Faith and philosophy are air, but events are brass.
Herman Melville
Faith Philosophy, Event Reality, Practical Perspective, Faith, Philosophy, Events
Herman Melville’s Quotes On Topics
Disadvantage | Sperm Whale | Prometheus Creation | Starving Body | Voyage | Community | Persistence | Pale Waters | Cosmic Mystery | Life Challenges | Strange Sights | People’s Privacy | Helm Focus | Quill | Truth Politics | Eternal Bond | Cape | Angels | Meat Market | Ignorance | More
More Herman Melville Quotes
“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“We cannibals must help these Christians.” Herman Melville
Cannibal Help, Christian Irony, Unexpected Solidarity, Cannibals, Christians, Help
Herman Melville Cannibal Help, Christian Irony, Unexpected Solidarity, Cannibals, Christians, Help“Squeeze! squeeze! squeeze! all morning long; I squeezed that sperm till I myself almost melted into it; I squeezed that sperm till a strange sort of insanity came over me...” Herman Melville
Obsession, Work, Madness, Labor, Insanity, Desire
Herman Melville Obsession, Work, Madness, Labor, Insanity, Desire“For this reason a sleeping apartment should never be furnished with a fire, which is one of the luxurious discomforts of the rich. For the height of this sort of deliciousness is to have nothing but the blankets between you and your snugness and the cold of the outer air. Then there you lie like the one warm spark in the heart of an arctic crystal.” Herman Melville
Fire Comforts, Rich Luxury, Sleeping Apartment, Comfort, Fire, Luxury
Herman Melville Fire Comforts, Rich Luxury, Sleeping Apartment, Comfort, Fire, Luxury“Though the ancients were ignorant of the principles of Christianity there were in them the germs of its spirit.” Herman Melville
Ancient Spirit, Christianity Germs, Historical Values, Ancients, Christianity, Spirit
Herman Melville Ancient Spirit, Christianity Germs, Historical Values, Ancients, Christianity, Spirit“We die of too much life.” Herman Melville
Life Excess, Death Paradox, Living Limits, Life, Death, Paradox
Herman Melville Life Excess, Death Paradox, Living Limits, Life, Death, Paradox“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“Nature has not implanted any power in man that was not meant to be exercised at times, though too often our powers have been abused.” Herman Melville
Human Powers, Power Abuse, Nature’s Gifts, Power, Abuse, Humanity
Herman Melville Human Powers, Power Abuse, Nature’s Gifts, Power, Abuse, Humanity“He who is ready to despair in solitary peril, plucks up a heart in the presence of another. In a plurality of comrades is much countenance and consolation.” Herman Melville
Shared Courage, Solitary Peril, Comrade Consolation, Courage, Peril, Comrades
Herman Melville Shared Courage, Solitary Peril, Comrade Consolation, Courage, Peril, Comrades“Ahab had purposely sailed upon the present voyage with the one only and all-engrossing object of hunting the White Whale. Had any one of his old acquaintances on shore but half dreamed of what was lurking in him then, how soon would their aghast and righteous souls have wrenched the ship from such a fiendish man! They were bent on profitable cruises, the profit to be counted down in dollars from the mint. He was intent on an audacious, immitigable, and supernatural revenge.” Herman Melville
Ahab’s Obsession, Revenge And Vengeance, Character Flaws, Ambition, Human Nature, Destruction
Herman Melville Ahab’s Obsession, Revenge And Vengeance, Character Flaws, Ambition, Human Nature, Destruction“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“Faith, like a jackal, feeds among the tombs, and even from these dead doubts she gathers her most vital hope.” Herman Melville
Faith Tombs, Vital Hope, Dead Doubts, Faith, Tombs, Hope
Herman Melville Faith Tombs, Vital Hope, Dead Doubts, Faith, Tombs, Hope“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“Be sure of this, O young ambition, all mortal greatness is but disease.” Herman Melville
Mortal Greatness, Young Ambition, Disease Of Greatness, Ambition, Greatness, Disease
Herman Melville Mortal Greatness, Young Ambition, Disease Of Greatness, Ambition, Greatness, Disease“Woe to him who seeks to please rather than appall.” Herman Melville
Personal Integrity, Pleasing Others, Morality, Authority, Self-respect, Challenge
Herman Melville Personal Integrity, Pleasing Others, Morality, Authority, Self-respect, Challenge“God keep me from ever completing anything. This whole book is but a draught – nay, but the draught of a draught. Oh, Time, Strength, Cash, and Patience!” Herman Melville
Incomplete Works, Eternal Draft, Author’s Wish, God, Book, Draught
Herman Melville Incomplete Works, Eternal Draft, Author’s Wish, God, Book, Draught“And as for going as cook, – though I confess there is considerable glory in that, a cook being a sort of officer on shipboard – yet, somehow, I never fancied broiling fowls; – though once broiled, judiciously buttered, and judgmatically salted and peppered, there is no one who will speak more respectfully, not to say reverentially, of a broiled fowl than I will.” Herman Melville
Shipboard Cook, Culinary Glory, Broiled Fowls, Cooking, Glory, Food
Herman Melville Shipboard Cook, Culinary Glory, Broiled Fowls, Cooking, Glory, Food“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 Duty, Monastic Obedience, True Vows, Duty, Obedience, Vows
Herman Melville Military Duty, Monastic Obedience, True Vows, Duty, Obedience, Vows