1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910782721103321

Autore

Zimmerman Brett <1958->

Titolo

Herman Melville [[electronic resource] ] : stargazer / / Brett Zimmerman

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Montreal ; ; Ithaca [N.Y.], : McGill-Queen's University Press, c1998

ISBN

1-282-85529-8

9786612855290

0-7735-6744-5

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (157 p.)

Disciplina

813/.3

Soggetti

Literature and science - United States - History - 19th century

Astronomy in literature

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references (p. [131]-136) and index.

Nota di contenuto

Front Matter -- Contents -- Tables and Figures -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- The Uranic Muse: Melville’s Knowledge of Astronomy -- The Cosmic Drama of Mardi -- Stars and Spiritual Navigation in Clarel -- Astronomical Imagery and Symbolic Antitheses in Billy Budd -- Final Thoughts on Melville and Astronomy -- Catalogue of References to Astronomical Subjects in Melville’s Writings -- More Maps and Drawings from Hiram Mattison’s Atlas Designed to Illustrate Burritt’s Geography of the Heavens -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index

Sommario/riassunto

Melville'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.