Explain the excerpts of poems given below with reference to their context:
“But hail thou Goddes, sage and holy, Hail divinest Melancholy,
Whose Saintly visage is too bright To hit the Sense of human sight;
And therefore to our weaker view,
Ore laid with black staid wisdoms hue.”
Solution
This passage is taken from a poetry, and the speaker is addressing the goddess or personification of the feeling of sadness known as Melancholy. Melancholy is a state of mind that is frequently connected to emotions such as melancholy, despair, and reflection. In this snippet, the speaker is praising Melancholy by calling her “sage and holy” and “divinest.” These words give the impression that the speaker has a very high opinion of Melancholy and regards her as an influential and knowledgeable character.
The speaker continues by stating that the look of Melancholy is so brilliant that it is difficult for human vision to take in all of its splendour. Because melancholy is not a real entity but rather an emotion or state of mind, it is quite likely that this sentence is intended to have a metaphorical meaning. The sentence might be read to suggest that Melancholy’s fundamental essence is so pristine and bright that it is incomprehensible to human beings on account of its transcendental quality.
After that, the speaker continues by explaining that because of this, melancholy is frequently portrayed as having a dark or dismal aspect or is thought to have such an appearance. The line “and hence to our lesser perspective, ore coated with dark staid wisdom’s colour” refers to this moment in the story. Melancholy is described as being “overlaid with black,” which indicates that it is veiled or concealed by a dark or black covering. This might be seen as a metaphor for the way that people frequently misunderstand or misinterpret the real nature of melancholy. They frequently have a pessimistic outlook on it, despite the fact that, in actuality, anger can be a forceful and transformational emotion. The meaning of the term “staid wisdom’s hue” is that melancholy is frequently viewed as a colour of wisdom, which may be interpreted as meaning anything that is solemn, quiet, and consistent.
It is likely that the intention of the poem as a whole is to dispute the conventional understanding of melancholy as a bad feeling. The speaker is making the case that melancholy should not be avoided or avoided at all costs, but rather it should be welcomed and recognised for what it truly is. The poem makes use of religious terminology and imagery throughout, such as referring to melancholy as a “goddess” and saying that she is “saintly,” all of which help to the development of this concept.
It’s also possible that the poem is intended to express the concept that melancholy is a natural and necessary aspect of the human condition, and that it should be embraced as a way to learn more about oneself and become a better person. The fact that the speaker is referring to Melancholy as a “divinest” goddess is an indicator of how significant the emotion is and the significance it plays in the life of a human being. Depression is frequently linked to activities such as introspection, contemplation, and self-reflection, all of which have the potential to be great instruments for personal development and understanding of oneself.
In conclusion, the passage from the poem extols melancholy as an emotion that is both strong and smart, and urges that one should accept melancholy for what it is and understand it for what it really is. The poem questions the conventional wisdom that melancholy is an unfavourable feeling, and it invites readers to consider the emotion instead as a way to learn more about oneself and become a better person. The reader is encouraged to view melancholy in a positive light by the author of the poem, who discusses the significance of melancholy in human existence and the part it plays in developing a knowledge of one’s own identity.