Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War

Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War is the first book of poetry of the American author Herman Melville. Published by Harper & Brothers of New York in 1866, the volume is dedicated "To the Memory of the Three Hundred Thousand Who in the War For the Maintenance of the Union Fell Devotedly Under the Flag of Their Fathers" and its 72 poems deal with the battles and personalities of the American Civil War and their aftermath. Also included are Notes and a Supplement in prose in which Melville sets forth his thoughts on how the Post-war Reconstruction should be carried out.

The book had sold only 486 copies by 1868 and recovered barely half of its publications costs and critics at the time were at best respectful and often sharply critical of Melville's unorthodox style. The critical opinion on Battle-Pieces did not change until the latter half of the 20th century, when scholars began to re-evaluate it as worthy of praise and attention.