A hermitage in the forest is the refuge of the narrow-minded misanthrope; a hammock on the ocean is the asylum for the generous distressed. The ocean brims with natural griefs and tragedies; and into that watery immensity of terror, man’s private grief is lost like a drop.
Herman Melville
Ocean Asylum, Private Grief, Ocean, Grief, Hermitage, Refuge
Herman Melville’s Quotes On Topics
Unexpressed Wonders | Disillusionment | Glory | Guidance | Earnest Thinking | Cunning Motives | Cape | Eye | Descartes | Cure | Equal Men | Ups And Downs | Volumes | Streets | Mad Speech | Futile Regrets | Honest Skin | Fearful | Cause | Living Contours | More
More Herman Melville Quotes
“With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship. There is nothing surprising in this.” Herman Melville
Philosophical Flourish, Cato’s Sword, Calm Choice, Flourish, Cato, Choice
Herman Melville Philosophical Flourish, Cato’s Sword, Calm Choice, Flourish, Cato, Choice“The names of all fine authors are fictitious ones, far more so than that of Junius, – simply standing, as they do, for the mystical, ever-eluding Spirit of all Beauty, which ubiquitously possesses men of genius.” Herman Melville
Authors, Creativity, Inspiration, Genius, Mysticism, Art
Herman Melville Authors, Creativity, Inspiration, Genius, Mysticism, Art“As in digging for precious metals in the mines, much earthy rubbish has first to be troublesomely handled and thrown out; so, in digging in one’s soul for the fine gold of genius, much dullness and common-place is first brought to light.” Herman Melville
Soul Genius, Precious Metals, Dullness Rubbish, Soul, Gold, Genius
Herman Melville Soul Genius, Precious Metals, Dullness Rubbish, Soul, Gold, Genius“Though public libraries have an imposing air, and doubtless contain invaluable volumes, yet, somehow, the books that prove most agreeable, grateful, and companionable, are those we pick up by chance here and there; those which seem put into our hands by Providence; those which pretend to little, but abound in much.” Herman Melville
Library Air, Providence Books, Companionable Volumes, Library, Books, Volumes
Herman Melville Library Air, Providence Books, Companionable Volumes, Library, Books, Volumes“Leviathan is not the biggest fish; – I have heard of Krakens.” Herman Melville
Leviathan, Mythical Creatures, Sea Legends, Kraken, Marine Life, Imagination
Herman Melville Leviathan, Mythical Creatures, Sea Legends, Kraken, Marine Life, Imagination“There’s magic in the water that draws all men away from the land, that leads them over hills, down creeks and streams and rivers to the sea.” Herman Melville
Water Magic, Land’s Pull, Sea Mysteries, Magic, Water, Sea
Herman Melville Water Magic, Land’s Pull, Sea Mysteries, Magic, Water, Sea“Thinking is, or ought to be, a coolness and a calmness; and our poor hearts throb, and our poor brains beat too much for that.” Herman Melville
Cool Thinking, Calmness Brains, Heart Throbs, Thinking, Calmness, Throbs
Herman Melville Cool Thinking, Calmness Brains, Heart Throbs, Thinking, Calmness, Throbs“He saw God’s foot upon the treadle of the loom, and spoke it; and therefore his shipmates called him mad.” Herman Melville
God’s Loom, Mad Speech, Divine Vision, Loom, Speech, Vision
Herman Melville God’s Loom, Mad Speech, Divine Vision, Loom, Speech, Vision“In his fiery eyes of scorn and triumph, you then saw Ahab in all his fatal pride.” Herman Melville
Fiery Eyes, Fatal Pride, Scorn Triumph, Pride, Eyes, Scorn
Herman Melville Fiery Eyes, Fatal Pride, Scorn Triumph, Pride, Eyes, Scorn“There is no folly of the beast of the earth which is not infinitely outdone by the madness of man.” Herman Melville
Human Madness, Animal Folly, Madness Of Man, Humanity, Folly, Madness
Herman Melville Human Madness, Animal Folly, Madness Of Man, Humanity, Folly, Madness“Forty years after a battle it is easy for a non-combatant to reason about how it ought to have been fought. It is another thing personally and under fire to direct the fighting while involved in the obscuring smoke of it.” Herman Melville
Battle Wisdom, Leadership, Hindsight, War, Decision-making, Courage
Herman Melville Battle Wisdom, Leadership, Hindsight, War, Decision-making, Courage“One of the coolest and wisest hours a man has, is just after he awakes in the morning.” Herman Melville
Morning Wisdom, Awake Reflection, Early Hour, Morning, Wisdom, Awake
Herman Melville Morning Wisdom, Awake Reflection, Early Hour, Morning, Wisdom, Awake“Meditation and water are wedded for ever.” Herman Melville
Meditation Water, Ever Wedded, Water Connection, Meditation, Marriage, Peace
Herman Melville Meditation Water, Ever Wedded, Water Connection, Meditation, Marriage, Peace“Youth is the time when hearts are large.” Herman Melville
Youth’s Time, Large Hearts, Heartfelt Youth, Youth, Heart, Time
Herman Melville Youth’s Time, Large Hearts, Heartfelt Youth, Youth, Heart, Time“The only ugliness is that of the heart, seen through the face. And though beauty be obvious, the only loveliness is invisible.” Herman Melville
Heart Ugliness, Invisible Beauty, True Loveliness, Heart, Beauty, Loveliness
Herman Melville Heart Ugliness, Invisible Beauty, True Loveliness, Heart, Beauty, Loveliness“Pray God, not that; yet I fear something, Captain Ahab. Is not this harpoon for the White Whale?” “For the white fiend! But now for the barbs; thou must make them thyself, man. Here are my razors – the best of steel; here, and make the barbs sharp as the needle-sleet of the Icy Sea.” Herman Melville
White Whale, Harpoon Creation, Icy Sea, Whale, Harpoon, Sea
Herman Melville White Whale, Harpoon Creation, Icy Sea, Whale, Harpoon, Sea“In our own hearts, we mold the whole world’s hereafters; and in our own hearts we fashion our own gods.” Herman Melville
Self-determination, Personal Power, Inner Strength, Destiny, Spirituality, Heart
Herman Melville Self-determination, Personal Power, Inner Strength, Destiny, Spirituality, Heart“For every one knows that this earthly air, whether ashore or afloat, is terribly infected with the nameless miseries of the numberless mortals who have died exhaling it.” Herman Melville
Earthly Misery, Infected Air, Mortal Suffering, Endless Misery, Airborne Grief, Death’s Influence
Herman Melville Earthly Misery, Infected Air, Mortal Suffering, Endless Misery, Airborne Grief, Death’s Influence