Rama once agsain

[herm melville]

All,

   Melville is an oral person. For him words are not necessarily things. Some words may be events. Take the word Rama. Melville could have spelled it 'Ramah", according to one of his possible sources which Scott provided. But he did not spell it that way.

   When I saw the word Rama , I thought of a previous canto in the first part of Clarel,  "Of Rama." This of course referred to an avatar of Vishnu. How could that have an effect here? I would like to guarantee that there is a connection. But I cannot do that, although I would like to.

   This is what I mean by taking time to evaluate Melville's words, situations, characters. We do not know Melville's mind. 

   The importance and understanding of his words, I believe, is central to an understanding of Melville. And that may be an entrance into his creativity.

John Gretchko