History of Literature?

As English majors, we are all probably aware of how intertwined and connected the subjects of history and English have always been. Four years ago, I debated which one I enjoyed more. I chose to major in English because I have always thought that Literature provided the best of both worlds. I could learn about history, while also developing a deeper appreciation for the beauty of language, which authors and poets portray the past with.

Melville’s Battle Pieces and Aspects of the War is a perfect example of literature as a mouthpiece for history. With is joining of history and language, this anthology of poetry is a testament for why I am pleased with my decision to major in English.

Battle Pieces is a famous collection of poems about the Civil War and its effects on American history. Both Whitman and Melville chose to use their poetic talents to provide a voice for the historical events during the 19th century. Whitman focused on individual experiences of emotional devastation that soldiers experienced. Whitman was able to draw from personal experience and contact he experienced through army hospitals, throughout the course of the war. In contrast, Melville focused on larger, more general stages and battles for a better overall understanding of the war.

Melville’s Battle Pieces is a series of poems that follows the civil war in chronological order, from John Brown’s Raid to Lincoln’s Assassination. I enjoyed reading Melville’s anthology, because it was a refreshing lesson in 19th century American history. Melville’s language eloquently evokes both emotion and rationality, through his unique interpretation of key battles and movements of the war.

Melville begins his poetic litany of the Civil War with “The Portent.” Simply defined, a portent, is an indication or omen of something that is about to happen. Melville uses this image to depict a possible cause of the war. Melville, in a somewhat gruesome tone, describes the effects of John Brown’s raid as the initiator of the entire war. The reader is hit with the image of John Brown swinging from a tree after being hung for treason. “Hanging from the beam, slowly swaying (such the law),…Lo, John Brown…The meteor of the war” (2461).

History or literature? This is a question I pose after reflecting upon Melville's Battle Pieces.

In addition to relating historical dates, facts and outcomes, Melville also evoked the emotions that surfaced from the unprecedented suffering and death that resulted from the war. “The March into Virginia Ending in the First Manassas,” focuses on the earliest major engagement of the Civil War, which was the Battle of Bull Run. Melville approaches the event from the perspective of the young soldiers involved. He captures the heart and emotion of the reader (including myself) by addressing the enthusiasm with which the young boys approached each battle. Slowly, their motivation dwindles as death swarms the battle and the war at large. He notes, “But some who this blithe mood present, as on in lightsome files they fare, shall die experienced ere three days are spent – perish, enlightened by the vollied glare” (2463).


It is through literature that great authors and poets, such as Whitman and Melville were able to fulfill their calling by recording some of the most important events in American history.