Título: Herman Melville
Seção: 1877-1891: Final years
Background: Herman Melville (August 1, 1819 - September 28, 1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance period. His best known works include Typee (1846), a romantic account of his experiences in Polynesian life, and his whaling novel Moby-Dick (1851). His work was almost forgotten during his last 30 years. His writing draws on his experience at sea as a common sailor, exploration of literature and philosophy, and engagement in the contradictions of American society in a period of rapid change.

Conteúdo: In 1884, Mrs. Melville received a legacy, which enabled her to allow Melville a monthly sum of $25 to spend on books and prints. While Melville had his steady customs job, he no longer showed signs of depression, which recurred after the death of his second son. On 23 February 1886, Stanwix Melville died in San Francisco at age 36. Melville retired on 31 December 1885, after several of his wife's relatives died and left the couple more legacies which Mrs. Melville administered with skill and good fortune. In 1889 Melville became a member of the New York Society Library.  As English readers, pursuing the vogue for sea stories represented by such writers as G. A. Henty, rediscovered Melville's novels in the late nineteenth century, the author had a modest revival of popularity in England, though not in the United States. He wrote a series of poems, with prose head notes, inspired by his early experiences at sea. He published them in two collections, each issued in a tiny edition of 25 copies for his relatives and friends. Of these, scholar Robert Milder calls John Marr and Other Poems (1888), "the finest of his late verse collections". The second privately printed volume is Timoleon (1891).  Intrigued by one of these poems, Melville began to rework the headnote, expanding it first as a short story and eventually as a novella. He worked on it on and off for several years, but when he died in September 1891, the piece was unfinished. Also left unpublished were another volume of p

user: What did he accomplish in his final years?

assistant: He wrote a series of poems, with prose head notes, inspired by his early experiences at sea. He published them in two collections,

user: What was the collections titles?

assistant: Of these, scholar Robert Milder calls John Marr and Other Poems (1888), "the finest of his late verse collections".

user: Are there any other interesting aspects about this article?

assistant: Intrigued by one of these poems, Melville began to rework the headnote, expanding it first as a short story and eventually as a novella.

user: When was this released?

assistant: He worked on it on and off for several years, but when he died in September 1891, the piece was unfinished.

user: What other works did he have published?

assistant: Raymond Weaver, his first biographer. He worked at transcribing and editing a full text, which he published in 1924 as Billy Budd, Sailor.

user: Were there any additional works published after his death?

assistant: The authoritative version was published in 1962, after two scholars studied the papers for several years.