Clarel (Masterplots II: Poetry, Revised Edition)

At a glance:

The Poem

Herman Melville wrote Clarel: A Poem and Pilgrimage in the Holy Land during the twenty years that followed his journey to Europe and the Middle East in 1856-1857. Although he had earlier achieved fame through his novels of adventure, he was weakened physically and mentally, a condition exacerbated by his now unsuccessful efforts to provide for his family through his writing. Melville accepted the trip as a gift from his father-in-law, Judge Lemuel Shaw. Judge Shaw and Melville’s wife, Elizabeth, hoped the extended tour would ease the author’s debilitating...

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