Syntax in Moby Dick

This paragraph is exemplary of the experimental styles Melville plays with throughout the novel. Ishmael's direct address to the reader clues us in to the reality that Moby-Dick is not a traditional novel, with an expected first- or third-person narration that adheres to the telling of the story. Note the oratorical bravado. Notice the combinations of long, rapturous, list-based sentences with short, punchy commands and questions.