Special Sub-Topic: Melville's Poetry Click Here To Play: Melville's Poetry

Name Melville's collection of Civil War poetry.

Battle-Pieces. Melville published 'Pieces' after war's end. 'War Is Kind' was by Stephen Crane, 'For The Union Dead' by Robert Lowell (who adapted Melville's 'Benito Cereno' for the stage.)

Who was the English artist who made the marine painting Melville based a poem on?

Turner. J. M. W. Turner is renowned for his marine {scenes;} his 'The Fighting Temeraire', about one of Nelson's warships towed out to be scrapped, was seen by Melville, who wrote a poem on it and included it in 'Battle-Pieces'.

In what poem did Melville say 'All wars are boyish, and are fought by boys'?

The March Into Virginia. About the War's first battle, a horrible rout for the North. Melville's line is among his most quoted.

What ships made up the 'Stone Fleet' Melville wrote about?

whalers. Ex-whaleman Melville had an affinity for these old whalers, now filled with heavy stone and scuttled in Charleston harbor to block it. Without success, though...'A failure, and complete was you old Stone Fleet'.

Who did Melville call 'the meteor of the war'?

John Brown. The first poem in Melville's book, 'The Portent' is about abolitionist John Brown, whose raid on Harper's Ferry and hanging helped to set off the Civil War.

What part of the old sailing ships did Melville write about?

Figure-Head. Figureheads were almost de rigueur on the old sailing {ships;} Melvill'e poem tells of an old figurehead sunk in the sea, of a married couple now separated by time and the elements.

What did a ship smash itself against in a Melville poem?

iceberg. In 'The Berg' Melville tells of a dream he had of a ship smashing itself into an iceberg (long before the 'Titanic').

What short poem did Melville pen about the aftermath of a shipwreck at sea?

Far Off-Shore. Melville's eight-line poem about a raft with 'None upon the lashed spars lying, Quick or dead' is one of his best and most powerful.

What poem did Melville base on an old sea chantey?

Tom Deadlight. Melville based 'Tom Deadlight' on the old chantey 'Spanish Ladies', which also appeared in 'Moby Dick'.

Name the title of the elegy Melville is thought to have wrote on his friend and fellow writer Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Monody. 'Monody' has long been considered to be about the death of Hawthorne.