When was Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War published?
Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War was published in 1866 by Harper & Brothers of New York, a year after the Civil War ended.
Questions about Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who wrote Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War?
Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War was written by the American author Herman Melville. It was his first book of poetry.
How many poems are in Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War?
Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War contains 72 poems. Fifty-two form the main sequence on the war, sixteen make up a section called Verses Inscriptive and Memorial, and three poems stand outside either grouping.
How well did Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War sell?
Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War had sold only 486 copies by 1868, recovering barely half of its publication costs.
What does the prose Supplement in Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War argue?
The prose Supplement in Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War argues for reconciliation with the South during Reconstruction. Melville calls himself one who was never a blind adherent and urges Christian charity alongside sympathy for freed slaves.
How did critics respond to Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War?
Critics of Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War were initially respectful but often sharply critical of Melville's unorthodox style, including Richard Henry Stoddard. Critical opinion did not shift toward praise until the second half of the 20th century, when scholars such as Lawrence Buell reevaluated the collection.