Explore "Mardi, Volume II" by Herman Melville on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
The morrow came; and three abreast, with snorting prows, we raced along; our mat-sails panting to the breeze. All present partook of the life of the air; and unanimously Yoomy was called upon for a song. The canoes were passing a long, white reef, sparkling with shells, like a jeweler's case: and thus Yoomy sang in the same old strain as of yore; beginning aloud, where he had left off in his soul: -
Her sweet, sweet mouth! / The peach-pearl shell: - / Red edged its lips, / That softly swell, / Just oped to speak, / With blushing cheek, / That fisherman / With lonely spear / On the reef ken, / And lift to ear / Its voice to hear,- / Soft sighing South! / Like this, like this,- / The rosy kiss! - / That maiden's mouth. / A shell! a shell! / A vocal shell! / Song-dreaming, / In its inmost dell!