Dirge (Poems from Mardi) by Herman Melville
The collection of poems explores themes of love, loss, and mortality through a series of elegies and dirges. The poems are characterized by their formal structure and use of classical allusions. They express a sense of melancholy and longing for something lost or irretrievable. The speaker's voice is often introspective and contemplative, grappling with the complexities of human experience.
By Herman Melville · First published 1849 · Genre: Poetry, Elegy, Symbolism · 162 words
First lines
We drop our dead in the sea, / The bottomless, bottomless sea; / Each bubble a hollow sigh, / As it sinks forever and aye.
We drop our dead in the sea,- / The dead reek not of aught; / We drop our dead in the sea,- / The sea ne'er gives it a thought.
Sink, sink, oh corpse, still sink, / Far down in the bottomless sea, / Where the unknown forms do prowl, / Down, down in the bottomless sea.
'Tis night above, and night all round, / And night will it be with thee; / As thou sinkest, and sinkest for aye, / Deeper down in the bottomless sea.
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Dirge (Poems from Mardi) is listed on Textopian as a poem by Herman Melville, dated 1849 CE.
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- Work type: Poem
- Author: Herman Melville
- Date: 1849 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Elegy, Symbolism, Dark Romanticism, Philosophical
- Length: 162 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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- Work identity for Dirge (Poems from Mardi) by Herman Melville
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse form, utilizing rhyme and meter typical of poetry.
- Elegy — The poem reflects on death and mourning, characteristic of an elegy.
- Symbolism — The sea is used as a symbol for the unknown and eternity, a common trait in symbolic literature.
- Dark Romanticism — Themes of death, the unknown, and the sublime align with Dark Romanticism.
Tags
American Literature · 19th Century Poetry · Poetic Sequence · Mardi-Inspired · Nautical Imagery · Symbolism · Allegory · Mythological References · Literary Experimentation · Free Verse · Stream-of-Consciousness · Philosophical Themes