{"id":"01KG8AJMQ3ETZ4D7TCKR805P99","cid":"bafkreibfj3lcky4s4nw2izkrbnzabas3eqkqhz6fnq7o4v2p5kcdp443vu","type":"segment","properties":{"description":"# The House-top. A Night Piece.\n\n## Overview\n\"The House-top. A Night Piece.\" is a poem segment from the collection [Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War.](arke:01KG8AJ6FNQ0XKWBY52P8DRPC9). It was written in July 1863 and extracted from the file [battle_pieces_and_aspects_of_the_war.txt](arke:01KG89J1G8S4TRWXNCBRKCRKS8).\n\n## Context\nThis poem is part of the larger [Melville Complete Works](arke:01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW) collection. It follows the poem \"[Gettysburg. The Check.](arke:01KG8AJMPZE31NP7ZKMEQQ6C62)\" and precedes \"[Look-out Mountain. The Night Fight.](arke:01KG8AJMPZ71ZZBNCKKZYP1JJW)\".\n\n## Contents\nThe poem depicts a scene of urban unrest and societal breakdown, set against a backdrop of oppressive heat and the sounds of distant rioting. The speaker observes the \"sultriness\" binding the air and the mind, comparing it to the agitation of tigers. The poem describes the town as being overrun by \"rats,\" symbolizing a loss of civility and order. It reflects on the dissolution of societal norms and the reversion to a more primal state. The arrival of \"Wise Draco\" with \"black artillery\" suggests the imposition of strict law and order to quell the chaos, with the poem questioning the underlying principles of the Republic's faith in human goodness.","description_generated_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:25.065Z","description_model":"gemini-2.5-flash-lite","description_title":"The House-top. A Night Piece.","end_line":1775,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:47:35.910Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"The House-top. A Night Piece.","source_file":"01KG89J1G8S4TRWXNCBRKCRKS8","start_line":1741,"text":"The House-top.\r\nA Night Piece.\r\n(July, 1863.)\r\n\r\n\r\nNo sleep. The sultriness pervades the air\r\nAnd binds the brain--a dense oppression, such\r\nAs tawny tigers feel in matted shades,\r\nVexing their blood and making apt for ravage.\r\nBeneath the stars the roofy desert spreads\r\nVacant as Libya. All is hushed near by.\r\nYet fitfully from far breaks a mixed surf\r\nOf muffled sound, the Atheist roar of riot.\r\nYonder, where parching Sirius set in drought,\r\nBalefully glares red Arson--there-and there.\r\nThe Town is taken by its rats--ship-rats.\r\nAnd rats of the wharves. All civil charms\r\nAnd priestly spells which late held hearts in awe--\r\nFear-bound, subjected to a better sway\r\nThan sway of self; these like a dream dissolve,\r\nAnd man rebounds whole æons back in nature.[9]\r\nHail to the low dull rumble, dull and dead,\r\nAnd ponderous drag that shakes the wall.\r\nWise Draco comes, deep in the midnight roll\r\nOf black artillery; he comes, though late;\r\nIn code corroborating Calvin’s creed\r\nAnd cynic tyrannies of honest kings;\r\nHe comes, nor parlies; and the Town redeemed,\r\nGive thanks devout; nor, being thankful, heeds\r\nThe grimy slur on the Republic’s faith implied,\r\nWhich holds that Man is naturally good,\r\nAnd--more--is Nature’s Roman, never to be scourged.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r","title":"The House-top. A Night Piece."},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJ6FNQ0XKWBY52P8DRPC9","peer_type":"poetry_collection","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1G8S4TRWXNCBRKCRKS8","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AJMPZE31NP7ZKMEQQ6C62","peer_type":"segment","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG8AJMPZ71ZZBNCKKZYP1JJW","peer_type":"segment","predicate":"next"}],"ver":3,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:47:38.211Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:25.553Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF5C36SQEVDHC9CBNZZJH9K"}}