​How Do You Define Melancholy?

Hey everyone,

I wrote a poem about melancholy for a creative writing class, and now I have an assignment to revise and improve one of my poems. I chose this one because I feel like it has a lot of potential to grow.

My professor commented, “I am curious about how you are defining an emotion that is much more nuanced,” and suggested I explore ways to differentiate melancholy from other experiences of pain. This got me thinking about how broad and abstract the concept of melancholy can be, so I’ve been researching and reflecting on it.

Now, I’m curious to hear from others—how do you define or experience melancholy? What does it mean to you? How would you describe it in contrast to other emotions like sadness or grief?

Any thoughts, personal experiences, or creative interpretations would be super helpful. I’d love to hear your perspective as I work on strengthening the poem. Thanks so much! 🙂