As a young man, American writer Herman Melville (1819ā91) worked as a schoolteacher. He then worked on the sea, first as a cabin boy and later as a harpooner on a whaling ship. For a time Melville made a living by writing popular novels, but he spent his last decades in obscurity working as a customs inspector.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style