Sonnet 14 and The Flea’s use of religious instances of three. Religion might lie within us all

As I read Sonnet 14 and The Flea by John Donne, I eerily noticed a connection of a set of three religious hints that resurfaces in his at least two of his works. Also, John Donne is making a statement that religion lies within everybody.  After class Thursday I learned that John Donne wrote previously wrote “Carpe Diem” poems before he became a Clergyman of the Church. In text of The Flea, the first religious reference on line 3 states “Me it sucked first, and now sucks thee, And in this flea our two bloods mingled be;” The blood from the man added with the blood of the woman creates a union, or basically pits the two in holy matrimony. The flea, in some respect, is basically the Christian pastor that binds the two together. The setting where the flea bites both the man and the woman is the church where the “wedding” is held. The flea presence is clearly powerful as well. The flea itself has at least three different religious interpretations. All of these comparisons may seem wild but start to make sense while reading. The flea has a deep religious meaning whether that be a Christian priest, or a sign from god since it bit both she and he, creating new blood. It makes sense why the man repeatedly halts the woman from killing the flea. Although the woman does end up killing the flea, it stills holds religious significance. The man and the woman possibly represent a modern couple whom have mixed views on religion.

Another eerie instance of three is present in Sonnet 14. Lines 1 and 2 contains an obvious religious instance of three; “Batter my heart, three-person’d God; for you As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend;” The “three-person’d God” that the text is reffering to is The Holy Trinity consisting of God, The Holy Ghost, and Jesus.  The person in the text seems to be proclaiming the Holy Trinity beat upon his heart. I found these lines to to be a little odd. As I read on, the speaker’s tone becomes darker as if he is doubting power of the Holy Trinity, or God. Breaking down the dark tone of the man, he might have an eery connection to Satan. Which also has a weird coincidence of the three digits 666 which directly relates to the devil. I believe the man was beginning to become “unsure” about God. This man is possibly a representation of people during this time. People whom maybe didn’t believe in God or the Church, and wanted to go to another route. The three number manuscript of the devil and the first line “Batter my heart, three-person’d God,” clearly show John Donne’s repeated use of the religious instances of three. I am convinced that John Donne strategically used religious instances of three in both Sonnett 14 and The Flea, making a valid point that religion lies within us all.