The River Arun
The poem takes place on the banks of some body of water, and the epigraph tells us specifically that it's the River Arun (which is in southern England). Let's think about the symbolic power of riv...
The Wind
The wind is usually refreshing, right? It cools you down when you're too warm, or maybe it just sends some fresh air your way. Not so much in this poem. The wind is almost like a character in the p...
Ghosts
The speaker of "To Melancholy" is in a mopey mood from the start. It's Autumn, so the trees are "half-leafless," darkness is falling, the wind is picking up, and mist is rising off of the river. It...