never, surely, was there a more tantalizing state of anxiety and suspense.

dreading every moment that I should swoon amid the narrow and intricate windings of the lumber, in which event I had nothing but death to expect as the result.

Most people love their dogs—but for Tiger I had an affection far more ardent than common; and never, certainly, did any creature more truly deserve it.

I lay in an utterly helpless, and, I fancied, a dying condition beneath him.

morasses

I could not imagine a reason for the absence of Augustus

I was overpowered, too, with a desire to sleep, yet trembled at the thought of indulging it, lest there might exist some pernicious influence, like that of burning charcoal, in the confined air of the hold.

I drew every breath with difficulty

putrefaction

it was run down

leaving with me the lantern, together with a copious supply of tapers and phosphorous, and promising to pay me a visit as often as he could contrive to do so without observation. This was on the seventeenth of June

d—d

ran full tilt at me, with his umbrella uplifted.

.

This hiding-place, he assured me, would be rendered sufficiently comfortable for a residence of many days, during which I was not to make my appearance.

a hiding-place for me in the Grampus.

I have since frequently examined my conduct on this occasion with sentiments of displeasure as well as of surprise. The intense hypocrisy I made use of for the furtherance of my project—an hypocrisy pervading every word and action of my life for so long a period of time—could only have been rendered tolerable to myself by the wild and burning expectation with which I looked forward to the fulfilment of my long-cherished visions of travel.

Grampus

Augustus thoroughly entered into my state of mind. It is probable, indeed, that our intimate communion had resulted in a partial interchange of character.

My visions were of shipwreck and famine; of death or captivity among barbarian hordes; of a lifetime dragged out in sorrow and tears, upon some gray and desolate rock, in an ocean unapproachable and unknown. Such visions or desires—for they amounted to desires—are common, I have since been assured, to the whole numerous race of the melancholy among men

he most strongly enlisted my feelings in behalf of the life of a seaman, when he depicted his more terrible moments of suffering and despair.

gloomy although glowing imagination

his stories of the ocean (more than one half of which I now suspect to have been sheer fabrications)

In one of our conversations Augustus frankly confessed to me, that in his whole life he had at no time experienced so excruciating a sense of dismay, as when on board our little boat he first discovered the extent of his intoxication, and felt himself sinking beneath its influence.

vigorous friction with flannels bathed in hot oil—a proceeding suggested by Augustus.

Augustus was buoyed up with it, and thus escaped a terrible death.

back water! black water!

the special interference of Providence

dismasted

Augustus, paler than death, was busily occupied in chafing my hands. Upon seeing me open my eyes, his exclamations of gratitude and joy excited alternate laughter and tears from the rough-looking personages who were present.

a loud and long scream or yell, as if from the throats of a thousand demons, seemed to pervade the whole atmosphere

carried away the mast short off by the board

plunge forward, the sea behind fell combing over our counter, and deluged us with water. I was so utterly benumbed, too, in every limb, as to be nearly unconscious of sensation.

A storm was evidently gathering behind us

to destruction.

I was altogether incapable of managing the boat

The whole truth now flashed upon me. I flew to him and raised him up.

still I was ashamed to betray any trepidation, and for almost half an hour maintained a resolute silence

.

he suddenly started up, and swore with a terrible oath that he would not go to sleep for any Arthur Pym in Christendom, when there was so glorious a breeze from the southwest. I never was so astonished in my life

I owned a sailboat called the Ariel, and worth about seventy-five dollars. She had a half-deck or cuddy, and was rigged sloop-fashion—I forget her tonnage, but she would hold ten persons without much crowding.

I used frequently to go home with him, and remain all day, and sometimes all night. We occupied the same bed, and he would be sure to keep me awake until almost light

he had managed to lay by a tolerable sum of money.

Here I became intimate with the son of Mr. Barnard, a sea-captain

the difference in point of style will be readily perceived.

to carry with them sufficient evidence of their own authenticity

under the garb of fiction.

allow him to draw up, in his own words

its very uncouthness

Among those gentlemen in Virginia who expressed the greatest interest in my statement, more particularly in regard to that portion of it which related to the Antarctic Ocean, was Mr. Poe, lately editor of the “Southern Literary Messenger,”

A distrust in my own abilities as a writer

unsupported as my assertions must necessarily be (except by the evidence of a single individual, and he a half-breed Indian)

(insert your favorite widely consumed television show)

Mind that the war Stowe allegedly “made” was the costliest war ever fought on American soil.

the magnitude of impact

worthy of canonization in American Literature

sorry Emerson

isn’t as sophisticated

.

on the other,

America was slowly trying to move into a place of more racial acceptance

an epiphany

c

s

a confusing wreck

if not, he is lesser

and how he begins to understand that maybe they aren’t the best ideals.

He then slowly begins to question America within his palpable shock of how the slaves are actually caring human beings.

Although, I can’t say I’d do the same if I freed someone and they made the brash decision to walk right on back into the claws of danger.

.

but still

Although, I can’t say I’d do the same if I freed someone and they made the brash decision to walk right on back into the claws of danger.

Douglass is very overt

a kind of abolitionist narrative.

the entity that is Babo

.

...

hoping to meet some Spanish or foreign vessel that wouldsave them

Notary Public ofthe Holy Crusade

The following extracts

secured

On the other side, none were killed, though severalwere wounded

Exclusive of those by theballs

Their red tongues lolled, wolf-like,from their blackmouths

For a few breaths’ space there was a vague, muffled, innersound as of submerged sword-fish rushing hither and

Huddled upon the long-boat amidships, the Negressesraised a wailing chant, whose chorus was the clash of the steel.

One extended arm of the ghost seemed beckoning thewhites to avenge it.

uponthe second volley, Indian-like, they hurtled their hatchets.

with all his remainingstrength, Don Benito entreated the American not to give chase,either with ship or boat; for the Negroes had already provedthemselves such desperadoes, that, in case of a present assault,nothing but a total massacre of the whites could be looked for.

cawing crows escaped from the hand of the fowler.

death for thefigurehead, in a human skeleton; chalky comment on the chalkedwords below, “Follow your leader.” At the sight, Don Benito,covering his face, wailed out: “’Tis he, Aranda! my murdered,unburied friend!

eredescried, helplessly mixed in, on deck, with the blacks

He smote Babo’s hand down, but his own heartsmote him harder. With infinite pity he withdrew his hold fromDon Benito

past, present, and future seemedone

seemingly

God guard you better than me, my bestfriend

When the two captains met, the Spaniard again fervently took thehand of the American, at the same time casting an earnest glanceinto his eyes, but, as before, too much overcome to speak.

fter good actions one’s conscience isnever ungrateful, however much so the benefited party may be.

as hischarmed eye and ear took in all these, with the chained figure ofthe black, the clenched jaw and hand relaxed

he benign aspect of Nature

He seemed a sentry

wasthe Spaniard less hardened than the Jew

Did this imply one brief, repentant relentingat the final moment, from some iniquitous plot, followed byremorseless return to it?

In images far swifter than these sentences

To be brief

Himself became reserved

“I cannot go,”

he Spaniardglanced feverishly up, casting a longing look toward the sealer,while with mute concern his servant gazed into his face. Suddenlythe old ague of coldness returned, and dropping back to hiscushions he was silent

bore the San Dominick swiftly on

Again Don Benito shrank; and this time, as the good sailor thought,from a genuine twinge of his conscience

sudden involuntaryassociation in his mind of Babo with Atufal.

what avexatious coincidence

perhaps additionally incited to rejoin himby the hope of snatching a moment’s private chat while his servantwas engaged upon deck

assented the man with an inward chuckle, grasping thetiller-head firmly. Upon this, unperceived by the American, thetwo blacks eyed the sailor askance

Why see, the very women pull and sing,too

both spectacles showed, that lax asDon Benito’s general authority might be, still, whenever he choseto exert it, no man so savage or colossal but must, more or less,bow

Don Benito seemed to have evenless welcome for the breeze than the calm

.

upon beingleft ungratified in so inconsiderable a wish, by one, too, for whomhe intended such solid services

captain of the slaves

He made random reference to the differentconstitutions of races, enabling one to offer more resistance tocertain maladies than another. The thought was new to hiscompanion.

stilltrue to his master; since by facing him he could the more readilyanticipate his slightest want

African’s, should, far from improving the latter’s quality, have thesad effect of pouring vitriolic acid into black broth; improving thehue, perhaps, but not the wholesomeness.”

Presently master and man came forth; Don Benito leaning on hisservant as if nothing had happened.But a sort of love-quarrel, after all, thought Captain Delano

Ah, when will master get better from his sickness; only the sourheart that sour sickness breeds made him serve Babo so; cuttingBabo with the razor, because, only by accident, Babo had givenmaster one little scratch; and for the first time in so many a day,too. Ah, ah, ah,” holding his hand to his face.

tossed back into the flag-locker

like anyresigned gentleman in barber’s hands, Don Benito bore all, muchless uneasily, at least, than he had done the razoring; indeed, he satso pale and rigid now

there was something so hollow in the Spaniard’s manner, withapparently some reciprocalhollowness in the servant’s dusky comment of silence, that the ideaflashed across him, that possibly master and man, for someunknown purpose, were acting out, both in word and deed, nay, tothe very tremor of Don Benito’s limbs, some juggling play beforehim

some of which were butrepetitions of former statements

More like as if himself were to be done for.

here’s Babo’s first blood

byyour account, have you been these two months and more gettingfrom Cape Horn to St. Maria, a distance which I myself, with agood wind, have sailed in a few days. True, you had calms, andlong ones, but to be becalmed for two months, that is, at least,unusual

thevagary, that in the black he saw a headsman, and in the white, aman at the block.

Not unaffected by the close sight of thegleaming steel, Don Benito nervously shuddered

Captain Delano took to Negroes, notphilanthropically, but genially, just as other men to Newfoundlanddogs.

a limited mind

.

his cravat.

as if waiting hismaster’s good pleasure

This seems a sort of dormitory, sitting-room, sail-loft,chapel, armoury, and private closet together,

the ship was not broughtto anchor by sunset, he need be under no concern, for as there wasto be a full moon that night, he (Captain Delano) would remain onboard ready to play the pilot, should the wind come soon or late

He complied, with republican impartiality as to thisrepublican element, which always seeks one level, serving theoldest white no better than the youngest black

Instantly the blacks paused, justwhere they were, each Negro and Negress suspended in his or herposture, exactly as the word had found them- for a few secondscontinuing s

the very wordSpaniard has a curious, conspirator, Guy-Fawkish twang to it.

Among others, four curious points recurred

the Spanish sailor who hadseemed to beckon from the main-chains

What a donkey I was. This kind gentleman

haunted pirate-ship

Who would murder Amasa Delano? Hisconscience is clean

Delano’s home, and, brought to its threshold forrepairs, had familiarly lain there, as a Newfoundland dog; thesight of that household boat

Jack of the Beach, as they called me whena lad

with outline defined, sothat its individuality, like a man’s, was manifest;

To his delight, it was nowagain in view, leaving the rocky spur astern.

begging the knot, for of course the stranger would not care to betroubled with it

“What are you knottingthere, my man?” “The knot,”

The old man looked like an Egyptian priest, making Gordian knotsfor the temple of Ammon.

.

upon the whole with regained confidence in BenitoCereno.

congratulating Don Benito upon possessing such a servant

but dutifully remaining within call of a whisper.

There was a difference between the idea of Don Benito’s darklypreordaining Captain Delano’s fate, and Captain Delano’s lightlyarranging Don Benito’s

scarce an uneasiness entered the honest sailor’s mind but,by a subsequent spontaneous act of good sense, it was ejected. Atlast he began to laugh at these forebodings

By a curious coincidence, as each point was recalled, the blackwizards of Ashantee would strike up with their hatchets, as inominous comment on the white stranger’s thoughts.

your black here seems high in your trust; a sort of privy-counsellor, in fact.” Upon this, the servant looked up with a good-natured grin, but the master started as from a venomous bite.

They had the air ofconspirators.

.

In short, to the Spaniard’s black-letter text, it was best,for a while, to leave open margin.

skyligh

From no train of thought did these fancies come; not from within,but from without; suddenly, too, and in one throng, like hoar frost;yet as soon to vanish as the mild sun of Captain Delano’s good-nature regained its meridian.

a young knave of talent andspirit? But the Spaniard was apale invalid

The man was an impostor.

now seemed anything but dignified;while the menial familiarity of the servant lost its original charm ofsimple-hearted attachment.

padlock and key- significantsymbols, truly.”

as much as to say, “No, I am content.”

An iron collar wasabout his neck, from which depended a chain, thrice wound roundhis body; the terminating links padlocked together at a broad bandof iron, his girdle.

a theme so unspeakably distressing

.

Whitman’s task was to reconcile the vast chasm of difference

not as sinister as other pieces they’d seen. There is, however, an undeniable “Americanness” in the piece.

a more palatable read

.”

there is a baseline to the human experience

preaching an inherent unity that allows him to claim the suffering of others as his own.

authors

goes beyond

.

shepherds to your flock of black sheep?

the Bachelor’s Delight

febrile

This excitement is bad for master,” whispered the servant, takinghis arm, and with soothing words gently drawing him aside

15Such generosity was not without its effect, even upon the invalid.His face lighted up; eager and hectic, he met the honest glance ofhis visitor. With gratitude he seemed overcome

Eyeing Don Benito’ssmall, yellow hands, he easily inferred that the young captain hadnot got into command at the hawse-hole but the cabin-window,and if so, why wonder at incompetence, in youth, sickness, andaristocracy united? Such was his democratic conclusion.

adhered to their provincial costume,picturesque as any in the world.

with his composed, deprecatory air at times, made him looksomething like a begging friar of St. Francis.

as tosweep away, as by billows, whole families of the Africans, and ayet larger number, proportionally, of the Spaniards

thesubstance only will here be set down

to accost

accosted

whose multitude of living freight are someindividuals, doubtless, as little troublesome as crates and bales

notwithstanding the present condition of his ship, theSpaniard should still persist in a demeanour,