Analysis of Melancholy



HENCE, all you vain delights,
   As short as are the nights
   Wherein you spend your folly!
There 's naught in this life sweet,
If men were wise to see't,
   But only melancholy--
   O sweetest melancholy!
Welcome, folded arms and fixed eyes,
A sight that piercing mortifies,
A look that 's fasten'd to the ground,
A tongue chain'd up without a sound!

Fountain-heads and pathless groves,
Places which pale passion loves!
Moonlight walks, when all the fowls
Are warmly housed, save bats and owls!
   A midnight bell, a parting groan--
   These are the sounds we feed upon:
Then stretch our bones in a still gloomy valley,
Nothing 's so dainty sweet as lovely melancholy.


Scheme AABXBBBXACC XXAXXXBB
Poetic Form
Metre 111101 111101 0111110 1110111 1101111 110100 110100 10101011 011101 011110101 01110101 101011 1011101 111101 11011101 0110101 11011101 111010011010 1011101110100
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 678
Words 115
Sentences 7
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 11, 8
Lines Amount 19
Letters per line (avg) 27
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 255
Words per stanza (avg) 57
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

35 sec read
57

John Fletcher

John William Fletcher was an Australian politician. more…

All John Fletcher poems | John Fletcher Books

0 fans

Discuss this John Fletcher poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Melancholy" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 1 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/22753/melancholy>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    May 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    30
    days
    11
    hours
    45
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    What is the term for the continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza.
    A Enjambment
    B A turn
    C Line break
    D Dithyramb