenabruptlyturnedaround.

•Notetheroleofthefemaleinthispoem-herobjectionsarenevernoted,justreactedto,andshemakesthemostpowerfulstatementinthepoem,yetitisanon-verbalstatement（hercrushingoftheflea）

•Thereisalotofhyperboleinthispoem,atechniquethatDonneoftenusestomakeapoint.

•Onebloodmadeoftwo...-inDonne'stime,thesexactwasthoughtobea"minglingofthebloods"-sothelineisbothlewdandplayful,especiallyasitisfollowedbytheteasingAndthis,alas,ismorethanweewoulddoe.

•Purpledthynaile...-purplewasaveryexpensivecolour,associatedwithroyaltyandromance.AlsonotethatinthefirsttwolinesofthisstanzaDonneisarguingthatthedeathofthefleaismoreimportantthanthelossofvirginity.

•Notagoodideatousethisinaformalexam,butnoteMeitsuck'dfirst,andnowsucksthee-apparentlyinthe17thcenturytheprinted"s"lookedalotliketheprinted"f":

"Itwouldbenosurprise...thatDonneisbeingdeliberatelyambivalenthere."（2/3URelatedEnglishhandout）

Analysis

MarriageandClassDistinction

⏹thisisapoemaboutanunblessedmarriage

⏹classdistinction,thetwo“blood”mixedtogether（stanzaone,line4~6）

⏹usedthefleaasametaphorofconnectionoftheir（fragile）marriage（stanzatwo,line3~4）

⏹deeplyrelatedtoreligiousconcepts.Ex.Whenhetalksabouthiswife,thatifshekillstheflea,thatshewouldbecommitthreecrimesofmarriage.

⏹fleaasthemetaphorofafragilemarriage.Becauseitwouldbeeasilydestroyed.

⏹THEchangeofmind:

afterhiswifesqueezedtheflea,hethinksthatthereisnolossforhertomarryhim（stanza3.）

ReligionandSex

⏹Thepoemthatreflectsthechangeofera-theconservative,religiousvaluev.s.thenewvaluesthatcomeswithreligion.

⏹Heprefersthebloodmingledtogetherasaconnectionratherthansexualintercourse,whichhethinksisasin

中文赏析

这是邓恩被收录最多的诗篇之一。

诗作以诗人向情人求爱的说话体写成，语气富有调侃，比附出乎通常想象，推理和结论也超乎意料，典型反映了邓恩式的奇想。

诗的语气和结构富有典型的邓恩式戏剧性：

第一段中，诗人看见了那只先后叮过两人的跳蚤，便指着它向情人证明两人的鲜血已通过一只先后叮咬了双方的跳蚤融为一体，而血的交融则意味着生命的交融，诗人因此推断，两人的生命已经在事实上结合在一起了；第二段，诗人发现情人正抬手欲向跳蚤打去，便急忙劝阻，说这样一来，被害的就是三条性命（你、我、跳蚤）；第三段时，对方显然已经下手，掐死了跳蚤，所以诗人戏谑地称对方为“残忍”、“用无辜者的鲜血把自己的指甲染得红紫”。

这时，对方回答说，虽然“我”的血也在它（跳蚤）体内，可我并没有因为它的死而有半分虚弱，诗人话锋一转，直接切入主题：

既然如此，你答应我的求爱对你的名誉也不会有分毫的损失。

更有意思的是，这样的结尾，恰好使读者恍然大悟，在诗篇开始之前，诗人正绞尽脑汁想说服情人接受他的求爱呢。

英文赏析TheFlea

Markebutthisflea,andmarkeinthis,JustlookatthisfleaHowlittlethatwhichthoudeny'stmeis;Meitsuck'dfirst,andnowsucksthee,Andinthisfleaourtwobloodsmingledbe;Manshallbejoineduntohiswifeandtheytwoshallbeoneflesh;sexasa"minglingoftheblood"

thouknow’stthatthiscannotbesaidConfesseit,thiscannotbesaidAsinne,orshame,orlosseofmaidenhead,Yetthisenjoyesbeforeitwooe,courtawoman;seektheaffectionAndpamper'dswellswithonebloodmadeoftwo,impliessexand/orpregnancy（ie,motherandchildarethe"two"）Andthis,alas,ismorethanweewoulddoe.Ohstay,threelivesinonefleaspare,Stopandyouspare（save）threelivesWhenwealmost,naymorethanmaryedare.

ThisfleaisyouandI,andthisOurmarriagebed,andmarriagetempleis;manandwomanshallbeonefleshThoughparentsgrudge,andyou,w'aremet,AndcloysterdintheselivingwallsofJet.（seekingrefugein;hiddenacovent）Thoughusemaketheeapttokillme,conventions

Letnottothis,selfemurderaddedbee,Andsacrilege,threesinnesinkillingthree.Profanation;behereticalCruellandsuddenviolent,hasthousincePurpledthynaile,inbloodofinnocence?

purplewasaveryexpensivecolour,associatedwithroyaltyandromance;virginity;thefleaisanoffenderagainstherchastitywhereincouldthisfleaguiltybee,\Exceptinthatdropwhichitsucktfromthee?

Yetthoutriumph'st,andsaistthatthouFind'stnotthyself,normeetheweakernow;'Tistrue,thenlearnehowfalse,fearesbee;Justsomuchhonor,whenthouyeeld'sttomee,makeconcessiontomeWillwast,asthisflea'sdeathtookelifefromthee.Justastheflea’sdeathtook（solittlelife）fromthee,so,whenyouacceptmyproposal,littlehonourwillwaste（belostordiluted）

Overallexplanation

Mycopyofthepoemnotesthat"Fleaswereapopularsubjectforjocose[humorous]andamatory[love]poetryinallcountriesattheRenaissance".Theirpopularitystemsfromaneventthathappenedinaliterarysalon（aplacewherepoetsandotherscametorecitepoetryandconverse）.Thesalonwasrunbytwoladies,andonoccasionsafleahappenedtolandupononelady'sbreast.Thepoetswereamazedatthecreature'saudacity,andwereinspiredtowritepoetryaboutthebeast.Itsoonbecamefashionableamongpoetstowritepoemsaboutfleas.

Inthispoem,the"I"ofthepoemislyinginbedwithhislover,andtryingtogethertogivehervirginitytohim.（Itcould,ofcourse,quiteeasilybeaFEMALE"I"tryingtoseduceaMALE,butIwillstickwithoneforconvenience）.Whilelyingthere,henoticesaflea,whichhasobviouslybittenthemboth.Sincethe17-centuryideawasofsexasa"minglingoftheblood",herealizesthatbymixingtheirbloodstogetherinitsbody,thefleahasdonewhatshedidn'tdaretodo.

Then,heargues,sincethefleahasdoneit,whyshouldn'tthey?

Tobackuphisargument,hereferstothemarriageceremony,whichstatesthat"manandwomanshallbeoneflesh".Hearguesthatsincetheyhavemingledtheirbloodsandaretherefore"oneblood",theyarepractically"oneflesh"andarethereforemarried!

Notonlydoesthatreinforcehisseductionargument,butitalsoprovidesammunitionforhimtodefendhimselfwhenthefemaledoesthenextlogicalthingandmovestokilltheflea.Donnearguesthatbyspillinghisbloodandhersbykillingtheflea,sheispracticallycommittingmurder.Notonlythat,butbybreakingtheholybondofmarriagesheiscommittingsacrilege!

However,thefleafinallyiskilled,andthepoetisforcedtochangetactics.There,heargues,killingthefleawaseasy,andasyousayithasn'tharmedus-well,yieldingtomewillbejustaseasyandpainless.

Thispoemborrowsalotofreligiousimagery,becauseithelpsaddanabsurdauthoritytothepoem,asDonnetriestoarguethatwhattheyareabouttodoisnotonlysupportedbyGod,buttonotdoitwouldbeheretical.

firststanza

Inthisstanzawelearnthesituation.Amanistalkingtohislover.Afleahasbittenhimandisnowbitinghislover.Hesaysthatbecausetheirbloodhasbeenmixedinthefleaitislikethattheyhavealreadyhavehadsex.（Inthistimetheybelievedthatwhenpeoplehadsextheirbloodwasmixed）.Becausethereisnothingwrongwiththeirbloodbeingmixedintheflea,theymightaswellhavesexasthereforetherewouldbenothingwrongwiththat

Ithinkthispoemisaboutthespeakerusedafleaasabridgethatmadehimandhismistresscombinetobecomeone.Thelistener"thou"washislover,Ithinkhelovedherverymuchandevenwanttomakelovewithher,butshedidn't.

Inthispoem,thefleaisusedtotalkthewomanintomakinglovewiththespeaker.

Hesaidthatsinceyoumightbepregnantanyway,whynotgotobedwithme?

Ourbloodsmixedtogethernow,andthatmeanswehadsomekindofrelationship.

thespeakersaidthatthefleasuckedhimandthensuckedhislover.

Afterthat,theirbloodinsidethefleacombinedtogether.

Intheseventeenthcentury,peoplebelievedthatwomenwouldbepregnantwhentheirbloodmixedwiththemen'sbloodduringsexualintercourse.

Sothespeakerthoughtthatheandhismistresshadalreadycreatedababyinthefleabecausetheirbloodmixedtogetherinit,buttheyhadnosexualintercourse.

Sotheydidnowrongandalsothewomanwouldnotlosehermaidenhead.

Ithinkthat'sbecausethefleawassuckingtheblood,thenit'sbodywasgettingbiggerandbigger,soit"swelled".Butthespeakerfanciedthatthefleawaspregnant（hisbaby）,soit"swelled"and"onebloodmadeoftwo"thatisbecausetherewasababy