5. Melancholetta - Lewis Caroll

With saddest music all day long
She soothed her secret sorrow:
At night she sighed "I fear 'twas wrong
Such cheerful words to borrow.
Dearest, a sweeter, sadder song
I'll sing to thee to-morrow."
 
I thanked her, but I could not say
That I was glad to hear it:
I left the house at break of day,
And did not venture near it
Till time, I hoped, had worn away
Her grief, for nought could cheer it!
 
My dismal sister! Couldst thou know
The wretched home thou keepest!
Thy brother, drowned in daily woe,
Is thankful when thou sleepest;
For if I laugh, however low,
When thou'rt awake, thou weepest!
 
I took my sister t'other day
(Excuse the slang expression)
To Sadler's Wells to see the play
In hopes the new impression
Might in her thoughts, from grave to gay
Effect some slight digression.
 
(The rest of the poem is here -

http://www.poetrysoup.com/famous/poem/1298/Melancholetta)

This poem is about a girl who is really stricken with sadness, and her brother takes her out with 3 of his friends to cheer her up. In spite of his attempts, she always shuts out his attempts to humour her and is clearly negative and sad.

This poem is a narrative poem, because it tells a story. It also has a rhyming pattern, and a set rhythm. The pattern is ABABAB throughout the entire poem.

There are no figurative elements in this section of the poem.