The Definition of Melancholy
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The Definition of Melancholy
As a lover of poetry, the definition of melancholy was always a fascinating but elusive study. For a long time, the world fascinated me, but I struggled to find its definition. It's a concept in poetry that's often elusive and obscure. As I studied poetry, I was surprised to find that the language used by the poets on the definition and subject of melancholy was often purposefully ambiguous. They seemed hesitant to want to explain it, as though it's some feeling that none can define.
And as I continued to read the classic poems, I stumbled more and more upon the concept of an indescribable longing locked away deeply in every human heart, a yearning for something that no one can clearly define but to say that it's simply the longing to live life to the full, to seize the day. Soren Kierkegaard defined this phenomena of poetry in his book Purity of Heart: “It seems to him, according to the poets’ explanation, as if something inexpressible thrusts itself forward from his innermost being, the unspeakable, for which indeed language has no vessel of expression. Even the longing is not the unspeakable itself. It is only the hastening after it.”
The classic poets who often talked about this feeling of melancholy and longing, confirm what Kierkegaard said by leaving the feeling ambiguous. Here are some excerpts from a few poems that talk about melancholy. Notice the same inexpressible, ambiguous nature of the wording. The first excerpt is from “The Buried Life,” by Matthew Arnold.
“Light flows our war of mocking words, and yet,
Behold, with tears my eyes are wet.
I feel a nameless sadness o’er me roll”
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A nameless sadness, he says, something that makes his heart sigh that he cannot fully describe. Next from “Maud Muller,” by John Greenleaf Whittier:
“But, when she glanced to the far-off town,
White from its hill-slope looking down,
The sweet song died, and a vague unrest
And a nameless longing filled her breast--”
Again the same style of language is used. When talking about this thing called melancholy, always the poets are purposefully vague. And yet, I think that this ambiguous language about the human condition is what makes these poems so deep and powerful. They leave the feelings un-named, knowing that such emotions are hidden in every human heart, that they cannot be explained, only felt and drawn out through the beauty of noble things.
I have one more excerpt which talks about the definition of melancholy. I wanted to save it for last, because I think it's the most powerful. It's from “The Day is Done,” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow:
“The day is done, and the darkness
Falls from the wings of night,
As a feather is wafted downward
From an eagle in flight.
I see the lights of the village
Gleam through the rain and the mist,
And a feeling of sadness comes o'er me
That my soul cannot resist.
A feeling of sadness and longing,
That is not akin to pain,
And resembles sorrow only
As the mist resembles the rain.”
There is a devious sadness to the world in which we live – a sadness that comes to find us in the night, when we're all alone under the canopy of a million stars. Something within us knows that we ought to be better – that our love ought to burn brighter and shine more fiercely – that our passion and conviction for life ought to be strong, and lead us through that nagging temptation to settle for the ordinary and mundane. Something within us knows that life was always meant to be lived to the full. And this something, when it comes to find us, convicts us of all the cheap and common things we often settle for. This feeling, in my mind, is the definition of melancholy.
There are many other books on the subject, and I have written more extensively on the subject on my blog:
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It's always fascinated me too - loved the Longfellow quote and The Weight of Glory is one of my favourites too. May I add to this with Milton's Il Penseroso?
But hail thou Goddess, 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/ O'erlaid with black, staid Wisdom's hue
GT- I totally agree. Melancholy is healthy for the soul. Thanks for stopping by!
Shalini- Wow, Milton. I'm impressed! That's awesome that you love the Weight of Glory. Such a rad book. Thanks for finding me on here. I can already tell I'm going to really enjoy your hubs.
Benjimester,I think I sort of agree with and identify with your version of melancholy..'a sadness that comes in the night, when we're all alone under the canopy of a million stars..This knowledge, in my mind, is the definition of melancholy.'You have put in words for something I could not pin down or express.Thanks!:)
Laila- Cool, I'm glad you agree. Thanks for the feedback!
melancholy is its own word and its own definition. A sort of bitter sweet sadly happy moment. Those quiet hours in the night reflectling on what was nad what might have been.
Good Hub.
Thanks! Bitter sweet is a good way of putting it. I like your definition. Reminds me of John Greenleaf Whittier:
"Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
The saddest are these, 'It might have been!'"
I guess melanchholy is some kind of a thoughtful sadness. Sadness alone cannot make you write a poem. Or a gentle sadness, otherwise you'd be depressed!
Thanks for this introspection benji, i also have an affinity for melancholy :D
Right on! I like that definition, "Gentle sadness." That's an interesting pairing.
Benji
Awesome Hub! I truly embrace melacholy because it pushes me toward a higher calling. I, like you, did not understand it for the longest time. when it came to visit I wondered if something was wrong -when I came to understand it a bit more I realized something was wrong, but more than that something was right too. I believe that some of the greatest changes for good in our world came from a point of Melancholy: examples, Martin Luther King and Mother Teresa. God bless you and move you to higher ground through those moments of melancholy
Thanks coffeesnob! I agree completely. Aristotle said, "Great men are always of a nature originally melancholy." Those are perfect examples of great people refined through melancholy. Thanks for your encouragement. God bless you as well.
"He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end." (Eccl. 3:11)
"Vanity of vanities!" Ah, the inexpressible longing - isn't this what we were just talking about the other day? I've definitely been feeling, in recent days, such an indefinably melancholy longing, not akin to pain, as Longfellow describes in those lines of his that you quoted - an excellent excerpt!
I think you should write a similar essay on the subject of "the Curse," as we've talked about for years; you introduced me to the concept, which changed my view so much; and you have such a fine grasp on it.. you should share it with others. As always, I love reading your thoughts in written word. Very well said! :)
Thank you, my very excellent friend. You are very generous. I actually already wrote a document all about "the curse." It's called "The Burden God has Laid on Men," in reference to Ecclesiastes 3:10. I never gave that to you? We'll have to swap some more ideas :)
Hmm.. I guess I never did see that one from you - I want to read it! I should've figured you would have already written about it. :) Sweet.
Awesome picture, by the way - very fitting and evocative.
....and maybe we'll be privileged to read it too? :)
:)
I often describe it as the burning in the belly or maybe a brick in my chest. It is what always sits just beyond my reach, practically touching, you can feel it and while searching, walking straight ahead on a round platue, I can never walk to the end of the Earth. I will never see the end until after it has passed.
-Benji... you definitely know beauty.
I often describe it as the burning in the belly or maybe a brick in my chest. It is what always sits just beyond my reach, practically touching, you can feel it and while searching, walking straight ahead on a round platue, I can never walk to the end of the Earth. I will never see the end until after it has passed.
-Benji... you definitely know beauty.
A burning brick, I like that :) It's sucky that we don't see the end until it's passed, like you said. That's the worst. And thanks for the compliment! We'll have to go down to the beach sometime and fish and write about all the solemn truths of mankind :)
Peace that comes and goes for me...I just can't find the right space on this planet to feel settled...to feel at peace... Happiness then loneliness...Fear and then trust...tears and then laughter...Storm then the calm...You are a wonder to me and a great written hub...Thank You G-Ma :O) Hugs & Peace
G-ma, thank you for your ever thoughtful comments :) I hate that restless feeling of not being settled. It's odd how meaning is often paired with sadness. That's the human condition I guess. Thank you again for your comments. I always appreciate them greatly.
I think that sadness is the beginning of what it means to know all the greater things in life, like love and happiness... I guess, if you think about it, without the polor opposite of love...how much of it could you know?
GmaJ- How are you? I think about you everyday, well not every single day but I named a star after you. So when I see it, which is almost everyday 'cept lately cause it has been cloudy and raining and stuff... well I still think about you.
That's rad. Which star is it? Out at the ranch where I work, we can see tons of stars, so I could probably find it if you tell me which constellation it's near and all that other good stuff.
And I totally agree with you about sadness being the beginning of understanding. That's what it says in the Bible actually, in Ecclesiastes. "With much wisdom comes much sorrow, the more knowledge the more grief." You are awesome Sandra. You're one of the most thoughtful people I know.
Let me get the coordinates off google earth and I will get back to you. It must be nice to see a lot of stars out there.
actually here it is,
? Mon
Web Images News Blogs Scholar
5 Mon, HD 43232, SAO 133012, HR 2227
More technical information on ? Mon available from SIMBAD
Location
RA: 6h14m51.3s
DEC: -6°16m29.0s
Distance
Spectral Type
250 light-years
K1.5IIIBa0.3
Put this in Google Space and you can find it. :)
Nice. Thanks Sandra!
E M O !
:)
I believe my buddies sixtyorso explained it nicely and yet another fantastic article has risen from Benji, great job!!!:)
Thanks! I'm bummed that you changed your pic. I liked that one of you. Thanks for reading.
Marvelous Benji, and your interpretation at the end seems about as close as it can get to putting a finger on melancholy. I had forgotten Longfellow's poetry, and I must say I enjoy it more than his prose. Good choice!
One defining aspect about melancholy for me is a reflection on the past that brings a touch of sadness whether the past event was a happy one or sad one.
Thanks! I definitely agree that it brings a touch of sadness on reflections of the past. Nostalgia is another good word. Thanks for reading.
So since I changed it are you still going to be my fan? I kind of like me.:)
Of course! Still a big fan :) I love your reflections about God and life. I'll just have hold onto nostalgia and remember the real Julianna :)
I love Longfellow...
Melancholy- Defined as a sad or gloomy mood or condition; depressed in spirits; seriously thoughtful; causing sadness...
My own personal meanings of melancholy would be:
a feeling of longing for something not to be understood; feelings of sadness having to do with an emotion or a certain state of mind... A feeling of loss, yet not knowing exactly why.
I would use the word, or the description of the word "melancholy" in a very careful way, making sure that it was the exact word I was looking for... For even tho it has many meanings, depending on the person using it, it means really one thing... But only one thing to one person... It is a "personal" word, I think.(?)
Beautifully expressed!
Yes, Longfellow is one of my favorites as well. I actually have a book of his poetry from the 1800's. It's really cool. It has gold leaf, and lots of those wood carving sketches in it. That's funny that you say that melancholy should be used carefully and sparingly. I totally agree. That's one of the reasons why I wanted to write this hub, because I thought it was such a cool word that's often misunderstood. Thanks for your own definition and for the great comments, as always :) And thanks Hilltrekker for stopping by!
Melancholy is a word, (or expression) that comes to mind when I am inspired to write poetry... In most of my poems (in my hubs), I think melancholy was the main feeling... Just not so obvious, as I wrote those, "in hopes" so-to-speak... But nothing ever come of them in real life... The one to my children even... Even tho I am writing it for them to remember me, it is sort-of a feeling of loss, as I am no longer there PHYSICALLY, but in spirit, I will be... Strange, but I just realized that...
Yes, I'm very similar. I often feel a pervading sense of sadness mixed with hope when I write a lot of my poems. I got the same sense from reading your poems. That's one of the reasons why I really enjoyed them. Hopefully we'll get to see some more :)
Someday maybe... I'm glad you enjoy them. Maybe it is because I just let it all fall out, and 99% of the time, I do not proof read- only check the spelling. That is where I see talent...is in the "raw" material...
Yes, it's definitely because you let it all fall out. I like that. That part is difficult for me and I usually spend many hours laboring over a poem until I get it just the way I want it :) I like that your "raw" material is great on its own. That's what makes your poems fun to read.
Your one of a kind kid. I do not know how old you are but you speak thru my soul. Do you know that I only learned how to read Melancholy correctly 3 days ago after I finished listening to an audio book of Wuthering Heights?
I was trapped in a life I wasn't sure I wanted. Everytime my flesh touches the water, whether I am bathing or washing the dishes my subconscious tells me I am meant for something greater than this. I remember walking in a restaurant with a baby in my arms. I was looking at two women in their executive attires deeply engrossed with their business meeting. I can still remember what I said to myself that night, "I want to be like them, Lord but I cannot see how it is going to happen in my present sitch." Two years after, I was on the same spot. On one occasion, that very same words was almost audible in my mind. God used a painful experience in my life to bring about my greatest desire.
Thanks Sheena! It's very much fun to speak to your soul :) I'm 26 by the way. How was Wuthering Heights by the way? I've wanted to read it recently. I totally know what you were feeling. Being trapped and longing for something better is really difficult. That's so great that God used even a painful experience to show you how to live life to the full. It takes a strong person to be able to see the good ahead, when pain is all around. You are a unique one yourself :)
Thanks benj,
You're not a kid then? Still you think beyond your years and that is very admirable. I always believe that it takes two to ignite a good conversation. We both inspire each other to speak from our soul. I am grateful to have found somone like you here and be your friend. Thank you for the ignition. :)
Likewise! It's awesome having conversations with you. Our conversations always inspire me to study and write more. It's great :)
Benji, great Hub and intriguing descriptions for the word 'melancholy'.
Thanks! It's a really cool word. I'm glad you found it interesting.
Hi Benji,
Blue comes to mind. A feeling of unease, a loss of spirit, but for me, not sad or mournful.
Very nice hub :)
Trish! How the heck are you? Thanks for reading the hub. Being a lover of nature yourself, I'm sure you identify strongly with this feeling. I like your description "a loss of spirit." That's very interesting. I hope you are well.
Hi Benji,
I am fine, thanks :)
Yes, I do love nature, but oddly enough, I prefer being at home. Go figure. I love your hubs. Your writing is indicative of someone with a mind and soul beyond your years, and are very thought provoking.
Sorry I haven't been around. I seem to go through periods where I just read and don't comment, or just skim through some hubtivity and tire of it. Not to mention, I don't seem too inspired to write and have found it a struggle to come up with things to share. However, I did just publish a new hub two days ago about meeting up with a high school pal.
So, I am alive and well, and I appreciate you asking :)
Trish, I'm glad to hear you are well. It's really encouraging to me that you enjoy my writing, you being a very thoughtful person yourself with lots of experience and wisdom. Thank you for your compliments. That's funny that you say you prefer to be indoors. I find myself going from one extreme to the other. Sometimes I can't get enough of the great outdoors, and other times, I'll spend whole days indoors, barely once even glancing out the window. We still have to meet up somewhere out in nature sometime though and take a hike :)
I was incredibly happy to find this when searching for poetry hubs. I know - ironic to be happy to find a hub on melancholy in poetry. But you happened to mention one of my favorite poems, "The Day is Done," and I love your interpretation of it.
Your paragraph here:
"There is a devious sadness to the world in which we live – a sadness that comes to find us in the night, when we're all alone under the canopy of a million stars. Something within us knows that we ought to be better – that our love ought to burn brighter and shine more fiercely – that our passion and conviction for life ought to be strong, and lead us through that nagging temptation to settle for the ordinary and mundane. Something within us knows that life was always meant to be lived to the full. And this something, when it comes to find us, convicts us of all the cheap and common things we often settle for. This feeling, in my mind, is the definition of melancholy."
This really speaks to me. This part is settling into my brain with fervor, and into my heart with recognition. I recognize this. You gave words to it. Melancholy seem like such a compelling feeling, it compels you to be more, to be all that you are.
Thanks for this hub, I love it. :)
Sunny! Thanks so much for your comment. You a very kind. I'm very glad you found me on Hub Pages. Anyone who loves Longfellow is definitely someone worth getting to know :) I heartily agree with your interpretation, that melancholy compels you to be more, to be all that you can be. Thanks again for reading!
Nice Hub, Benjimester. Intelligently written. Thank you for sharing. If you are interested in the state of being melancholy, and how a poignant moment can provoke a writer to tap into his / her "muse," then perhaps you might enjoy reading this - an experience I had some years ago:
When it Is ... and Yet we cannot, Behold ... Our longings are defined within a sense, we know as Melancholy. It is the Locus of Mysticism, expressed variously ... at times it is Mona Lisa, at others, its Poetry.
I love how you dug into Melancholy from a poet's point of view and your definition of it at the end of your article is the best so far. Kudos!
A beautiful translation to melancholy. I have had a difficult time coming to a discerning definition. wow, you have set it out clear for me. Lovely! :)
Howdy all. Sorry I haven't been around in awhile. I've been out of touch for the last three months. Thanks you all very much for your comments though. It's really cool to see how many different people like poetry and strange concepts like melancholy.
Thanks for an interesting hub Benjimester. I have written quite a few poems that have been described by readers as melancholic. I've always thought of it as a wistful, almost romantic sadness, much less intense than grief or depression, yet so much more powerful in writing. I've thoroughly enjoyed reading everyone's thoughts on this, and particularly loved your last paragraph. Thanks.
Thanks Bluemoon. I'm very glad you enjoyed it! Now I'm intrigued about your poems. Do you have them posted here on HP? I'll have to go check. I like your description a lot, "Romantic sadness." That's a perfect description.
I too am fascinated by this word and I try to capture it in most of my work...ambiguous yes...indescribable indeed. Nonetheless the word itself is very intense.
Yeah, melancholy has lots of cool mystique bound up in it. I love the word, especially since it's so often described in classic poetry, which I also really like. I'll definitely be looking for shades of melancholy in your writing!
I liked it too, i am have a melancholic temperament and i think that it is just awesome. Describing it is really very difficult, maybe because it might to be its owe description. But I liked it:
"a sadness that comes to find us in the night, when we're all alone under the canopy of a million stars. Something within us knows that we ought to be better – that our love ought to burn brighter and shine more fiercely."
it is really a sadness, a lonely, it is like being alone even when people are around you, it is longing, an endless desire for "flying", and when it find us in a cold night makes us "fly away", and when you are back you are ready to fight for changes.
Totally. I like your description a lot. I really connect with your description of flying and flying away. That's a good way of describing it. Thanks very much for your comments!
![Poetry and Life Transitions can be symbolized in the spirals of a stairway leading up or down. [Photos on this page, public domain.]](http://z.hubpages.com/u/1849551_50.jpg "Poetry and Life Transitions can be symbolized in the spirals of a stairway leading up or down. [Photos on this page, public domain.]")
goldentoad says:
10 months ago
Benji- melancholy is healthy for a writer. I know I have my times with it, and I like the way you describe it in your closing.