Reflective Statement
Ode on Melancholy
(General theme – how sorrow and joy are inseparable so are life and death)
First sentence – negative with ‘No,no !’ the comma is used for emphasis. ‘Wolfs-bane’ – root/herb which is poison.
Nightshade – also poison
Proserpine was the daughter of demeter (goddess of fertility) in greek mythology, she was taken by hades the lord of the underworld. As she was taken there was only sorrow while winter set in. if this continued the earth would be in trouble thus there was an agreement reached between Demeter and hades for here living on earth and underworld as when she is with hades there is death on earth and once she is back there is nothing but renewal of life.
Contradictory imagery throughout the first part, Life and Death – ‘death-moth’ living but symbolizing death
Referring to lots of images of death, what is trying to be said is not to invite death not hurry the oncoming of death and just enjoy whatever time you have before death takes over.
Rhyme scheme – half rhymes are prominent – A, B, A, B, C, D, E, C, D, E
Stanza 2
The rhyme scheme in the first 2 stanzas is very similar; both are following the contrast set between life and death.
Coming to the subject of the poem in the first line.
Weeping clouds – personification – pathetic fallacy, contradictory imagery as rain is associated with growth but by using weeping there is a feeling of mourning.
Third line is paradoxical as by saying ‘fosters the droop headed flowers’ he is saying that the flowers help other beings grow as the word foster means to promote the development of some living being as in helping it grow while this is being said there is an immediate contradiction ‘droop-headed’ which is saying its head is down which is in the literal sense but in this context it refers to the flower withering which is symbolizing death.
4th line till the end of the second stanza covered in the notebook and sheet.
Stanza 3
Caesura – emphatic pause, in
(General theme – how sorrow and joy are inseparable so are life and death)
First sentence – negative with ‘No,no !’ the comma is used for emphasis. ‘Wolfs-bane’ – root/herb which is poison.
Nightshade – also poison
Proserpine was the daughter of demeter (goddess of fertility) in greek mythology, she was taken by hades the lord of the underworld. As she was taken there was only sorrow while winter set in. if this continued the earth would be in trouble thus there was an agreement reached between Demeter and hades for here living on earth and underworld as when she is with hades there is death on earth and once she is back there is nothing but renewal of life.
Contradictory imagery throughout the first part, Life and Death – ‘death-moth’ living but symbolizing death
Referring to lots of images of death, what is trying to be said is not to invite death not hurry the oncoming of death and just enjoy whatever time you have before death takes over.
Rhyme scheme – half rhymes are prominent – A, B, A, B, C, D, E, C, D, E
Stanza 2
The rhyme scheme in the first 2 stanzas is very similar; both are following the contrast set between life and death.
Coming to the subject of the poem in the first line.
Weeping clouds – personification – pathetic fallacy, contradictory imagery as rain is associated with growth but by using weeping there is a feeling of mourning.
Third line is paradoxical as by saying ‘fosters the droop headed flowers’ he is saying that the flowers help other beings grow as the word foster means to promote the development of some living being as in helping it grow while this is being said there is an immediate contradiction ‘droop-headed’ which is saying its head is down which is in the literal sense but in this context it refers to the flower withering which is symbolizing death.
4th line till the end of the second stanza covered in the notebook and sheet.
Stanza 3
Caesura – emphatic pause, in