What does the poet think is wrong with the beetle?
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Ode on Melancholy
by John Keats
Summary
Stanza 1
SummarySHMOOP PREMIUM
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STANZA 1 SUMMARY
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Get out the microscope, because we’re going through this poem line-by-line.
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Lines 1-2
No, no, go not to Lethe, neither twist
Wolf's-bane, tight-rooted, for its poisonous wine;
The poem starts with a repeated denial or rejection—the speaker repeats "No, no!" as though he's telling us that we're doing something wrong.
(Fun fact! Earlier drafts of the poem included a stanza before this one, so the "No, no" that opens it actually came in response to something that had already been said. Check out the "Best of the Web" section for more information on this deleted stanza, and tell us why you think Keats might have taken it out…)
The speaker tells us not to go to "Lethe," which is the river of forgetfulness in Greek mythology. According to myth, any contact with the water of the River Lethe would make you forget all of your earthly cares and troubles.
While that might sound like a good deal, our speaker doesn't want us to forget our troubles. Okay, got it.
The speaker also tells us not to "twist" the roots of "wolf's-bane" for its "poisonous wine."
No, he's not talking about the "wolfsbane potion" in Harry Potter that keeps you from becoming a dangerous werewolf. The speaker's referring to the wolfsbane flower, which is poisonous in large doses, but which is used in tiny quantities as an analgesic or mild

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Toggle navigation

Ode on Melancholy
by John Keats
Summary
Stanza 1
SummarySHMOOP PREMIUM
MENU
STANZA 1 SUMMARY
BACK
NEXT
Get out the microscope, because we’re going through this poem line-by-line.
X
Lines 1-2
No, no, go not to Lethe, neither twist
Wolf's-bane, tight-rooted, for its poisonous wine;
The poem starts with a repeated denial or rejection—the speaker repeats "No, no!" as though he's telling us that we're doing something wrong.
(Fun fact! Earlier drafts of the poem included a stanza before this one, so the "No, no" that opens it actually came in response to something that had already been said. Check out the "Best of the Web" section for more information on this deleted stanza, and tell us why you think Keats might have taken it out…)
The speaker tells us not to go to "Lethe," which is the river of forgetfulness in Greek mythology. According to myth, any contact with the water of the River Lethe would make you forget all of your earthly cares and troubles.
While that might sound like a good deal, our speaker doesn't want us to forget our troubles. Okay, got it.
The speaker also tells us not to "twist" the roots of "wolf's-bane" for its "poisonous wine."
No, he's not talking about the "wolfsbane potion" in Harry Potter that keeps you from becoming a dangerous werewolf. The speaker's referring to the wolfsbane flower, which is poisonous in large doses, but which is used in tiny quantities as an analgesic or mild
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