# Melancholy explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Edward Thomas.

## What happens

The speaker describes a stormy day of rain and wind that brings fever and melancholy, yet also a strange sweetness. They find solitude preferable to company, and their despair only deepens the sweetness as they hear a distant cuckoo, soft water sounds, and remote rumors of past events touching friends and foes.

## Themes in this chapter

### Solitude and Reflection

The speaker fears company more than solitude, finding a strange sweetness in isolation.

### Nature and the Seasons

The summer storm, rain, wind, and the distant cuckoo's call are central to the speaker's mood.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown

The speaker experiences melancholy, fever, and a preference for solitude over human company.

## Key lines

> The rain and wind, the rain and wind, raved endlessly.

The storm of rain and wind raged without pause.

_Sets the scene of relentless weather._

> What I desired I knew not, but whate’er my choice Vain it must be, I knew.

I didn't know what I wanted, but I knew any choice would be futile.

_Expresses the speaker's sense of hopeless desire._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_5_se/chapters/melancholy
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_5_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_5_se/chapters