Criticism Of Keats' Melancholy

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was composed of four stanzas, the first of which Keats’s decided to remove before the poem was published. According to Gaillard, the original “stanza did survive in Brown’s transcripts, but many critics have made only passing references to it, avoiding discussion of the structure, language, theme and imagery of the poem as a full four-stanza work”(19). Gaillard believes that the deleted first stanza’s inclusion is very vital to the symmetry and structure to the poem. He states,
“With stanza one’s omission the poem ‘s original symmetry
is destroyed, and we lose the effect of Keats’s careful balancing
of equal stanza pairs to embody negative and positive locations
and methods in the search of melancholy. Replacing the original
first stanza ahead of the other three resolves theses problems”(19).

He then goes on to explain the structure of “Melancholy.” Gaillard believes that the poem’s actual balance point has been pushed off center. Gaillard believes that “the point ...

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first stanza, deals with the meaning of “Aye.” Some critics believed that “Aye” was simply a sigh. However, according to Gaillard:

“’Aye in the Temple of Delight’ serves not as a sigh or lament,
but rather as an affirmation and reinforcement of the location
of Melancholy. Just as Pleasure turns to poison (stanza four),
so ‘Aye’ reminds us that Melancholy is found not in ‘any isle
of Lethe dull’ (deleted stanza one), but instead in her sovran
shrine in the temple of delight”(21).

The first stanza’s inclusion is also needed to understand “She” which is found in the fourth stanza. If the poem’s three stanza version is analyzed it appears the “She” is the mistress “dwelling ...

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