What’s Up With the Title?

"The Flea" – kind of sounds like an alternative British rock band, doesn't it? It's a simple title, and just a bit edgy. You certainly don't expect a love poem. Thus, the title plays against our expectations in the subtlest of ways. We think that an insect will be the main focus of the poem, but the flea is just an excuse for the speaker to woo his lady-friend.