melismatic=honeyed?

What dictionary is that from?

I'd say rather that mellifluous, not melismatic, is honeyed--and I'd bet that Leeneia is right that melismatic is the wrong word for the context. I'd guess that mellifluous, not melodious, is what the author intended. I'm surprised an editor didn't catch this.

Those of us who do a lot of singing are familiar with melismas.   Though some of us are not really enthusiastic about them.

The melismas in "Messiah" in particular. His yoke is not at all "easy". Maybe since Handel took that music from an Italian love duet--and the original word was "ride", the Italian for "laugh"--much more appropriate for that melisma than "easy".