The Writings
The Writings by Herman Melville, published by Northwestern University Press in 1968, presents a comprehensive edition of Melville’s long poem Clarel: A Poem and Pilgrimage in the Holy Land. This edition spans 893 pages and is in English, offering readers a detailed exploration of Melville’s final full-length work, which consists of 150 cantos and nearly 18,000 lines. The poem follows a naïve American named Clarel on his pilgrimage through the Palestinian ruins, accompanied by a diverse group of companions.
Readers will find that this scholarly edition is based on the only version published during Melville’s lifetime and includes thirty-nine corrections from a copy marked by the author, along with 154 emendations by the editors. The edition also features a section of related documents and extensive discussions, providing insights into Melville’s inner life and the poem’s significance. Clarel has been recognized by modern critics for its depth, with some suggesting that the character Vine reflects Melville’s friendship with Nathaniel Hawthorne. This edition serves as an Approved Text of the Center for Editions of American Authors, making it a valuable resource for those interested in Melville’s poetry and its historical context.
Official synopsis Publisher
Melville’s long poem Clarel: A Poem and Pilgrimage in the Holy Land (1876) was the last full-length book he published. Until the mid-twentieth century even the most partisan of Melville’s advocates hesitated to endure a four-part poem of 150 cantos of almost 18,000 lines, about a naïve American named Clarel, on pilgrimage through the Palestinian ruins with a provocative cluster of companions.
But modern critics have found Clarel a much better poem than was ever realized. Robert Penn Warren called it a precursor of The Waste Land. It abounds with revelations of Melville’s inner life. Most strikingly, it is argued that the character Vine is a portrait of Melville’s friend Hawthorne. Based on the only edition published during Melville’s lifetime, this scholarly edition adopts thirty-nine corrections from a copy marked by Melville and incorporates 154 emendations by the present editors, an also includes a section of related documents and extensive discussions.
This scholarly edition is an Approved Text of the Center for Editions of American Authors (Modern Language Association of America).
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