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Is John Donne’s “The Flea” a misogynist poem?
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Selected thesis
John Donne’s “The Flea” is a misogynist poem.
Pros
Cons
Pro claim 1
The speaker does not respect his beloved's choice to not sleep with him.
Pro claim 2
The poem perpetuates the stereotype of women as the objects of male desire.
Con claim 1
The poem can be read as mocking the speaker’s arguments.
Con claim 2
The speaker treats his beloved as someone to be engaged with intellectually.