English - Ode on Melancholy

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Matthew Chua

Ode on Melancholy Analysis

‘Ode on Melancholy’, written John Keats, is a didactic poem full of instructions on Melancholy. Keats expresses his elevation of nature and imagination as a romanticist with the use of botanical metaphors, mythological allusions and various other techniques in order to portray different meanings and themes throughout his poem, and to ultimately inform the reader that Melancholy is inevitable and only a wise man will realise this.

The first theme that John Keats addresses is what not to do, with his instruction not to elevate Melancholy, depression or death. This is emphasised much throughout the first stanza of the poem and Keats highlights this idea in the first line saying, ‘No, no, go not to Lethe, neither twist Wolf’s-bane, tight-rooted, for its poisonous wine’. The assonance in this line stresses his command and imperative voice. The repetition in that statement further accentuates his imperative voice in ordering the reader not to go towards death and not to try and suicide through poisonous herbs such as Wolfs-bane. Keats elaborately describes the notion of suicide and death through mythological allusions, Catholic references, metaphors, symbolism and personification. The words ‘Lethe’, ‘Proserpine’ and ‘downy owl’ are symbols and mythological allusions to help signify darkness, forgetfulness, hell and ultimately death. ‘Lethe’ is a river in the underworld, which is the River of Forgetfulness. Keats applies this word to metaphorically indicate that he does not want you to go towards forgetfulness and death in the underworld. The goddess of the underworld, Proserpine, is also mentioned in the first stanza, further highlighting the idea of death. The downy owl is sacred to Hecate who is associated with the goddess of the underworld and protector of witches. These mythological allusions emphasise the notion of death and are open to more explanations as an allusion rather than a statement. Keat’s Catholic reference in ‘make not your rosary of yew-berries’ also stresses the idea of not promoting death of melancholy through making a rosary of yew-berries, which are a symbol of mourning. He extensively uses metaphors throughout his poem such as, ‘For shade to shade will come too drowsily, and drown the wakeful anguish of the soul.’ This botanical metaphor is a pun on words further indicates the sensations from drugs, yet also playing on the word ‘shade’ from ‘nightshade’. This statement is an example of his descriptive diction to inform the reader not to dull down the sensation of death and not to drown out the anguish of the soul, as having the ‘wakeful anguish’ of the soul proves we are human and it is better having it than having none. This whole first theme, which John Keats is addressing, is an instruction not to promote the idea of suicide or death through various methods, as it is too high of a price to pay for melancholy, and it’s better being alive than having no consciousness or dying.

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In juxtaposition to the first theme, the second theme is what to do instead, when you are affected by Melancholy. Keats uses a variety of techniques such as metaphors, alliteration, personification and similes to indicate his ideas. He indicates that he focuses on Melancholy in the line ‘But when the melancholy fit shall fall sudden from heaven like a weeping cloud’. The alliteration of ‘fit shall fall’ brings attention to the idea of Melancholy falling upon someone like a weeping cloud. The personification of a cloud ‘weeping’ represents the idea of sadness and depression. John lists four possible options ...

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