"After the Pleasure Party" is Melville's dive into the world of conversational poetry. In the poem, the main character makes sexual advances to a virgin after a party of some sort. When he is rejected, he is forced to try and quell his desire for the sake of sanity. Neither person leaves the even satisfied in the morning. The entire story is set up as a warning, according to the conclusion. Essentially Melville leaves readers with a bit of advice: "Take heed not to allow desire to rule you."
The main character and narrator traverses the full course of dealing with rejection. At first he refuses to accept the denial, and continues to try and convince the girl to have sex with him. Again she refuses, so he his pride takes a hit. He convinces himself that she is the one missing out. He is great in bed, so she should have thanked him for even deigning to offer. Next, he tells her that she's a fool. If she won't have sex with him because of some religious devotion to purity, then she will never know what she's missing. He believes in soulmates, and she just missed hers. Then, he enters the shameful stage of self-pity. Bemoaning his lack of control in the situation, he blames divine fate for his current state of misery. If fate wasn't so cruel as to allow him to meet his true love but not to be with her, then he would have been just fine living in ignorance. Instead, he knows that he's lost her and is helpless to change anything about the situation. Finally, he realizes that his desire is really what's hurting him. With greater self-discipline, he could quell his desire and find peace.
As a warning against passion, this poem is informative. It's true value, however, is found at the end. This concept of desire and peace warring with one another has roots in eastern mystic traditions. According to Buddhist thought, desire must be eliminated before one can transcend. Man is basically a slave to his desires, and if he learns to silence them, then he will truly find peace. Removed from the context of the story, the moral applies to any scenario. One master master his own impulses before he can expect to achieve his life's potential. Nobody is exempt or powerless. In fact, each decision either grants or a robs someone of peace, according to their ability to not only resist but to eliminate desire.
