Analysis Of The Symphony In Moby Dick

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Melville didn’t name the chapter in the novel, Moby-Dick, randomly. It is evident in this chapter that his syntax, diction, and the vivid descriptions truly depict a symphony. A symphony is a piece of music created for an orchestra and typically has four parts, or movements: Allegro, Andante, Adagio, and Presto. This chapter’s organization can be compared with the parts of a symphony, hence the reasoning behind Melville’s title: The Symphony. In the beginning of the chapter, Ishmael enjoys the clear steel-blue day. Clear steel-blue day is imagery and a metaphor, painting a picture in my mind of a very cerulean blue sky with no clouds. Melville describes the air as being pure, soft, and feminine whereas he describes the sea as robust, strong, and masculine. He is using personification by giving the air and sea, feminine and masculine features, respectively. He then again uses personification by describing the fish of the sea as strong, troubled, and having murderous thinkings. The panorama depicts an ideal view for a day of relaxation. This description is the Allegro of The Symphony...

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