John Marr and Other Poems
[1888]
Introductory Note
Melville's verse printed for the most part privately in small
editions from middle life onward after his great prose work had
been written, taken as a whole, is of an amateurish and uneven
quality. In it, however, that loveable freshness of personality,
which his philosophical dejection never quenched, is everywhere in
evidence. It is clear that he did not set himself to master the
poet's art, yet through the mask of conventional verse which often
falls into doggerel, the voice of a true poet is heard. In
selecting the pieces for this volume I have put in the vigorous
sea verses of John Marr in their entirety and added those others
from his Battle Pieces, Timoleon, etc., that best indicate the
quality of their author's personality. The prose supplement to
battle pieces has been included because it does so much to explain
the feeling of his war verse and further because it is such a
remarkably wise and clear commentary upon those confused and
troublous days of post-war reconstruction. H. C.
Unfold
Subscribe for ad free access & additional features for teachers. Authors: 267, Books: 3,607, Poems & Short Stories: 4,435, Forum Members: 71,154, Forum Posts: 1,238,602, Quizzes: 344
If Luther's day expand to Darwin's year,
Shall that exclude the hope--foreclose the fear?
Unmoved by all the claims our times avow,
The ……
Dear Reader, we use the permissions associated with cookies to keep our website running smoothly and to provide you with personalized content that better meets your needs and ensure the best reading experience. At any time, you can change your permissions for the cookie settings below.
If you would like to learn more about our Cookie, you can click on Privacy Policy.
Waiting for the first comment……