Includes bibliographical references (p. 217-223) and index.

Melville's lost books and the trajectory of his career as poet -- A poet in prose: how critics prepared Melville to think of himself as a poet -- Melville as hearer and reciter of poetry -- The omnipresence of poetry, 1820s-1848 -- The renewed power of poetry in Melville's life, 1849-1856 -- The status of poetry and the temptation of flunkeyism -- A nonpartisan becoming a poet during the Risorgimento -- Melville's progress as poet, 1857(?) to May 1860 -- Possible contents of poems (1860), -- On the meteor: Melville when he thought he was a published poet -- His verse still unpublished, Melville defines himself as poet, 1861-1862 -- Battle-pieces and aspects of the war: Melville's second volume of poems.