John Keats was a great poet of Romantic period he has inked a number of odes but ‘Ode on Melancholy’ is the most remarkable one. The poet starts this poem with a precious and priceless advice to the seekers of true melancholy. He advises them what they should not do to achieve real and solid melancholy. The poet says that;

‘No, no, go not to Lethe.’

When one drinks the water of rival Lethe (the river of forgetfulness) one’s senses are benumbed. One’s soul becomes senseless and lifeless.it becomes impossible to enjoy the full force of melancholy in such conditions. According to Keats, it is a creative process which enables someone to creates something extra ordinary. So, the poet advises the melancholy seekers to make fullest use of melancholy so that they may create something extra ordinary. In the very first stanza, Keats says;

 

“No, no, go not to Lethe, neither twist,

Wolf's-bane, tight-rooted, for its poisonous wine,

Nor suffer thy pale forehead to be kiss'd,

By nightshade, ruby grape of Proserpine.”

 

The poet says that if you want to enjoy the full force of melancholy, you should not make a rosary with the berries of yew tree. The churchyard of yew trees is associated with death and mourning. Then the poet asserts;

 

“Nor let the beetle, nor the death-moth be,

Your mournful Psyche, nor the downy owl,

A partner in your sorrow's mysteries.”

 

It means that to indulge in mourning thoughts cannot enable us realize what melancholy actually means.

The melancholy seekers should not make ‘Soft feathered owl’ an inspirer of their thoughts. It is ominous bird of darkness. In short, if they associate themselves with death, pain and deeper tragedies of their life, their soul will be dead and the force and vigour of melancholy will vanishes. Then the poet describes the moment;

 

“But when the melancholy fit shall fall,

Sudden from heaven like a weeping cloud,

That fosters the droop-headed flowers all,

And hides the green hill in an April shroud.”

 

Now, the poet gives four suggestion about what we should do when we are captured by a sudden fit of melancholy.

Firstly, we should rest our eyes on the blooming roses. We should make penetrating observation of the dew drops. The beauty of roses and dew drops will make us realize that beauty is short lived and transitory.

Secondly, we should see the beautiful colours of rainbow. The multi-coloured rainbow will console us. Thirdly, we should dwell upon the rich beauty of round shaped flowers. The last advice that the poet gives;

 

“Or if thy mistress some rich anger shows,

Emprison her soft hand, and let her rave,

And feed deep, deep upon her peerless eyes.”

 

In the last stanza, the poet delineates the actual character of melancholy. He informs us about the relationship between melancholy and other sentiments. The poet wields concrete images and personifications. Keats goes to personify melancholy as a goddess.

 

“She dwells with Beauty—Beauty that must die.”

 

The goddess of melancholy and the god of joy are the dwellers of same temple. The god of joy is ever willing and ever ready to bid farewell to his worshippers. The poet wants to say that melancholy and joy are inseparable.

 

“Ay, in the very temple of Delight

Veil'd Melancholy has her sovran shrine.”

 

Only he who appreciates delight can praise melancholy. The poet conveys this idea through the image of a grape. Joy is a grape and one who presses it hard against the soft roof of mouth, can taste it.

 

“His soul shalt taste the sadness of her might,

And be among her cloudy trophies hung.”

 

The discussion enables us to reach a conclusion that Keats was a great poet of his time.

Poem: 'ODE ON MELANCHOLY'

(John Keats)

No, no, go not to Lethe, neither twist

Wolf's-bane, tight-rooted, for its poisonous wine;

Nor suffer thy pale forehead to be kiss'd

By nightshade, ruby grape of Proserpine;

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.

But when the melancholy fit shall fall

Sudden from heaven like a weeping cloud,

That fosters the droop-headed flowers all,

And hides the green hill in an April shroud;

Then glut thy sorrow on a morning rose,

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.

She dwells with Beauty—Beauty that must die;

And Joy, whose hand is ever at his lips

Bidding adieu; and aching Pleasure nigh,

Turning to poison while the bee-mouth sips:

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;

His soul shalt taste the sadness of her might,

And be among her cloudy trophies hung.