Into the maw

‘Into the maw’ explores instances in Melville’s marginalia in which he filtered his own understanding of classical texts and their relationship to the history of English literature. We find that Melville was deeply interested in the process and influence of transmission and translation of classical literature. In addition, in looking at his readings of Spencer, Milton, and Dante it is clear, too, that Melville read literary influence in terms of intertextuality and allusion. While we lack Melville’s Harper’s Classical Library, the chapter suggests that his bookish engagement with this collection (among other classical texts not included in it) has resulted in a number of key literary elements in Moby-Dick.