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5.0 out of 5 stars
"Doubt bleeds...nor Faith is freed from pain!", September 19, 2001
This review is from: Clarel (Hendricks House edition) (Hardcover)
[From Boating on the Catawba...in the
"Musketaquid"]
This volume published by Hendricks
House is, again, I believe, the edition
to buy because of its very reasonable
price for such a hardback book. The
work, Melville's long poem in 4 Parts,
consisting of a total of 150 cantos,
is edited by Walter E. Bezanson and
includes an excellent "Introduction"
preceding the poem and Appendices after
the poem. The Appendices include a
map of Jerusalem and it environs, and
a map of the journey of the pilgrims
from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea, back
to the monastery at Mar Saba, to
Bethlehem, and finally a return to
Jerusalem again.
One of the Appendices is a series of
32 analyses of the various Characters
met in the poem; each analysis includes
an Identification, Interpretation, Status,
and Source (when known, possible origins
in Melville's experience or reading).
The best of the Appendices is a section
of Explanatory Notes extending from p. 550 -
p. 643. The quality of information and
insight in the Notes is excellent, since
Bezanson's understanding and insights about
the poem are of such high degree. Basically
the Notes explain the places involved as
well as Melville's many allusions. As
Bezanson says, "Melville was a learned amateur
with an extraordinary memory. The major intention
here, therefore, has been to elucidate meanings,
especially Biblical citations and Classical
allusions which few today know exactly."
* * * * * * * * *
The Northwestern/Newberry edition (edited by
Harrison Hayford, Alma A. MacDougall, Hershel
Parker, and G. Thomas Tanselle) is a much
larger (in size) volume. The N/N edition does
NOT put an "Introduction" at the beginning before
the poem, but has an "Historical and Critical
Note" after the poem. The N/N "Note" is
actually a reprinting of Bezanson's Hendricks
House "Introduction" reprinted "in Bezanson's
slightly revised form." The N/N edition proceeds
to inform the reader concerning Bezanson's
essay that unlike the Historical Notes in their
other editions, this one is "a critical as well
as historical essay, presenting its author's
interpretation of the work unmodified by the
editors***. *** Although the essay represents
an earlier stage of Melville studies, it is
generally recognized as the still *indispensible*
[my emphasis] introduction to Melville's long,
difficult, and highly allusive poem, which,
more than his other works, continues to require
such initial critical assistance to its readers."
[However, they follow the N/N presentation form
and present this "initial" assistance AFTER the
poem, rather than before it, where it certainly
can be of the most assistance. Perhaps it is
scarcely likely that some poor, uninformed
novice reader is going to decide, willy-nilly,
to buy their edition of *Clarel* and begin
reading it in enthusiastic innocence -- and
start wondering what it is and where it is
going. Maybe, by that time, that novice reader
would have turned to the back to "find his
directions."]
* * * * * * * * *
The main things which make the poem difficult
are the meter [iambic tetrameter]; polysyllabic
archaisms [which may be looked up in a very
good collegiate dictionary]; elliptical,
inverted sentence sense; and shackling
end rhymes (where the meaning of the
sentence has often been subordinated to
finding the rhyme).
I would say another hindrance is the fact
that many of the cantos contain
dialogues or colloquies between and among
the pilgrims, and the break between the
end of one speaker and the next is not
clearly delineated. If a new edition
ever comes out, perhaps the editor will
kindly put speaker identifications at
the beginning of each new speaker's part
(as in a play text). Such a procedure
makes things much easier to follow and
understand if one knows who is saying
what -- and to whom -- and what that
person's instant response is.
* * * * * * * * *
This work is Melville's long poem which
examines all aspects of faith and doubt
as they are expressed among 9 Pilgrims
(certainly the number 9 is a highly
symbolic and personally meaningful one
for Melville).
Here is a bit from the "Bethlehem"
part; and the canto titled "Soldier and
Monk":
Rolfe: "St. Francis, spite his scouted hood,
May claim more of similitude
To Christ, than any man we know.
Through clouds of myth investing him
Obscuring, yet attesting him,
He burns with the seraphic glow
And perfume of a holy flower.
Sweetness, simplicity, with power!"
* * * * * * * * *
Derwent: * * * "In a word,
For all his charity divine,
Love, self-devotion, ardor fine --
Unmanly seems he!"
Rolfe: "Of our Lord
The same was said by Machiavel,
Or hinted rather. Prithee, tell,
What is it to be *manly?*"
Derwent: "Why,
To be man-like" -- and here the
chest
Bold out he threw --"man at his best!"
Rolfe: "But even at his best, one might
reply,
Man is that thing of sad renown
Which moved a deity to come down
And save him."
* * * * * * * * *
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