"The Portent" by Herman Melville Herman Melville's poem, "The Portent" is about the brutal death of the famous abolitionist, John Brown. A portent is an evil omen. Herman Melville and many others thought of John Brown as the portent of the Civil War. Melville was known as ...

The Bachelor's Ignorance In Herman Melville's "Benito Cereno" ignorance appears to be an overwhelming theme. Although "Benito Cereno" holds a powerful message about slavery, this is not the major idea of the story. Ignorance is the fire that fuels slavery. During the...

After reading Herman Melville's Benito Cereno, it is clear to me that Melville views the institution of slavery as a cruel and inhumane act. Slavery is the evil of the story. The slaves on the San Dominick rebelled because they were treated cruelly. It is wrong for one person to own another a...