NOTES ON ODE ON MELANCHOLY.
[Page 140]. l. [1]. Lethe. See Lamia, i. 81, [note].
l. [2]. Wolf's-bane, aconite or hellebore—a poisonous plant.
l. [4]. nightshade, a deadly poison.
ruby . . . Proserpine. Cf. Swinburne's Garden of Proserpine.
Proserpine. Cf. Lamia, i. 63, [note].
l. [5]. yew-berries. The yew, a dark funereal-looking tree, is constantly planted in churchyards.
l. [7]. your mournful Psyche. See Introduction to the Ode to Psyche, p. [236].
[Page 141]. l. [12]. weeping cloud. l. [14]. shroud. Giving a touch of mystery and sadness to the otherwise light and tender picture.
l. [16]. on . . . sand-wave, the iridescence sometimes seen on the ribbed sand left by the tide.