2. ODE ON MELANCHOLY
STANZA 1
NO, NO GO NOT TO LETHE, NEITHER TWIST
WOLF BANE TIGHT ROOTED, FOR ITS POISONOUS WINE,
NOR SUFFER THE PALE FOREHEAD TO BE KISSED
BY NIGHTSHADE,RUBBY GRAPE OF PROSPER PINE;

3. TITLE OF THE POEM
ODE MEANS TO ADDRESS OR TALK TO AND THE GENERAL INTERPRETATION
OF MELANCHOLY IS SADNESS. IN FACT MELANCHOLY IS A HIGHLY
PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL STATE OF MIND IN AHICH AN
INDIVIDUAL TAKES PLEASURE OUT OF PAIN.

5. EXPLANATION
THE POEM OPENS ABRUPTLY WE UNDERSTAND WHAT KEATS IS TALKING ABOUT AND
TO WHOM BY HIS STYLE. KEATS WARNS THE SAD AND MELANCHOLY PEOPLE IN A
VERY BEAUTIFUL STYLE.
AS HE SAYS THAT
“NO, NO GO TO LETHE”

6. Keats asks sad people to avoid river "lethe”. His beautiful and artistic style of
addressing attracted our attention.“Lethe "is a river of forgetfulness in Greek
mythology. They believe that they will forget their past by drinking it’s water.
Keats is not in favour of this act. He thinks that past is a precious tressure of
one’s life.

7. Being weak and hesitant human beings we do not want to recall such
bitter memories. We do conscious effort to forget those painful events of
past. We consider them as an obstacle in our way to success and
happiness.
AS A SCHOLAR SAYS
“LITTLE AND MIXTURE, EVENTS OF PAST DEVELOP OUE
PERSONALITY”

8. The third thing that Keats asks us to avoid is “night-shade”. It is also a
poisonous plant. Keats says that a sad person should not rub his “ pale
forehead” .in such a way sad person will be under the intoxication of it.
His senses will sleep slowly and gradually he will become unconscious.

9. Here Keats seems to be a young Shakespeare of literature who says
that,
“COWARD DIES MANY TIMES BEFORE HIS DEATH BRAVE DIES
BUT ONCE IN HIS LIFE”

10. As a scholar says that,
“IF AN EGG IS BROKEN DUE TO OUTSIDE FORCE. INSIDE LIFE
ENDS; IF IT’S BROKEN FROM INSIDE LIFE BEGINS, GREAT THINGS
ALWAYS BEGINS FROM INSIDE”