The Piazza

Herman Melville, born on August 1, 1819, in New York City, was a seminal figure in American literature. His childhood was marked by his family’s declining fortunes following his father’s death in 1832. This financial hardship curtailed Melville’s formal education, though he was an avid reader and autodidact, immersing himself in a wide range of literature.

Melville’s early works, such as Typee (1846) and Moby-Dick (1851), were ambitious in scope but received a mixed reception. Moby-Dick, now considered a masterpiece, was initially met with lukewarm critical and commercial success.

In the early 1850s, Melville settled in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, at a property he named Arrowhead. This period, from 1850 to 1863, was significant in his life and work. At Arrowhead, Melville was deeply influenced by the natural surroundings, particularly Mount Greylock, which loomed prominently in his view. His fascination with the mountain was such that he dedicated his novel Pierre (1852) to it. Emulating the protagonist of “The Piazza,” Melville constructed a piazza on the north side of his house, primarily to gaze upon this mountain.

“The Piazza,” written in early 1856, served as the introductory story to his collection The Piazza Tales. This period was a turning point in Melville’s career.