The Speaker

The speaker of "The Flea" is a man who is trying to seduce a woman. He uses the occasion of the flea's bite to suggest that the blood between them has already been mingled, and therefore sexual union before marriage cannot be considered detrimental to the lady's honor. The speaker of the poem is coy, playful, flirtatious, and confident. He attempts to construct a logical argument that his beloved cannot reject, and as such relies heavily on paradox to prevent her from protesting.

The Beloved

The beloved in the poem is a lady whom the speaker is trying to seduce. While she does not speak, the speaker addresses her throughout the poem and describes her actions such as killing the flea. The lady is concerned with her honor and preserving her virginity, and thus rejects the speaker's advances for sex before marriage. At the end of the...