Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge
"The greatest, grandest things are unpredicted," scrawled Melville in the margins of his copy of John Milton's Paradise Regained. It's no surprise that this notion came from the same mind that brought us Typee, is it? (Source.)
Melville was not only a prose writer, he was also known to pen a poem or two, publishing four collections during his life. One of his poems, "We Fish" contains the lines "We fish, we fish, we merrily swim,/ We care not for friend nor for foe." This reminds us of the Typee maidens, flashing through the clear waters. ( Source.)
Melville may be known for his sharp observational eye, but it appears his focus and tenacity did not extend to all things. Elizabeth Shaw Melville, the author's wife, complained that he had no head for balancing the household books. As she wrote in a letter: "Herman from his studious habits and tastes being unfitted for practical matters, all the financial management falls upon me." Zing! (Source.)
Later in life, Melville was more of a "Toby" than a "Tommo." Taking walks with his granddaughters, he always sped ahead as they ran to catch up. (Source.)
We wouldn't have known that Harper rejected Typee, if not for the loose lips of the publisher's friend. (Source.)