Draw Connections: “To His Coy Mistress” and “The Flea”

Draw Connections: “To His Coy Mistress” and “The Flea”

Andrew Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistress” and John Donne’s “The Flea” are seduction poems. In each, a man tries to argue a woman out of her reservations and into bed with him. Though they have similar goals, these two speakers use quite different tactics in making their cases. While Marvell draws on Greek mythology to convince his lover of the urgent press of time, Donne looks to Christian imagery to consider how holy virginity really is.

Download the annotated texts of both poems, and use them to answer the following questions comparing Marvell’s poem with Donne’s.

  1. To carry their points, both of these speakers must disarm their lovers’ claims about why sex should wait. What does Marvell’s speaker do to suggest the woman’s concerns are invalid—or at least outweighed by his arguments? What about Donne’s speaker? Do they find similar flaws in the argument for chastity?

    Question

    To carry their points, both of these speakers must disarm their lovers’ claims about why sex should wait. What does Marvell’s speaker do to suggest the woman’s concerns are invalid—or at least outweighed by his arguments? What about Donne’s speaker? Do they find similar flaws in the argument for chastity?
    Chapter 5: To carry their points, both of these speakers must disarm their lovers’ claims about why sex should wait. What does Marvell’s speaker do to suggest the woman’s concerns are invalid—or at least outweighed by his arguments? What about Donne’s speaker? Do they find similar flaws in the argument for chastity?
  2. Though they address the grave subjects of love and death, both Marvell and Donne are playful in their arguments for living in the present moment. Find a line from each poem that you think is humorous, and use these examples to briefly explain where and why these writers use humor.

    Question

    Though they address the grave subjects of love and death, both Marvell and Donne are playful in their arguments for living in the present moment. Find a line from each poem that you think is humorous, and use these examples to briefly explain where and why these writers use humor.
    Chapter 5: Though they address the grave subjects of love and death, both Marvell and Donne are playful in their arguments for living in the present moment. Find a line from each poem that you think is humorous, and use these examples to briefly explain where and why these writers use humor.
  3. Consider images of space in both “To His Coy Mistress” and “The Flea.” Where do the writers paint a picture of vast, open space? Where do they use images of small, cramped space? What do you think this imagery contributes to the poems’ meditations on love and sex?

    Question

    Consider images of space in both “To His Coy Mistress” and “The Flea.” Where do the writers paint a picture of vast, open space? Where do they use images of small, cramped space? What do you think this imagery contributes to the poems’ meditations on love and sex?
    Chapter 5: Consider images of space in both “To His Coy Mistress” and “The Flea.” Where do the writers paint a picture of vast, open space? Where do they use images of small, cramped space? What do you think this imagery contributes to the poems’ meditations on love and sex?
  4. What do we learn through these poems about the lovers to whom they are addressed? Which lines give you some sense of how the women look or how they speak? How different do you imagine the two women are, based on these details?

    Question

    What do we learn through these poems about the lovers to whom they are addressed? Which lines give you some sense of how the women look or how they speak? How different do you imagine the two women are, based on these details?
    Chapter 5: What do we learn through these poems about the lovers to whom they are addressed? Which lines give you some sense of how the women look or how they speak? How different do you imagine the two women are, based on these details?
  5. What kind of response would you write if you were presented with these attempts at seduction? Choose one of the poems and write the opening sentence or two of an answer. Try to mimic the original poem’s rhythm and rhyme in your response.

    Question

    What kind of response would you write if you were presented with these attempts at seduction? Choose one of the poems and write the opening sentence or two of an answer. Try to mimic the original poem’s rhythm and rhyme in your response.
    Chapter 5: What kind of response would you write if you were presented with these attempts at seduction? Choose one of the poems and write the opening sentence or two of an answer. Try to mimic the original poem’s rhythm and rhyme in your response.