Civil War World of Herman Melville

In 1886 Herman Melville (1818-1891), author of Moby Dick , published Battle-Pieces , a collection of poems reflecting his ambivalence about the Civil War. In a meticulously researched study, Garner, secretary of the Melville Society, provides a detailed account of Melville's life during the Civil War and argues for a reappraisal of Battle-Pieces , which has generally been viewed unfavorably by earlier critics. A Northerner who opposed slavery but feared the dissolution of the Union more, Melville expressed horror at the tragedy of war as well as sympathy for the defeated Southerners. Although he did not personally engage in combat, Melville followed the war news carefully and traveled into the battlefield. Garner posits that Melville's original use of metaphor and imagery provides a unique poetic vision of a country at war with itself. His otherwise objective study is marred by a negative attitude towards Northern abolitionists, a point of view shared by Melville. Illustrations not seen by PW. (Oct.)