--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Melancholy is sadness that has taken on…" description: "\"Melancholy is sadness that has taken on lightness.\" — Italo Calvino" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/544/italo-calvino-402_feeling-sad_melancholy-is-sadness-that-has-taken-on_2800059.jpg" --- # Melancholy is sadness that has taken on lightness. ![“Melancholy is sadness that has taken on lightness.” quote by Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/544/italo-calvino-402_feeling-sad_melancholy-is-sadness-that-has-taken-on_2800059.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/544/italo-calvino-402_feeling-sad_melancholy-is-sadness-that-has-taken-on_2800059.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/544/italo-calvino-402_feeling-sad_melancholy-is-sadness-that-has-taken-on_2800059.jpg) > “Melancholy is sadness that has taken on lightness.” [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Melancholy blends sadness with a light, almost playful tone. **In simple terms:** Sadness with a light touch. Key Takeaway Embrace complex emotions. Themes emotion paradox literature Mood poetic introspective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - creative writing - emotional processing - art critique Key Concepts psychology of melancholy artistic expression Questions to Reflect On - When have you felt melancholy as light? - How does humor affect sorrow? A Different Perspective Not all sadness feels light; context matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Feeling sad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling-sad/) [Lightness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lightness/) [Melancholy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/melancholy/) [Melancholy Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/melancholy-sadness-2857369/) [Sad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sad/) [Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sadness/) [Sadness Taken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sadness-taken-3444238/) [Taken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taken/) [Taken Lightness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taken-lightness-3444237/) ## Related quotes > [“The bar was stuffy and melancholy. It was full of the sadness inherent in all deracinated things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bowles/the-bar-was-stuffy-and-melancholy-it-was-full-of-the-sadness-inherent/) [Paul Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bowles/) > [There's a sadness about love, a melancholy and a sadness about beauty. It's just part of the human experience of living on this planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/there-s-a-sadness-about-love-a-melancholy-and-a-sadness-about-beauty/) [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) > [“this lightness is something created in the writing, using the linguistic tools of the poet, independent of whatever philosophical doctrine the poet claims to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/this-lightness-is-something-created-in-the-writing-using-the/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [Thoughtful lightness can make frivolity seem dull and heavy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/thoughtful-lightness-can-make-frivolity-seem-dull-and-heavy/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [I have never feel this feeling ever, I was the happy face all the time, I didn't even cared for anything that much but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raj-singh/i-have-never-feel-this-feeling-ever-i-was-the-happy-face-all-the-time/) [Raj Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raj-singh/) > [How can you lose something you never had, I tell myself when I'm feeling sad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-presley/how-can-you-lose-something-you-never-had-i-tell-myself-when-i-m/) [Elvis Presley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-presley/) > [Sometimes when we're feeling sad, it's important just to feel the sadness. Like a snake shedding its skin, old feelings of remorse and regret…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/sometimes-when-we-re-feeling-sad-it-s-important-just-to-feel-the/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Maybe this is the point: to embrace the core sadness of life without toppling headlong into it, or assuming it will define your days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-caldwell/maybe-this-is-the-point-to-embrace-the-core-sadness-of-life-without/) [Gail Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-caldwell/) > [It is not true that if we had true faith we would not be sad. Prophets (as), and righteous people experienced a great deal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nouman-ali-khan/it-is-not-true-that-if-we-had-true-faith-we-would-not-be-sad-prophets/) [Nouman Ali Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nouman-ali-khan/) > [There is no point treating a depressed person as though she were just feeling sad, saying, 'There now, hang on, you'll get over it.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/there-is-no-point-treating-a-depressed-person-as-though-she-were-just/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“it’s a bit like if we were on a planet where all the space creatures were short, green and fat. Except a very few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/it-s-a-bit-like-if-we-were-on-a-planet-where-all-the-space-creatures/) [Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/) > [“your heart on a shelf You've spent so much time being treated so badly That you can't see yourself without feeling sadly”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-maxon/your-heart-on-a-shelf-you-ve-spent-so-much-time-being-treated-so/) [Ken Maxon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-maxon/) > [“Patrick had done pretty damn well for himself, but not so well that he could go around feeling sad and awkward over how many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/patrick-had-done-pretty-damn-well-for-himself-but-not-so-well-that-he/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Distance never separates two hearts that really care, for our memories span the miles and in seconds we are there. But whenever I start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-never-separates-two-hearts-that-really-care-for-our-memories/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Giving to other people makes me feel alive. Not my car or my house. Not what I look like in the mirror. When I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/giving-to-other-people-makes-me-feel-alive-not-my-car-or-my-house-not/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) ## More by Italo Calvino > [“(one would say yes, if not every day, at least fairly regularly), whether only for yourself or also for others (often only for yourself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/one-would-say-yes-if-not-every-day-at-least-fairly-regularly-whether/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [“The Great Khan tried to concentrate on the game: but now it was the game’s reason that eluded him. The end of every game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/the-great-khan-tried-to-concentrate-on-the-game-but-now-it-was-the/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [“Or else you can say, like the camel driver who took me there: "I arrived here in my first youth, one morning, many people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/or-else-you-can-say-like-the-camel-driver-who-took-me-there-i-arrived/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [“The naked man had lost hope now; he would never be able to return to the earth's surface;he would never leave the bottom of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/the-naked-man-had-lost-hope-now-he-would-never-be-able-to-return-to/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [“The art of writing tales consists in an ability to draw the rest of life from the little one has understood of it; but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/the-art-of-writing-tales-consists-in-an-ability-to-draw-the-rest-of/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [“I ask you to come down to earth," said the Baron in a calm, rather faint voice, "and to take up the duties of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/i-ask-you-to-come-down-to-earth-said-the-baron-in-a-calm-rather-faint/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [The unconscious is the ocean of the unsayable, of what has been expelled from the land of language, removed as a result of ancient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/the-unconscious-is-the-ocean-of-the-unsayable-of-what-has-been/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [“... KUBLAI: We have proved that if we were here, we would not be. POLO: And here, in fact, we are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/kublai-we-have-proved-that-if-we-were-here-we-would-not-be-polo-and/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [“And yet, in Raissa, at every moment there is a child in a window who laughs seeing a dog that has jumped on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/and-yet-in-raissa-at-every-moment-there-is-a-child-in-a-window-who/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [“Ludmilla, now you are being read. Your body is being subjected to a systematic reading, through channels of tactile information, visual, olfactory, and not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/ludmilla-now-you-are-being-read-your-body-is-being-subjected-to-a/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [“Once the process of falsification is set in motion, it won't stop. We're in a country where everything that can be falsified has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/once-the-process-of-falsification-is-set-in-motion-it-won-t-stop-we/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [“Your case gives me new hope," I said to him. "With me, more and more often I happen to pick up a novel that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/your-case-gives-me-new-hope-i-said-to-him-with-me-more-and-more-often/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [We could say, then, that man is an instrument the world employs to renew its own image constantly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/we-could-say-then-that-man-is-an-instrument-the-world-employs-to/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [“Perhaps it is this story that is a bridge over the void, and as it advances it flings forward news and sensations and emotions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/perhaps-it-is-this-story-that-is-a-bridge-over-the-void-and-as-it/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [Yet, even now, ever time (often) that I find that I don't understand something, then instinctively, I'm filled with the hope that perhaps this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/yet-even-now-ever-time-often-that-i-find-that-i-don-t-understand/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) [Explore all 468 Italo Calvino quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) ## More Feeling sad quotes > [Giving to other people makes me feel alive. Not my car or my house. Not what I look like in the mirror. When I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/giving-to-other-people-makes-me-feel-alive-not-my-car-or-my-house-not/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [Distance never separates two hearts that really care, for our memories span the miles and in seconds we are there. But whenever I start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-never-separates-two-hearts-that-really-care-for-our-memories/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Patrick had done pretty damn well for himself, but not so well that he could go around feeling sad and awkward over how many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/patrick-had-done-pretty-damn-well-for-himself-but-not-so-well-that-he/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“your heart on a shelf You've spent so much time being treated so badly That you can't see yourself without feeling sadly”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-maxon/your-heart-on-a-shelf-you-ve-spent-so-much-time-being-treated-so/) [Ken Maxon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-maxon/) > [“it’s a bit like if we were on a planet where all the space creatures were short, green and fat. Except a very few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/it-s-a-bit-like-if-we-were-on-a-planet-where-all-the-space-creatures/) [Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/) > [There is no point treating a depressed person as though she were just feeling sad, saying, 'There now, hang on, you'll get over it.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/there-is-no-point-treating-a-depressed-person-as-though-she-were-just/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [It is not true that if we had true faith we would not be sad. Prophets (as), and righteous people experienced a great deal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nouman-ali-khan/it-is-not-true-that-if-we-had-true-faith-we-would-not-be-sad-prophets/) [Nouman Ali Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nouman-ali-khan/) > [Maybe this is the point: to embrace the core sadness of life without toppling headlong into it, or assuming it will define your days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-caldwell/maybe-this-is-the-point-to-embrace-the-core-sadness-of-life-without/) [Gail Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-caldwell/) > [Sometimes when we're feeling sad, it's important just to feel the sadness. Like a snake shedding its skin, old feelings of remorse and regret…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/sometimes-when-we-re-feeling-sad-it-s-important-just-to-feel-the/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [How can you lose something you never had, I tell myself when I'm feeling sad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-presley/how-can-you-lose-something-you-never-had-i-tell-myself-when-i-m/) [Elvis Presley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-presley/) > [I have never feel this feeling ever, I was the happy face all the time, I didn't even cared for anything that much but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raj-singh/i-have-never-feel-this-feeling-ever-i-was-the-happy-face-all-the-time/) [Raj Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raj-singh/) > [Most of the time, we keep looking outside and feeling sad about what others have. Those are mere excuses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yami-gautam/most-of-the-time-we-keep-looking-outside-and-feeling-sad-about-what/) [Yami Gautam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yami-gautam/) > [Life can be rough sometimes, and most people, at one time or another, feel like shit. This can mean different things for different people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tonycvbchicago/life-can-be-rough-sometimes-and-most-people-at-one-time-or-another/) [Tonycvbchicago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tonycvbchicago/) > [Feeling sad about anything is holding onto it. Say, 'This is something I have to let go of,' and immediately you will feel better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-levenson/feeling-sad-about-anything-is-holding-onto-it-say-this-is-something-i/) [Lester Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-levenson/) > [“how ridiculous it was. There is no point in treating a depressed person as though she were just feeling sad, saying, There now, hang…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/how-ridiculous-it-was-there-is-no-point-in-treating-a-depressed/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) [Browse all 144 Feeling sad quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling-sad/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Melancholy is sadness that has taken on lightness.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Italo Calvino" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/melancholy-is-sadness-that-has-taken-on-lightness/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Feeling sad" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/melancholy-is-sadness-that-has-taken-on-lightness/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/544/italo-calvino-402_feeling-sad_melancholy-is-sadness-that-has-taken-on_2800059.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/544/italo-calvino-402_feeling-sad_melancholy-is-sadness-that-has-taken-on_2800059.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/544/italo-calvino-402_feeling-sad_melancholy-is-sadness-that-has-taken-on_2800059.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Melancholy is sadness that has taken on lightness.” — Italo Calvino", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Italo Calvino", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Melancholy is sadness that has taken...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/melancholy-is-sadness-that-has-taken-on-lightness/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/melancholy-is-sadness-that-has-taken-on-lightness/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```