Melancholy is a topic which obsesses people and especially literature for centuries. It is widely and contradictorily discussed by all sorts of poets differing in each period. The contradiction reaches till today. The stereotype is deeply rooted in our minds when we address someone who seems to be sadly absorbed in thoughts scornfully as “melancholic” or “melodramatic”.
In our present culture it is mostly important to be joyful, funny and smiling all the time. Melancholy is consequently declared as something negative linked with sadness, misery and even death-wish. Moreover, it is connected with depression which equals it as a disease. This misunderstanding happened throughout centuries and is presented in literature as true and false melancholy. The false melancholy corresponds with the negative picture of it and is linked with the gloomy graveyard-poetry. Keats in contrast to that is a representative of the true melancholy. Thus he dedicated one of his famous “odes” explicitly to melancholy. “Keats’ concept of melancholy [...]focuses on the intense experience of life’s beauty” (Farrel 1989: 76)The picture he evokes is that of true, experienced melancholy. In the following I would like to show how Keats creates his definition of true melancholy through the images he uses in “Ode on Melancholy”.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Imagery in “Ode on Melancholy”
- A warning as a starting point
- The “true” antithesis
- All- embracing in the third stanza
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This essay aims to analyze how John Keats defines "true melancholy" in his "Ode on Melancholy" by examining the imagery employed throughout the poem. It explores how Keats utilizes a series of metaphors and symbols to reject traditional, stereotypical notions of melancholy, which are often associated with death and despair.
- Keats' rejection of traditional, death-centered melancholy
- The role of imagery in shaping the understanding of true melancholy
- Analysis of Keats' use of metaphors and symbols
- The contrast between false and true melancholy
- The importance of embracing life's beauty and experience
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The introduction establishes the topic of melancholy as a recurring theme in literature, highlighting the contrasting interpretations and the prevailing negative perception of melancholy. It introduces Keats as a representative of "true melancholy," emphasizing the beauty and intensity of life as key aspects of his understanding of the concept.
The chapter on imagery delves into the first stanza of "Ode on Melancholy," analyzing the symbols associated with death and decay, and how they represent the stereotypical and false understanding of melancholy. It explores Keats' use of metaphors and enjambments to emphasize the rejection of this negative perception and the urgency of pursuing a different understanding.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This essay focuses on key themes such as melancholy, imagery, symbolism, metaphor, death, beauty, life, poetry, Keats, and "Ode on Melancholy." It explores the contrast between false and true melancholy, the importance of experience, and the power of language to shape understanding.
- Quote paper
- Jana Schäfer (Author), 2010, True Melancholy. The Way It is Presented in “Ode on Melancholy” by John Keats, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/286105