When poets refer to other great works, people, and events, it’s usually not accidental. Put on your super-sleuth hat and figure out why.
Herman Melville's Moby Dick References
- Ahab: Captain of the ship, he died because of his pursuit of the white whale (15 and after)
- Pequod: The ship, too, perished in pursuit of the whale (31 and after)
- The "hurt beast" or "whited monster": This is the white whale that destroys the Pequod (43 and after)
- Quaker sailors: Some of the sailors aboard the Pequod were described as Quaker (56 and after)
Biblical References
- "Let man have dominion…": Genesis 1:26 (epigraph)
- "If God himself…": Psalms 124 (65-68)
- Clamavinus: "We have cried" Psalms 130:1 (78)
- "Poured out like water…": Psalms 22:41 (86)
- Leviathan: Sea monster from the Old Testament (87)
- "Morning stars sing": Job 38:7 (103)
- Jonas Messias: Jonah, who was swallowed by a whale for 3 days (106)
- Shiloah's whirlpools: John 9:7 (114)
- Sion: Psalms 2:6, Isaiah 51:11 (116)
- Bethlehem: This is the town where Jesus was born (125)
Greek Mythology References
- Earth shaker: Poseidon, god of the sea and earthquakes (21 and after)
- Orphean lute: This is the instrument used by Orpheus, Greek hero, to rescue his wife from the underworld (23)
Other Literary References
- "The corpse was bloodless…": Henry Thoreau, Cape Cod (8-10)
- "IS, the whited monster…": Gerard Manley Hopkins, That Nature is a Herculean Fire (62)
- "Mast-lashed": Homer, The Odyssey (87)
- "Upward angel, downward fish…": John Milton, Paradise Lost (134)