Herman Melville: StargazerMelville's passion for things astronomical is visible throughout his canon. Zimmerman places Melville's many astronomical citations within the thematic context of the works in which they appear and within the larger cultural and historical context of nineteenth-century studies. In addition he provides a comprehensive catalogue of every reference to astronomy, its practitioners, and related topics in Melville's works. Herman Melville: Stargazer will be of great interest to scholars and students of American literature as well as those interested in the relationship between science and literature. |
Contents
Melvilles Knowledge of Astronomy | 3 |
2 The Cosmic Drama of Mardi | 29 |
3 Stars and Spiritual Navigation in Clarel | 43 |
4 Astronomical Imagery and Symbolic Antitheses in Billy Budd | 58 |
5 Final Thoughts on Melville and Astronomy | 70 |
Catalogue of References to Astronomical Subjects | 75 |
More Maps and Drawings from Hiram Mattisons Atlas | 111 |
Notes | 119 |
| 131 | |
| 137 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Aldebaran American angels antitheses appear Arcturion Arcturus Aries associated astral astron astronomical allegory astronomical imagery Atlas Babbalanja Billy Budd Boötes bright Burritt's Cassiopeia celestial chapter Christ Claggart Clarel cluster comet constellations cosmic Derwent divine earth eclipse equator equinoctial equinox excerpts extraterrestrials eyes faith Figure Handsome Sailor Hautia heaven Herman Melville Hillway horizon Israel Potter knowledge of astronomy lectures light literary look lunar Mardi Mardian Maria Mitchell Melville canon Melville's writings Melvillean meteors Milky Moby-Dick Mohi moon narrator natural navigational night nineteenth century North northern observatory Omoo orbit Orion Paradise Lost passage Perseus Pisces planet Pleiades plurality of worlds poem Redburn references Rolfe round Sagittarius sail Satan scholars Scorpio Sealts seems shows skies solar Southern Cross space sphere spiritual Star of Bethlehem starry stellar imagery suggest symbolic Taji Taji's Taurus telescope tion universe Uranic Muse uranography Venus Verrier voyage White-Jacket Whitman Yillah zodiac