Herman Melville Quotes - Page 17

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But even so, amid the tornadoed Atlantic of my being, do I myself still for ever centrally disport in mute calm; and while ponderous planets of unwaning woe revolve round me, deep down and deep inland there I still bathe me in eternal mildness of joy.

Herman Melville

Joy, Down And, Woe

Herman Melville (1892). “Moby Dick”, p.366

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For in tremendous extremities human souls are like drowning men; well enough they know they are in peril; well enough they know the causes of that peril;--nevertheless, the sea is the sea, and these drowning men do drown.

Herman Melville

Men, Sea, Soul

Herman Melville (2015). “Pierre or The Ambiguities: Works of Melville”, p.295, 谷月社

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But when a man suspects any wrong it sometimes happens that if he be already involved in the matter he insensibly strives to cover up his suspicions even from himself. And much this way it was with me. I said nothing and tried to think nothing.

Herman Melville

Men, Thinking, Cover Ups

Herman Melville (2016). “Moby Dick (World Classics, Unabridged)”, p.68, Vij Books India Pvt Ltd

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For God's sake, be economical with your lamps and candles! not a gallon you burn, but at least one drop of man's blood was spilled for it.

Herman Melville

Men, Blood, Lamps

Herman Melville (2008). “Moby-Dick”, p.228, Velvet Element Books

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The Marquesan girls dance all over; not only do their feet dance, but their arms, hands, fingers, ay, their very eyes seem to dance in their heads.

Herman Melville

Girl, Dance, Eye

Herman Melville (1860). “Typee : a peep at polynesian life, during a four months residence in a valley of the Marquesas”, p.179

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See with what entire freedom the whaleman takes his handful of lamps-often but old bottles and vials, though. ... He burns, too, the purest of oil. ... It is sweet as early grass butter in April. He goes and hunts for his oil, so as to be sure of its freshness and genuineness, even as the traveler on the prairie hunts up his own supper of game.

Herman Melville

Sweet, Hunting, Games

Herman Melville (2016). “Moby Dick (World Classics, Unabridged)”, p.294, Vij Books India Pvt Ltd

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Why, ever since Adam, who has got to the meaning of this great allegory - the world? Then we pygmies must be content to have out paper allegories but ill comprehended.

Herman Melville

World, Paper, Adam

Herman Melville (2003). “Moby-Dick”, p.604, Bantam Classics

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Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering whale... from hell's heart I stab at thee.

Herman Melville

Heart, Whales, Sea

Moby Dick ch. 135 (1851)

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God help thee, old man, thy thoughts have created a creature in thee; and he whose intense thinking thus makes him a Prometheus; a vulture feeds upon that heart for ever; that vulture the very creature he creates.

Herman Melville

Heart, Men, Thinking

Herman Melville (2008). “Moby-Dick”, p.224, Velvet Element Books

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The starred and stately nights seemed haughty dames in jewelled velvets, nursing at home in lonely pride, the memory of their absent conquering Earls, the golden helmeted suns!

Herman Melville

Lonely, Stars, Memories

Herman Melville (2008). “Moby-Dick”, p.138, Velvet Element Books

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It is the horrible texture of a fabric that should be woven of ships' cables and hawsers. A Polar wind blows through it, and birds of prey hover over it.

Herman Melville

Blow, Wind, Bird

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In time of peril, like the needle to the loadstone, obedience, irrespective of rank, generally flies to him who is best fitted to command.

Herman Melville

Obedience, Peril, Command

Herman Melville (1850). “White-jacket: or, The world in a man-of-war”, p.114

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Struck dead by an angel of God! Yet the angel must hang!

Herman Melville

Angel

Herman Melville (1962). “Billy Budd, Sailor”, p.98, University of Chicago Press

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Thus it often is, that the constant friction of illiberal minds wears out at last the best resolves of the more generous.

Herman Melville

Often Is, Mind, Lasts

Herman Melville (2016). “Bartleby, The Scrivener”, p.30, Herman Melville

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War being the greatest of evils, all its accessories necessarily partake of the same character.

Herman Melville

War, Character, Evil

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

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It is-or seems to be-a wise sort of thing, to realise that all that happens to a man in this life is only by way of joke, especially his misfortunes, if he have them. And it is also worth bearing in mind, that the joke is passed round pretty liberally & impartially, so that not very many are entitled to fancy that they in particular are getting the worst of it.

Herman Melville

Wise, Men, Mind

Herman Melville, Lynn Horth (1993). “Correspondence”, p.203, Northwestern University Press

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Nothing may help or heal While Amor incensed remembers wrong.

Herman Melville

Amor, May, Helping

Herman Melville (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Herman Melville (Illustrated)”, p.4237, Delphi Classics

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Man, in the ideal, is so noble and so sparkling, such a grand and glowing creature, that over any ignominious blemish in him all his fellows should run to throw their costliest robes.

Herman Melville

Running, Men, Glowing

Herman Melville (2008). “Moby-Dick”, p.127, Velvet Element Books

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Implacable I, the implacable Sea; Implacable most when most I smile serene- Pleased, not appeased, by myriad wrecks in me.

Herman Melville

Sea, Wrecks, I Smile

Herman Melville (1991). “Selected Poems of Herman Melville”, p.121, Fordham Univ Press

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A true military officer is in one particular like a true monk. Not with more self-abnegation will the latter keep his vows of monastic obedience than the former his vows of allegiance to martial duty.

Herman Melville

Military, Self, Monk

Herman Melville (2016). “Billy Budd, Bartleby, and Other Stories”, p.190, Penguin

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People seem to have a great love for names. For to know a great many names seems to look like knowing a good many things.

Herman Melville

Knowledge, Names, Knowing

Herman Melville (1850). “Redburn: His First Voyage. Being the Sailor-boy Confessions and Reminiscences of the Son-of-a-gentleman, in the Merchant Service”, p.89

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All wars are boyish, and are fought by boys, The champions and enthusiasts of the state: Turbid ardors and vain joys Not barrenly abate-- Stimulants to the power mature, Preparatives of fate.

Herman Melville

War, Fate, Boys

Herman Melville, Douglas Robillard (2000). “The Poems of Herman Melville”, p.58, Kent State University Press

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But oh! shipmates! on the starboard hand of every woe, there is a sure delight; and higher the top of that delight, than the bottom of the woe is deep.

Herman Melville

Hands, Delight, Woe

Herman Melville (1892). “Moby Dick”, p.50

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It may seem strange that of all men sailors should be tinkering at their last wills and testaments, but there are no people in the world more fond of that diversion.

Herman Melville

Men, People, May

1851 Moby Dick, ch.49.

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Are there no Moravians in the Moon, that not a missionary has yet visited this poor pagan planet of ours, to civilise civilisation and christianise Christendom?

Herman Melville

Moon, Missionary, Pagan

Herman Melville (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Herman Melville (Illustrated)”, p.4907, Delphi Classics

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Born: August 1, 1819
Died: September 28, 1891
Occupation: Novelist
Cite this Page: Citation

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