John Keats Forum

by **westgate** » Sun Apr 24, 2005 8:56 am

and write down your comment

by **Becky** » Mon Apr 25, 2005 4:30 pm

Je refuse.

I am melancholy.

by **Steen** » Wed Apr 27, 2005 10:43 pm

Well that isn't too helpful Becky....tut tut...
For that you shall recive NO TIP! :evil:

Ode on melancholy..well I only studied it breifly....but the jist is that Keats tells the reader no to hide from sadness: go not to Lethe (Greek river of forgetfulness). He tells the reader that beauty is the one true cure for depression "then glut my sorrow on a morning rose"
He also gives male readers a bit of advice then calming angry women: "Emprison her soft hands and let her rave and feed deep, deep upon her peerless eyes" (Also known as the "Smile and nod treatment", a tatic which has won me many friends thoughout the years and I owe it much)

But the importnat line is "She (melancoly) dwells with beauty - beauty that must die" This is his theme of beauty not lasting forever and that your days of beauty and youth should be enjoyed while you have them.

Thats it for the mo' I hope it helps. Good luck.[/i]

by **Fred** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 4:10 pm

excuse me but wasnt lethe the river of the underworld? not forgetfulness?
Its very useful to contrast to grecian urn if you take on steens point about mortal beauty

umm thats all I guess

by **Saturn** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 9:19 pm

There were actually four rivers in the Classical underworld, Lethe being just one of them and Lethe is traditionally associated with forgetfulness and loss of memory.

“…along the banks
Of four infernal rivers, that disgorge
Into the burning lake their baleful streams:
Abhored Styx, the flood of deadly hate;
Sad Acheron of sorrow, black and deep;
Cocytus, named of lamentation loud
Heard on the rueful stream; fierce Phlegethon,
Whose waves of torrent fire inflame with rage.
Far off from these, a slow and silent stream,
Lethe, the river of oblivion, rolls
Her watery labyrinth, whereof who drinks
Forthwith his former state and being forgets,
Forgets both joy and grief, pleasure and pain.”
Milton, Paradise Lost, Bk II 574-86.

by **Steen** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 10:09 pm

Ahh yes, ode to a greek urn...how could I forget...Oh well. Shows I need more work...

by **Fred** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 11:35 am

Would that be forgetfulness of life?
As in how can you be satisfied with death if you remember life so you have to forget it?
Actually yes that is what it says ignore me Im a bit sleepy yet.

by **Steen** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 8:45 pm

Wha.....i'm too tired for pharses like that.....it's friday night and I have been spending the week perpairing for exams....need sleep......

by **Saturn** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 8:46 pm

Yes forgetfulness of life was one aspect of it though in Virgil's Aeneid, the souls drink of Lethe and then repose on the banks of the river until they are incarnated as people in the future.

Also, in Homer's Odyssey, forgetfulness of life is a peril for Odysseus' shipmates when they eat of the Lotus on the island of Lotus Eaters.

by **Steen** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 9:07 pm

Yeah........Lotus.....mmmm......addictive!

by **Saturn** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 10:20 pm

Yeah that Lotus Esprit is one hot car. :wink:

by **Steen** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 2:46 pm

Yeah.....it's always better if you have a car crash with a good car...because then you can take comfort in the fact that you can sue the driver for lots if he can afford a car like that!