Joshua Moreno

December 9, 2017

Professor Batty, ENG 102

Poetry Analysis

With regard to the comments above, I have changed my essay to reflect how it should

read differently from the original and its revised version. The first comment references the idea

of how the E sound produces a sense of loss, and asked me to consider explaining more in

depth to how the sound equals the feeling of loss. Originally it read, To my ear when reading

these lines, there is a sound of loss. As the E sound phonetically does not have an end per

se and continued from then on without an explanation of what brings about these feelings.

Now in the revised version it reads, The E sound phonetically does not have an end per se. I

believe the E sound to produce a feeling of loss due to the fact that each stanza that ends with

an E sound can be often associated with words that either give an idea as to what the state of

mind is in that line or points direction at whom the other whom each line is directed too. In this

case the wife is usually the topic for each line and words like innocence, guilty, kill, and

self-murder further amplify the how the speaker feels in regard to the betrayal and resentment

directed toward his wife. I believe with this addition of giving the sound more direction in

relation to the words used by the speaker it should help to eliminate the confusion and give

readers a chance to understand the speakers point of view.

Another comment tasked me with explaining, What is it that the flea sucks in order to

make the marriage seem like its fallen? Which used to read as So, if the flea/marriage is

sucking the blood of two it then confirms that the marriage is unstable and has/will fall and now
reads Well within the confines of marriage there is always turmoil, however for some that often

ends in the marriage being a failure. The failure or flea in the marriage of our speaker and his

wife, is that time has passed and theyve reached a stalemate, nothing is happening to give life

back to their marriage, as such the flea is indeed sucking the blood of two. This is to give more

expression to what the flea is sucking, implying that the marriage is taking life away from both

the speaker and his wife. I feel like this was the best course for this section as it made the most

sense that they should both be suffering from some form of emotion even if the wife is guilty, so

then should be the husband.

Finally the latest major comment, The quote "It sucked me first, and now sucks thee"

Needs to be clarified with regards to the thesis. Previously it read, Donne could have also

taken this experience and subtly put the blame on his wife as she could be the reasoning for why

the speaker expresses a sense of being cheated. And now is continued with, In this case due to

the marriage the speaker had to go through multiple instances in which he felt used or unwanted

however for the sake of marriage he stayed with his wife, but blames her and her family for what

they have done to him. I felt that it needed more explanation as to what the speaker exactly has

to blame for why the marriage has fallen, in these added sentences we see that it not only is put

upon his wife but her family as well. After this, another sentence was added to identify in

specific whom else in the wifes family it is that the speaker blames for his fallen marriage.