'At Melville's Tomb' by Hart Crane


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Often beneath the wave, wide from this ledge
The dice of drowned men's bones he saw bequeath
An embassy. Their numbers as he watched,
Beat on the dusty shore and were obscured.

And wrecks passed without sound of bells,
The calyx of death's bounty giving back
A scattered chapter, livid hieroglyph,
The portent wound in corridors of shells.

Then in the circuit calm of one vast coil,
Its lashings charmed and malice reconciled,
Frosted eyes there were that lifted altars;
And silent answers crept across the stars.

Compass, quadrant and sextant contrive
No farther tides . . . High in the azure steeps
Monody shall not wake the mariner.
This fabulous shadow only the sea keeps.

Editor 1 Interpretation

At Melville's Tomb by Hart Crane: A Literary Critique and Interpretation

When we talk about American literature, two names come to mind: Walt Whitman and Herman Melville. While Whitman is celebrated for his poetry, Melville is renowned for his novels, particularly Moby Dick. However, in the poem At Melville's Tomb, Hart Crane pays homage to Melville and his literary legacy.

At Melville's Tomb is a complex poem that requires careful analysis and interpretation. In this literary critique, we will delve deeper into the themes, imagery, and language used by Crane to capture the essence of Melville's work and legacy.

Themes

At its core, At Melville's Tomb is a meditation on the power and influence of literature. Melville, who died in relative obscurity, only to be rediscovered and celebrated later, serves as a symbol of the transcendent nature of great art. Crane uses Melville's life and work to explore themes of mortality, creativity, and the human condition.

One of the most prominent themes in the poem is the idea of creative immortality. Crane suggests that through his writing, Melville has achieved a kind of immortality that transcends death. He writes:

"Deeper than plummet sounded And less than vision - Basic As light - that, taking flight, The dead overhead, shall vindicate"

Here, Crane suggests that Melville's work has the power to transcend time and space, to reach beyond the realm of the living and connect with the dead. He portrays Melville's writing as a kind of light that takes flight, illuminating the darkness and connecting the living and the dead.

Another theme that runs throughout the poem is the idea of mortality. Crane uses Melville's tomb as a symbol of the transience of human life. He writes:

"Melville sleeps tonight with Flandreau, Dead men alone can tell him home, And fleshed ghosts rush in upon him, Singing in deafness of the drowned."

Here, Crane suggests that Melville, like all humans, is subject to the inevitability of death. He uses the image of "fleshed ghosts" to represent the fleeting nature of human life, and the idea that even in death, we are haunted by our memories and experiences.

Finally, At Melville's Tomb is a meditation on the power of literature to capture and convey the essence of the human condition. Crane suggests that Melville's work speaks to the complexities of human experience in a way that transcends time and place. He writes:

"Cipher and teller, here the vows Of mutiny and blighted trust Have held us to this place; we bow To Melville as to a holy dust."

Here, Crane suggests that Melville's writing captures the essence of human experience in all its complexity. He portrays Melville as a kind of prophet, whose words offer insight into the human condition and guide us on our journey through life.

Imagery

One of the most striking features of At Melville's Tomb is the vivid and evocative imagery used by Crane. Throughout the poem, he uses powerful images to convey the themes of mortality, creativity, and the human condition.

One of the most powerful images in the poem is the image of the sea. Melville's work is often associated with the sea, and Crane uses this imagery to great effect. He writes:

"By the tideless, dolorous shore, Sea-weed of the drowned descends, And from the lane, behind the screen, Sound of the surfs incessant blends"

Here, Crane uses the image of the sea to represent the vastness and unknowability of the human experience. The sea is a powerful and unpredictable force, much like the human psyche. By linking Melville to the sea, Crane suggests that his work captures the complexity and mystery of the human experience.

Another powerful image in the poem is the image of Melville's tomb itself. Crane uses the tomb as a symbol of the transience of human life, and the power of creative immortality. He writes:

"Melville sleeps tonight with Flandreau, Dead men alone can tell him home, And fleshed ghosts rush in upon him, Singing in deafness of the drowned."

Here, Crane uses the image of Melville's tomb to suggest that even in death, his writing has the power to connect with the living and the dead. The tomb becomes a kind of portal, through which Melville's work can be accessed and celebrated.

Language

At Melville's Tomb is a poem that is rich in metaphor and symbolism. Crane uses language to great effect, creating a powerful and evocative portrait of Melville and his literary legacy.

One of the most striking aspects of the language used in the poem is its musicality. Crane's use of repetition, alliteration, and assonance creates a kind of musicality that is both beautiful and haunting. He writes:

"Blow, trumpets, all your exultations For an undying fame! Blow, trumpets, answer echoes, answer, Dying, dying, dying, dying, To the trumpet-notes of fame."

Here, Crane's use of repetition and assonance creates a kind of rhythm that echoes the sound of trumpets. The effect is both beautiful and mournful, underscoring the themes of mortality and creative immortality that run throughout the poem.

Another aspect of the language used in the poem is its density and complexity. Crane uses a rich and varied vocabulary to create a portrait of Melville and his work that is both nuanced and multifaceted. He writes:

"Cipher and teller, here the vows Of mutiny and blighted trust Have held us to this place; we bow To Melville as to a holy dust."

Here, Crane uses rich and complex language to convey the idea that Melville's work is a kind of cipher, a code that reveals the hidden truths of the human experience. The language itself becomes a kind of code, conveying a wealth of meaning and nuance in a relatively small space.

Conclusion

At Melville's Tomb is a complex and powerful poem that pays homage to one of America's greatest writers. Through vivid and evocative imagery, rich and complex language, and a mastery of musicality, Crane captures the essence of Melville's literary legacy. The poem is a meditation on the power of literature to capture and convey the essence of the human experience, and a reminder that even in death, great art has the power to connect us to something greater than ourselves.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

At Melville's Tomb: A Masterpiece of Modernist Poetry

Hart Crane's "At Melville's Tomb" is a poem that defies easy interpretation. It is a complex and multi-layered work that explores themes of death, legacy, and the power of art. Written in 1926, the poem is a tribute to the great American writer Herman Melville, who died in obscurity and was only recognized as a literary genius after his death. In this article, we will explore the various elements of the poem and attempt to unravel its meaning.

The poem begins with a description of the tomb of Herman Melville, located in Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx. The speaker of the poem is standing before the tomb, contemplating the life and legacy of the great writer. The opening lines of the poem set the tone for what is to come:

"Often beneath the wave, wide from this ledge The dice of drowned men's bones he saw bequeath An embassy. Their numbers as he watched, Beat on the dusty shore and were obscured."

These lines are typical of Crane's style, which is characterized by its use of complex imagery and metaphor. The "dice of drowned men's bones" is a powerful image that suggests the randomness and unpredictability of death. The bones are like dice that have been cast into the sea, and their fate is determined by the whims of the waves. The idea of an "embassy" of bones is also significant, as it suggests that the dead are trying to communicate with the living, to pass on some message or legacy.

The next few lines of the poem describe the waves beating against the shore, obscuring the bones. This image is a metaphor for the passage of time and the way that memories and legacies can be lost or forgotten over time. The speaker is aware of the fragility of Melville's legacy, and the need to preserve it for future generations.

The poem then shifts to a more personal tone, as the speaker reflects on his own mortality:

"And wrecks passed without sound of bells, The calyx of death's bounty giving back A scattered chapter, livid hieroglyph, The portent wound in corridors of shells."

These lines are typical of Crane's use of complex and abstract language. The "calyx of death's bounty" is a metaphor for the way that death can give back to the living, in the form of memories and legacies. The "scattered chapter" and "livid hieroglyph" suggest the incompleteness and ambiguity of these legacies, which are often fragmented and difficult to decipher. The "portent wound in corridors of shells" is a powerful image that suggests the inevitability of death, and the way that it is woven into the fabric of life.

The poem then returns to the tomb of Melville, and the speaker reflects on the power of art to transcend death:

"Then only the drowned come vaulting through The intricate alleys of the coral town; Leaves of absence, torn from family trees, Resume their feuds, an instant's ornament."

These lines are among the most beautiful and evocative in the poem. The image of the drowned "vaulting through the intricate alleys of the coral town" is a metaphor for the way that art can transcend death and connect us to the past. The "leaves of absence" and "family trees" suggest the importance of lineage and heritage, and the way that art can help us to connect with our ancestors. The idea of these leaves resuming their feuds is also significant, as it suggests the way that art can help us to understand and reconcile with our past.

The poem then concludes with a powerful image of Melville's legacy:

"Thus the unfacts, did we possess them, are too imprecisely few to keep Inventors, hunters, published men Regardless, fishermen, sailors, and seas Unicorns, gorgeous feasts, and wife-swapping Whether on the promenade des Anglais Or the beach at Falesá, we have bound The salt seamed subject to our dry land home."

These lines are a testament to the power of Melville's writing, and the way that it has transcended time and place. The "unfacts" are the details of Melville's life that have been lost or forgotten, but the poem suggests that they are not important. What is important is the legacy that Melville has left behind, and the way that his writing has connected people across time and space. The reference to "wife-swapping" is a nod to Melville's novel "Typee," which was controversial for its depiction of sexual practices in the South Pacific. The final lines of the poem suggest that Melville's legacy has been "bound" to our "dry land home," and that his writing has become a part of our cultural heritage.

In conclusion, "At Melville's Tomb" is a masterpiece of modernist poetry that explores complex themes of death, legacy, and the power of art. The poem is characterized by its use of complex imagery and metaphor, and its evocative language. The poem is a tribute to the great American writer Herman Melville, and a testament to the power of his writing to transcend time and place.

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