Authors:

Herman Melville Quotes - Page 13

All Quotes Adversity Age Art Atheism Beauty Character Charity Children Christianity Cooking Country Courage Creativity Death Democracy Devil Doubt Earth Ego Evil Failure Fame Fate Fear Feelings Fighting Food Genius Giving God Greatness Greek Grief Happiness Hate Heart Heaven Home Honor Horror Human Nature Humanity Inspirational Joy Judging Knowledge Laughter Life Literature Love Lying Madness Memories Money Morning Mountain Nature Pain Past Prayer Prejudice Purpose Quality Reality Religion Running Sailing Silence Sin Skins Slavery Sleep Smoking Son Sorrow Soul Spring Success Suffering Summer Terror Travel Truth Virtue War Water Wife Wine Wisdom Work Writing Youth
When I think of this life I have led; the desolation of solitude it has been; the masoned, walled-town of a Captain's exclusiveness, which admits but small entrance to any sympathy from the green country without - oh,

When I think of this life I have led; the desolation of solitude it has been; the masoned, walled-town of a Captain's exclusiveness, which admits but small entrance to any sympathy from the green country without - oh, weariness! heaviness! Guinea-coast slavery of solitary command!

Herman Melville
Life, Country, Thinking
1851 Captain Ahab. Moby Dick, ch.132.

The so-called Transcendentalists are not the only people who deal in Transcendentals. On the contrary, we seem to see that the Utilitarians,--the every-day world's people themselves, far transcend those inferior Transcendentalists by their own incomprehensible worldly maxims.

Herman Melville
People, World, Transcendentalism
Herman Melville (2017). “Pierre: Or, the Ambiguities”, p.182, W. W. Norton & Company

A beautiful woman is born Queen of men and women both, as Mary Stuart was born Queen of Scots, whether men or women.

Herman Melville
Beauty, Beautiful, Queens
Herman Melville (2016). “Pierre; or The Ambiguities”, p.33, Herman Melville

That great America on the other side of the sphere, Australia.

Herman Melville
America, Australia, Sides
Herman Melville (2008). “Moby-Dick”, p.121, Velvet Element Books

If Shakespeare has not been equalled, he is sure to be surpassed, and surpassed by an American born now or yet to be born.

Herman Melville
Born, Ifs
Herman Melville, Harrison Hayford, G. Thomas Tanselle (1987). “Piazza Tales and Other Prose Pieces, 1839-1860: Volume Nine, Scholarly Edition”, p.246, Northwestern University Press

All men live enveloped in whale-lines. All are born with halters round their necks; but it is only when caught in the swift, sudden turn of death, that mortals realize the silent, subtle, ever-present perils of life. And if you be a philosopher, though seated in the whale-boat, you would not at heart feel one whit more of terror, than though seated before your evening fire with a poker, and not a harpoon, by your side.

Herman Melville
Heart, Men, Your Side
Herman Melville (2015). “Moby-Dick: World Classics”, p.327, World Classic

Let faith oust fact; let fancy oust memory; I look deep down and do believe.

Herman Melville
Memories, Believe, Looks
Herman Melville (1892). “Moby Dick”, p.460

Let America add Mexico to Texas, and pile Cuba upon Canada; let the English overswarm all India, and hang out their blazing banner from the sun; two thirds of this terraqueous globe are the Nantucketer's. For the sea is his; he owns it.

Herman Melville
Texas, Sea, Two
Herman Melville (2008). “Moby-Dick”, p.70, Velvet Element Books

In this world, shipmates, sin that pays its way can travel freely, and without passport; whereas Virtue, if a pauper, is stopped at all frontiers.

Herman Melville
Travel, World, Pay
Herman Melville (2016). “Moby Dick (World Classics, Unabridged)”, p.31, Vij Books India Pvt Ltd

We are off! The courses and topsails are set: the coral-hung anchor swings from the bow: and together, the three royals are given to the breeze, that follows us out to sea like the baying of a hound.

Herman Melville
Swings, Anchors, Sea
Herman Melville (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Herman Melville (Illustrated)”, p.536, Delphi Classics

My means are sane, my motives and my object mad.

Herman Melville
Mean, Mad, Insanity
Herman Melville (1983). “The best of Herman Melville”, Book Sales

Of all nature's animated kingdoms, fish are the most unchristian, inhospitable, heartless, and cold-blooded of creatures.

Herman Melville
Lakes, Sea, Fishing
Herman Melville (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Herman Melville (Illustrated)”, p.783, Delphi Classics

Death is only a launching into the region of the strange Untried; it is but the first salutation to the possibilities of the immense Remote, the Wild, the Watery, the Unshored.

Herman Melville
Sympathy, Firsts, Strange
Herman Melville (1892). “Moby Dick”, p.455

Where lies the final harbor, whence we unmoor no more?

Herman Melville
Lying, Finals, Harbors
Herman Melville (2016). “Moby-Dick: Or, the Whale”, p.390, Cosimo, Inc.

Nobody is so heartily despised as a pusillanimous, lazy, good-for-nothing, land-lubber; a sailor has no bowels of compassion for him.

Herman Melville
Compassion, Land, Lazy
Herman Melville (1850). “Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life, During a Four Months' Residence in the Valley of the Marquesas”

When beholding the tranquil beauty and brilliancy of the ocean’s skin, one forgets the tiger heart that pants beneath it; and would not willingly remember that this velvet paw but conceals a remorseless fang.

Herman Melville
Beauty, Ocean, Heart
Herman Melville (1892). “Moby Dick”, p.459

It is only when caught in the swift, sudden turn of death, that mortals realise the silent, subtle, ever-present perils of life.

Herman Melville
Whales, Silent, Subtle
Herman Melville (1892). “Moby Dick”, p.268

Strange as it may seem, there is nothing in which a young and beautiful female appears to more advantage than in the art of smoking.

Herman Melville
Beautiful, Art, Smoking

A man can be honest in any sort of skin.

Herman Melville
Men, Skins, Honest
Herman Melville (2012). “Moby-Dick”, p.30, Courier Corporation

The drama's done. Why then here does any one step forth? — Because one did survive the wreck.

Herman Melville
Drama, Doe, Done
Herman Melville (2015). “Moby-Dick: World Classics”, p.650, World Classic

The phantom-host has faded quite, Splendor and Terror gone-- Portent or promise--and gives way To pale, meek Dawn.

Herman Melville
Giving, Promise, Way
Herman Melville (1866). “Battle-pieces and aspects of the war [poems].”, p.148

I could...see in Emerson...that had he lived in those days when the world was made, he might have offered some valuable suggestions.

Herman Melville
Personality, Suggestions, World
"The Letters of Herman Melville" edited by Merrell R. Davis and William H. Gilman, (p. 78), 1960.

There is sorrow in the world, but goodness too; and goodness that is not greenness, either, no more than sorrow is.

Herman Melville
Sorrow, Literature, World
Herman Melville (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Herman Melville (Illustrated)”, p.2852, Delphi Classics

Whenever we discover a dislike in us, toward any one, we should ever be a little suspicious of ourselves.

Herman Melville
Littles, Should, Suspicious
Herman Melville (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Herman Melville (Illustrated)”, p.1578, Delphi Classics

flight from tyranny does not of itself insure a safe asylum, far less a happy home.

Herman Melville
Home, Doe, Safe
Herman Melville (2009). “Billy Budd and Other Tales”, p.251, Penguin

You May Also Like: