Skip directly to:Main content Main navigation

University of Virginia Library

Collected poems of Herman Melville

Melville, Herman (1819-1891)

collapse section

THE CONFLICT OF CONVICTIONS

APATHY AND ENTHUSIASM

THE MARCH INTO VIRGINIA

DUPONT'S ROUND FIGHT

THE STONE FLEET

collapse section

LATER FROM THE FORT.

LATER AND LAST.

A UTILITARIAN VIEW OF THE MONITOR'S FIGHT

THE BATTLE FOR THE MISSISSIPPI

THE VICTOR OF ANTIETAM

BATTLE OF STONE RIVER, TENNESSEE

RUNNING THE BATTERIES

STONEWALL JACKSON

STONEWALL JACKSON

LOOK-OUT MOUNTAIN

THE ARMIES OF THE WILDERNESS

ON THE PHOTOGRAPH OF A CORPS COMMANDER

THE SWAMP ANGEL

THE BATTLE FOR THE BAY

SHERIDAN AT CEDAR CREEK

IN THE PRISON PEN

THE COLLEGE COLONEL

THE EAGLE OF THE BLUE

A DIRGE FOR McPHERSON

AT THE CANNON'S MOUTH

THE MARCH TO THE SEA

THE FRENZY IN THE WAKE

THE FALL OF RICHMOND

THE SURRENDER AT APPOMATTOX

“THE COMING STORM”

REBEL COLOR-BEARERS AT SHILOH

AURORA-BOREALIS

THE RELEASED REBEL PRISONER

A GRAVE NEAR PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA

“FORMERLY A SLAVE”

MAGNANIMITY BAFFLED

ON THE SLAIN COLLEGIANS

collapse section

VERSES INSCRIPTIVE AND MEMORIAL

ON THE HOME GUARDS

THE FORTITUDE OF THE NORTH

ON THE MEN OF MAINE

THE MOUND BY THE LAKE

ON THE SLAIN AT CHICKAMAUGA

AN UNINSCRIBED MONUMENT

ON SHERMAN'S MEN

ON THE GRAVE OF A YOUNG CAVALRY OFFICER KILLED IN THE VALLEY OF VIRGINIA

ON A NATURAL MONUMENT

COMMEMORATIVE OF A NAVAL VICTORY

PRESENTATION TO THE AUTHORITIES

THE RETURNED VOLUNTEER TO HIS RIFLE

THE SCOUT TOWARD ALDIE

LEE IN THE CAPITOL

collapse section

JOHN MARR AND OTHER SAILORS

BRIDEGROOM DICK

THE AEOLIAN HARP

collapse section

MINOR SEA PIECES

TO THE MASTER OF THE “METEOR”

THE MAN-OF-WAR HAWK

THE FIGURE-HEAD

THE GOOD CRAFT “SNOW-BIRD”

THE TUFT OF KELP

THE MALDIVE SHARK

CROSSING THE TROPICS

THE ENVIABLE ISLES

collapse section

1.

[I Though the Clerk of the Weather insist]

2.

[II Old are the creeds, but stale the schools]

3.

[III In hollows of the liquid hills]

4.

[IV On ocean where the embattled fleets repair]

5.

[V Implacable I, the old implacable Sea]

6.

[VI Curled in the comb of yon billow Andean]

7.

[VII Healed of my hurt, I laud the inhuman Sea]

collapse section

AFTER THE PLEASURE PARTY

THE NIGHT-MARCH

THE RAVAGED VILLA

THE MARGRAVE'S BIRTHNIGHT

THE GARDEN OF METRODORUS

THE NEW ZEALOT TO THE SUN

THE BENCH OF BOORS

SHELLEY'S VISION

FRAGMENTS OF A LOST GNOSTIC POEM OF THE 12th CENTURY

THE MARCHIONESS OF BRINVILLIERS

THE AGE OF THE ANTONINES

collapse section

FRUIT OF TRAVEL LONG AGO

PISA'S LEANING TOWER

IN A CHURCH OF PADUA

MILAN CATHEDRAL

THE ATTIC LANDSCAPE

collapse section

1.

I SEEN ALOFT FROM AFAR

2.

II NEARER VIEWED

3.

4.

IV THE LAST TILE

GREEK ARCHITECTURE

OFF CAPE COLONNA

THE ARCHIPELAGO

DISINTERMENT OF THE HERMES

THE GREAT PYRAMID

collapse section

WEEDS AND WILDINGS WITH A ROSE OR TWO

collapse section

1.

PART I THE YEAR

collapse section

1.

2.

3.

WHEN FORTH THE SHEPHERD LEADS THE FLOCK

THE LITTLE GOOD FELLOWS

THE OLD FASHION

BUTTERFLY DITTY

THE LOVER AND THE SYRINGA BUSH

THE DAIRYMAN'S CHILD

TROPHIES OF PEACE

IN THE PAUPER'S TURNIP-FIELD

A WAY-SIDE WEED

ALWAYS WITH US!

STOCKINGS IN THE FARM-HOUSE CHIMNEY

A DUTCH CHRISTMAS UP THE HUDSON IN THE TIME OF PATROONS

collapse section

2.

PART II THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER

TIME'S BETRAYAL

PROFUNDITY AND LEVITY

THE CUBAN PIRATE

THE AMERICAN ALOE ON EXHIBITION

collapse section

3.

PART III RIP VAN WINKLE'S LILAC

RIP VAN WINKLE'S LILAC

collapse section

collapse section

1.

PART I AS THEY FELL

UNDER THE GROUND

THE NEW ROSICRUCIANS

THE VIAL OF ATTAR

collapse section

THE DEVOTION OF THE FLOWERS TO THEIR LADY

collapse section

2.

THE ROSE FARMER

collapse section

MARQUIS DE GRANDVIN

collapse section

AT THE HOSTELRY

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

collapse section

NAPLES IN THE TIME OF BOMBA as told by Major Jack Gentian

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

collapse section

MISCELLANEOUS POEMS

THE WISE VIRGINS TO MADAM MIRROR

THE NEW ANCIENT OF DAYS

THY AIM, THY AIM?

THE OLD SHIPMASTER AND HIS CRAZY BARN

Camoens In The Hospital

MONTAIGNE AND HIS KITTEN

FALSTAFF'S LAMENT OVER PRINCE HAL BECOME HENRY V

SHADOW AT THE FEAST

MERRY DITTY OF THE SAD MAN

FRUIT AND FLOWER PAINTER

TIME'S LONG AGO!

IN THE HALL OF MARBLES

GOLD IN THE MOUNTAIN

IN THE JOVIAL AGE OF OLD

A SPIRIT APPEARED TO ME

GIVE ME THE NERVE

MY JACKET OLD

IN THE OLD FARM-HOUSE

A BATTLE PICTURE

OLD AGE IN HIS AILING

collapse section

UNPUBLISHED OR UNCOLLECTED POEMS

EPISTLE TO DANIEL SHEPHERD

THE ADMIRAL OF THE WHITE

SUGGESTED BY THE RUINS OF A MOUNTAIN-TEMPLE IN ARCADIA, ONE BUILT BY THE ARCHITECT OF THE PARTHENON

THE DUST-LAYERS

A RAIL ROAD CUTTING NEAR ALEXANDRIA IN 1855

A REASONABLE CONSTITUTION

DITTY OF ARISTIPPUS

collapse section

POEMS FROM THE NOVELS

collapse section

SONG OF THE PADDLERS

ROYAL IS THE ROSE

FULL ROUND, FULL SOFT, HER DEWY ARMS

A RAY OF THE MOON

QUACK! QUACK! QUACK!

DEPARTED THE PRIDE, AND THE GLORY OF MARDI

HER BOWER IS NOT OF THE VINE

HER SWEET, SWEET MOUTH!

HALF-VEILED ABOVE THE HILLS, YET ROSY BRIGHT

THE ISLES HOLD THEE NOT, THOU DEPARTED!

HAIL! VOYAGERS, HAIL!

collapse section

WE'LL DRINK TO-NIGHT

collapse section

From “Under the Rose”

“SPECKS, TINY SPECKS”

collapse section

From Piazza Tales

OH, BROTHER JACK

collapse section

From Billy Budd

BILLY IN THE DARBIES

collapse section

Collapse All | Expand All expand section

MY JACKET OLD

My jacket old, with narrow seam—
When the dull day's work is done
I dust it, and of Asia dream,
Old Asia of the sun!
There other garbs prevail;
Yea, lingering there, free robe and vest
Edenic Leisure's age attest
Ere Work, alack, came in with Wail.