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Ode on Melancholy - Coggle Diagram
Ode on Melancholy
Stanza 1
Lethe
In Greek mythology, the river Lethe is the river of forgetfulness and oblivion. When spirits pass on to the afterlife, they would drink from the river to forget their previous lives.
Wolf's bane
It is an extremely poisonous plant that can potentially cause death, and must be dealt with carefully.
Nightshade, ruby grape of Proserpine
Proserpine, aka Persephone, was the queen of the underworld and wife of Hades, and she was forced to stay in the underworld as a result of her accidentally eating a ruby grape from there.
Rosary of yew-berries
Rosaries are prayer beads bearing religious connotations, so using yew-berries, which is a poisonous berry, to make them, can almost seem like a sign of revering death.
Owl
Traditional symbol of death, potential reference to the Greek goddess Athena whose sacred animal is the owl.
Beetle
Reference to scarab beetles, which in Egyptian mythology, were symbols of resurrection and new life.
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Stanza 2
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glut; feed
These words are constantly reiterating the theme of satiating hunger and indulging oneself in positivity
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April shroud
Reference to the common phrase 'April showers'; the word 'shroud' refers to the cloth used to cover corpses
Stanza 3
Joy, whose hand is ever at his lips
Even as we experience happiness, it is already preparing to depart from us
Veil'd Melancholy
It is only partially hidden, a non-permanent escape from melancholy, as it is never truly out of sight
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