Ode on Melancholy
Notes
The main message in this poem is that one must use depression for creativity because
- death is not an option (hypothesis)
- so you must embrace senses and life (antithesis)
- life is transient (resolution)
No, no, go not to Lethe, neither twist
Wolfs-bane, tight-rooted, for its poisonous wine;
Nor suffer thy pale forehead to be kiss'd
Keats is saying we can use depression– don’t let it control us. The poem starts with a forceful outcry not to reject melancholy. The 'pale forehead' may be a reference to TB which ended his life.
By nightshade, ruby grape of Proserpine;
Reference to poisonous, hallucinogenic substances– coincides with the ‘half state’ themes seen in many of Keats’ poems (e.g.. Ode to a nightingale)
Make not your rosary of yew-berries,
Nor let the beetle, nor the death-moth be
Your mournful Psyche, nor the downy owl
A partner in your sorrow's mysteries;
For shade to shade will come too drowsily,
And drown the wakeful anguish of the soul.
'shade to shade'.. depression comes as a shadowy presense that can easily take away the essence of the soul. You must fight it.
'wakeful anguish of the soul'.. Keats is saying it is better to have a soul than no soul at all. At least then you have an awareness, and can appreciate the beauty that life holds.. Death is nothingness, so why want to end your life?
But when the melancholy fit shall fall
Sudden from heaven like a weeping cloud,
'weeping cloud'- tears watering plants and creating life
That fosters the droop-headed flowers all,
And hides the green hill in an April shroud;
Then glut thy sorrow on a morning rose,
This first part of the second stanza is about using sorrow for something beautiful- a fresh creation. Tears taint or nourish it.
Or on the rainbow of the salt sand-wave,
Or on the wealth of globed peonies;
Or if thy mistress some rich anger shows,
Emprison her soft hand, and let her rave,
And feed deep, deep upon her peerless eyes.
'mistress'.. she is a mad woman.. Keats personifies death into a Goddess.
'let her rave'- the beauty is a way out, to escape
'feed deep'- synaethesia
'peerless eyes'- look into soul
She dwells with Beauty - Beauty that must die;
Dwelling on something good, making it a bad thing. Depression lures you into thinking this.
'Beauty that must die'- Keats feelings about women coming out?
And Joy, whose hand is ever at his lips
Joy is personified as male and melancholy as female– suggests what Keats thinks of woman– they only cause sorrow for him
Bidding adieu; and aching Pleasure nigh,
Turning to poison while the bee-mouth sips:
Feeding on victims' melancholy (only those who have experienced joy)
Ay, in the very temple of Delight
Veil'd
Melancholy has her sovran shrine,
Though seen of none save him whose strenuous tongue
Can burst Joy's grape against his palate fine;
Takes effort to get joy, but once you've got it it's worth it. 'burst' = energy
His soul shall taste the sadness of her might,
And be among her cloudy trophies hung.
You have to suffer to become better
Additional points:
Only if you've experienced depression can you embrace happiness.
A glimpse of pleasure is better than nothing at all.
Knowing that there are beautiful things to experience keeps you alive and away from death.
The fact that you sometimes can't get out of depression is a warning of how strong melancholy can grab the soul.
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