Final answer:
Melancholy in the provided texts represents a deep, lingering sadness that profoundly affects the characters' perspectives and emotions towards their environment and life circumstances.
Step-by-step explanation:
The word melancholy as used in the given texts typically defines a deep, pensive, and long-lasting sadness. Several examples illustrate the use of melancholy within different contexts underlining the emotional landscape of the stories and poems in question. When characters are struck by profound melancholy, they experience a sense of profound sadness and desolation that affects their view of the world around them. This melancholic mood resonates with themes of isolation, reflection on the human condition, and the often bleak reality of our experiences or surroundings.