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Ode on Melancholy: a.k.a. Sadness
From the start, it is given that this poem is going to contain depressed images,
imagery of sad mythological creatures and those whose worlds were turned upside down
and filled with great sorrow because of the choices made by individuals. Ode to
Melancholy: A lyrical poem addressed to sadness and depression of the spirits. The first line is a warning sign. It warns the reader to avoid the river Lethe, the river of
forgetfulness. The river that flows beneath the ground in the Underworld, ruled by Hades.
Souls of the dead drink the water in order to forget their earthy lives. The line is giving
the impression that it is not good to forget. Do not allow yourself to get so entirely
wrapped up in yourself that you forget the world around you.
Psyche was a mortal, whom all the world began to worship for her beauty. Venus
did not appreciate this for she was the goddess of beauty and no one else dare worship
another but her. She commanded her son, Cupid, God of Love, to put a curse on
beautiful Psyche. Instead, he fell in love with her and he put her in a secret palace and
visited her secretly, in the dark, every night. Pysche did not know who it was that had
taken her captive, for Cupid would not allow her to see his face, but she grew to enjoy his
company. She was not happy enough with having Cupid there in the dark and her
curiosity got the better of her, she attempted to sneak a peak at Cupid and he awakened
from his slumber and banished her because he had warned her to refrain from catching a
glimpse of his face. Venus forced her to complete difficult tasks and she spent many years
searching the earth looking for Cupid. He eventually rescued her and they became
husband and wife. The moral of this footnote is that one should not unhappy with what
one has, it may bring misfortune and grief. Psyche was miserable for a long time, although
she did not drink from the river Lethe, she was not happy with her current life and wanted
more. Her longing to see her lover forced her to become melancholy and grief stricken
and she was forced to repent.
This piece by John Keats suggests that one should avoid the onset of sadness,
accept what is yours and nothing more. If you attempt to mourn and be sad, “shade to
shade will come too drowsily,/And drown the wakeful anguish of the soul.” Here he
saying that mourning will cause death. Do not try to forget, just accept and carry on with
your life. Things could be worse.
Bibliography
Works Cited
1.) Merriam Webster’s Encyclopedia of Literature. “Lethe”. Library of Congress
Catalog in Publication Data. Merriam Webster Inc. Springfield, Mass. 1995.
2.) Merriam Webster’s Encyclopedia of Literature. “Psyche”. Library of Congress
Catalog in Publication Data. Merriam Webster Inc. Springfield, Mass. 1995.
3.) Cassell: Dictioanry of Classical Mythology. “Psyche”. Jenny March. Cassell
Wellington House. United Kingdom. 1998.
Word Count: 457
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