I read some of Milton's poetry this morning, and particularly enjoyed, once again, "Il Penseroso". I never realized before that he is basically praising dejection. He says it's okay to be gloomy; in fact, sometimes it's the absolutely right and proper feeling. There's a time and place for every emotion, including melancholy. In fact, he calls melancholy the "Goddess sage and holy", as if it's a feeling sent to give us wisdom and bring us closer to the true center of things.