Consider the Sea

Poet Richard Wilbur appears at the ocean's edge to lead us into Melville's mind, "immersed in the sea," as he once said. Youthful whaling experiences in the South Seas marked his consciousness forever. From islands in the South Pacific to New York to Pittsfield, Massachusetts, the film traces his steps as he leaves shipboard life to fictionalize his adventures, finds fame, then disrepute, and turns to writing poetry. It also gives attention to Melville's little-known career as a poet, starting soon after the Civil War. Dramatized excerpts of Moby Dick and Billy Budd, both stories set at sea, contrast with the landlocked "Bartleby the Scrivener".

monterey media inc.