Now rewrite the same lines in a more complex manner but in a contemporary style. for example, you can choose to make the lines sound ugly, smooth, or clever. comment on the change in meaning or emotion that this version of the lines expresses. look at this flea, and you'll understand that what you're denying me is very trivial. the flea sucked my blood first and then it sucked your blood. now our bloods are mingled in the flea’s blood. this mixing of bloods is not a sin or anything to be ashamed of. the flea now grows big with a new life inside it. the little bloodsucking flea has achieved much more than what we as lovers have attained.

come on, now. don’t deny me the thing that even this little flea has had. you didn't lose anything when the flea bit you, did you? hey, our blood is already mixed in the flea’s blood. what’s stopping you now? the mixing of bloods in the flea is not some sin or loss that you have to account for. don’t you see how foolish it is to deny ourselves the pleasure that the flea has indulged in without even asking our permission?

the meaning becomes clearer in this more complex modern translation of the lines from "the flea." the speaker is presenting an argument to his mistress for why they should engage in premarital sex. in keeping with the social codes of the time, she believes it is a sin and is shameful.

however, the effect of john donne’s conceit is toned down in this version. the jarring notes of the opening lines that engage the reader's attention are also missing in this rewritten version. the erotic undertone in the original lines that tend to tease rather than bluntly state facts is lost in the translated version as well.



question

discuss the two key differences between the prose form of sojourner truth’s speech and the poetic version. use evidence from both texts to support your response.