The Daily Dick: Musings on the Greatest Novel Ever

“'Aye, aye, men!'” cried Ahab. “'Look up at it; mark it well; the white flame but lights the way to the White Whale! Hand me those mainmast links there; I would fain feel this pulse, and let mine beat against it; blood against fire! So.'”

Musing: The ship, in the midst of a typhoon, suddenly becomes lit by "corpusants," or fiery balls of lightening. While some on the ship see this as a bad omen, the fire only serves to fuel Ahab's internal flames. The imagery in this chapter is brilliant! From another chapter of the book: "Wonder ye then at the fiery hunt?"