Herman Melville: Stargazer

This is a comprehensive examination of astronomy in Melville’s works. In this text, Brett Zimmerman investigates Melville’s knowledge and literary uses of astronomy, especially within the thematic contexts of Mardi, Clarel, and Billy Budd. 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.