ats’ idea of melancholy.
Or, describe melancholy's relation with beauty and joy with reference to Keats' “Ode on Melancholy”.
John Keats’s (1795-1821) “Ode on Melancholy,” published in 1819, explores the deep connection between melancholy (sadness), beauty, and joy. Keats suggests that melancholy is not something we should fear or try to avoid. It is something we should embrace because it is closely tied to the beautiful and joyful moments in life.
Handling Melancholy: The poet starts by warning us about how not to handle melancholy. In the first stanza, he advises against turning to things that dull our pain or help us escape sadness. For example, the poet suggests we should not poison ourselves, or seek forgetfulness by going to the mythical river Lethe.
“No, no, go not to Lethe…”
By running away from melancholy, we lose the chance to see its connection to beauty and joy. Instead, Keats tells us that melancholy must be faced head-on and accepted as a natural part of life.
Beauty and Melancholy: In the second stanza, Keats explains how we should respond when melancholy strikes. He uses beautiful images from nature to show us how we can find beauty even in moments of sadness. For example, he mentions a “morning rose” that blooms in the morning and fades by the evening. This rose is beautiful but temporary. The flower’s fleeting nature makes it more special and, at the same time, makes us feel sad because we know it won’t last. Keats writes—
“She [melancholy] dwells with Beauty—Beauty that must die;”
By appreciating beauty, we embrace both beauty and melancholy at once.
Joy and Melancholy: Keats also shows how joy and melancholy are deeply connected. He says that joy is always accompanied by the knowledge that it will end. Keats explores this idea by imagining Joy is always saying goodbye—
“And Joy, whose hand is ever at his lips
Bidding adieu;...”
It shows that joy/happiness is never permanent. Similarly, beauty is always linked to sadness because beautiful things fade away with time. For example, flowers wilt, rainbows disappear, and even human beauty fades. Keats argues that this impermanence is what makes beauty so powerful—it reminds us to cherish these moments while they last.
Melancholy as a Goddess: In the third stanza, Keats personifies Melancholy as a goddess who lives in the “temple of Delight.” This means that Melancholy lives within joy, and the two cannot exist without each other. Only those who fully experience joy and beauty can truly understand the depth of melancholy.
Melancholy is Not Separate from Beauty and Joy: Ultimately, Keats wants us to understand that melancholy is not separate from beauty and joy—it is a part of them. Without sadness, we would not be able to fully appreciate happiness or beauty. This is why Keats tells us to embrace our feelings of melancholy instead of avoiding them. By doing so, we can experience the full richness of life, even in its bittersweet moments. Keats notes how to embrace melancholy when your beautiful partner is angry with you:
“Emprison her soft hand, and let her rave,
And feed deep, deep upon her peerless eyes.”
To wrap up, Keats shows us that life’s fleeting beauty and joy are made more meaningful because of their connection to melancholy. This idea teaches us to accept and cherish all of life’s emotions. We should even embrace painful moments because they help us truly understand the beauty of the world.
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