Ode on Melancholy Characters
Beauty: Personified as a character who must die. It symbolizes the fleeting nature of beauty.
Joy: It describes someone who always says goodbye; joy never stays long.
Pleasure: It is also personified. It stands close to pain, turning into poison while being enjoyed.
Proserpine: (Greek name Persephone) A direct mythological figure. She is the Roman goddess of the underworld. She connected to nightshade (a poisonous plant).
Psyche: She is the Wife of God Cupid (Eros). Referenced as a “mournful Psyche” — from mythology. She symbolizes the soul, love, and emotional suffering.