Away, Melancholy by Stevie Smith (detailed analysis)
Detailed analysis by Claire’s Notes of ‘Away, Melancholy’ by Stevie Smith
Cambridge iGCSE: Songs of Ourselves Volume 4
"Away, Melancholy" by Stevie Smith is a poem that seeks to dispel feelings of sadness and despair. The poet calls for melancholy to be banished, emphasizing the beauty and wonder of the natural world. Through vivid imagery of nature's wonders, such as the sun, moon, stars, and the vast sea, and humankind's capacity for love, Smith encourages embracing the joy and marvels around us. The poem contrasts the heaviness of sorrow with the lightness of nature's splendour, suggesting that appreciating the world's beauty should be enough to drive away melancholy.
Away, melancholy by Stevie Smith
Away, melancholy,
Away with it, let it go.
Are not the trees green,
The earth as green?
Does not the wind blow,
Fire leap and the rivers flow?
Away melancholy.
The ant is busy
He carrieth his meat,
All things hurry
To be eaten or eat.
Away, melancholy.
Man, too, hurries,
Eats, couples, buries,
He is an animal also
With a hey ho melancholy,
Away with it, let it go.
Man of all creatures
Is superlative
(Away melancholy)
He of all creatures alone
Raiseth a stone
(Away melancholy)
Into the stone, the god
Pours what he knows of good
Calling, good, God.
Away melancholy, let it go.
Speak not to me of tears,
Tyranny, pox, wars,
Saying, Can God
Stone of man's thoughts, be good?
Say rather it is enough
That the stuffed
Stone of man's good, growing,
By man's called God.
Away, melancholy, let it go.
Man aspires
To good,
To love
Sighs;
Beaten, corrupted, dying
In his own blood lying
Yet heaves up an eye above
Cries, Love, love.
It is his virtue needs explaining,
Not his failing.
Away, melancholy,
Away with it, let it go
My poetry videos all have the same structure: I start by putting the poem into its historical and biographical context where this enhances its understanding and give a short summary of the poem itself; I then look at the poem in its entirety, picking out structural features, such as metre (rhythm), any rhyming and patterns in language which the poet uses; I finish by going through the poem on a line-by-line basis, giving definitions of words and offering an interpretation of the poet’s words with justification. Most of the terminology I use (in green) is provided with a definition below, so even if you haven’t come across it before, you should still be able to understand the points I am making.
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I have been an English teacher and private tutor for more than 20 years.
Please note that any literature analysis is highly subjective and may disagree with analysis by another person. All interpretations are valid if they can be justified by reference to the text. This interpretation is my own: it is not exhaustive and there are alternatives!
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Пікірлер: 31
im so mad i didnt find your channel before, im binge watching your videos for my exam tmr
@aryangonsalves8863
Жыл бұрын
im begging this poem wont' pop up in tmws exam
@ClairesNotes
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for taking the time to comment. I hope everything went well and I'm sorry you didn't find my channel sooner as well!
@ClairesNotes
Жыл бұрын
Did it?
@indiannaw4271
Жыл бұрын
@@ClairesNotes no it didn’t thankfully, it was two easy poems, rain and the planners. These videos were so helpful thank you so much!
honestly, saved my life with my teacher.
@ClairesNotes
Жыл бұрын
You are more than welcome!
This detailed analysis is beautiful 💜
@ClairesNotes
Жыл бұрын
Thank you!
Excellent analysis, thanks.
@ClairesNotes
Жыл бұрын
Much appreciated!
thank you so much for these videos, rly helped save my essays that were due the next day at the last minute :)
@ClairesNotes
10 ай бұрын
You are more than welcome!
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@ClairesNotes
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! You're very kind!
I really appreciate your efforts, I do visit your channel whenever revising and hope to use your resources to get flying colors in the next year's gcse, thank you
@ClairesNotes
8 ай бұрын
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@ClairesNotes
5 ай бұрын
You are so very welcome!
exam tmr starting revision now am i cooked?
@lucki100
2 ай бұрын
Yes
@benlowrie739
2 ай бұрын
@@lucki100 nah i’m a fuckin child prodigy easy 7 i’ve been doing non stop poems all evening
@ridaxenub3162
2 ай бұрын
low key yes but it's okay, we're both cooked 🎀
@ins.onfline
2 ай бұрын
Me watching this 30minutes before the exam 😂
Hi! what would the main themes of this poem be then?
@ClairesNotes
3 ай бұрын
Depression, love and what it is to be human.
@amxranthine7778
3 ай бұрын
@@ClairesNotes Thank you so much!
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@ClairesNotes
10 ай бұрын
Thank you very much for taking the time to comment. I'm so pleased that the videos have been helpful to you!
@Samburu-kn7ee
6 ай бұрын
@@ClairesNotes Thank you so so so so much for your videos. May God always bless and be with you. Amen.
W