For as this appalling ocean surrounds the verdant land, so in the soul of man there lies one insular Tahiti, full of peace and joy, but encompassed by all the horrors of the half-known life.
Herman Melville
Soul Depths, Half Known, Ocean, Tahiti, Peace, Horrors
Herman Melville’s Quotes On Topics
Dazzling Crown | Purpose-driven Life | Strange Life | Survival Instincts | Pay Undertaking | Profound Truth | Rainbow | Humanity’s Struggles | Bartleby Thought | Dullness Rubbish | Inspiration | Fire | Youth’s Path | Lessons Learned | Real Truth | State | Noble Feast | Vengeance | Nature’s Laws | Man’s Words | More
More Herman Melville Quotes
“If a well-constituted individual refrains from blazoning aught amiss or calamitous in his family, a nation in the like circumstance may without reproach be equally discreet.” Herman Melville
Family, Privacy, Morality, Society, Reflection, Integrity
Herman Melville Family, Privacy, Morality, Society, Reflection, Integrity“All visible objects, man, are but as pasteboard masks. But in each event – in the living act, the undoubted deed – there, some unknown but still reasoning thing puts forth the mouldings of its features from behind the unreasoning mask.” Herman Melville
Appearance Vs Reality, Life’s Purpose, Human Nature, Unknown Forces, Events And Deeds, Philosophy
Herman Melville Appearance Vs Reality, Life’s Purpose, Human Nature, Unknown Forces, Events And Deeds, Philosophy“Though amid all the smoking horror and diabolism of a sea-fight, sharks will be seen longingly gazing up to the ship’s decks, like hungry dogs round a table where red meat is being carved, ready to bolt down every killed man that is tossed to them.” Herman Melville
Sea Horror, Shark Hunger, Battle Imagery, Sharks, Sea, Battle
Herman Melville Sea Horror, Shark Hunger, Battle Imagery, Sharks, Sea, Battle“Mystery is in the morning, and mystery in the night, and the beauty of mystery is everywhere; but still the plain truth remains, that mouth and purse must be filled.” Herman Melville
Morning Mystery, Plain Truth, Life’s Practicalities, Mystery, Truth, Survival
Herman Melville Morning Mystery, Plain Truth, Life’s Practicalities, Mystery, Truth, Survival“It was while gliding through these latter waters that one serene and moonlight night, when all the waves rolled by like scrolls of silver; and, by their soft, suffusing seethings, made what seemed a silvery silence, not a solitude; on such a silent night a silvery jet was seen far in advance of the white bubbles at the bow.” Herman Melville
Moonlight Waves, Silvery Silence, Waves, Moonlight, Silence, Jet
Herman Melville Moonlight Waves, Silvery Silence, Waves, Moonlight, Silence, Jet“Better be secure under one king, than exposed to violence from twenty millions of monarchs, though oneself be one of them.” Herman Melville
One King, Monarchs Violence, Security Over Chaos, Leadership, Security, Violence
Herman Melville One King, Monarchs Violence, Security Over Chaos, Leadership, Security, Violence“The lightning-rod man still dwells in the land; still travels in storm-time, and drives a brave trade with the fear of man.” Herman Melville
Fear, Lightning-rod, Risk, Storm, Courage, Trade
Herman Melville Fear, Lightning-rod, Risk, Storm, Courage, Trade“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 Past is the textbook of tyrants; the Future the Bible of the Free. Those who are solely governed by the Past stand like Lot’s wife, crystallized in the act of looking backward, and forever incapable of looking before.” Herman Melville
Past And Future, Freedom Vs Tyranny, History Lessons, Self-reflection, Forward Thinking, Time
Herman Melville Past And Future, Freedom Vs Tyranny, History Lessons, Self-reflection, Forward Thinking, Time“How now in the contemplative evening of his days, the pious Bildad reconciled these things in the reminiscence, I do not know; but it did not seem to concern him much, and very probably he had long since come to the sage and sensible conclusion that a man’s religion is one thing, and this practical world quite another. This world pays dividends.” Herman Melville
Pious Bildad, Religion Practicality, Dividends Truth, Religion, Practicality, Dividends
Herman Melville Pious Bildad, Religion Practicality, Dividends Truth, Religion, Practicality, Dividends“But the might-have-been is but boggy ground to build upon.” Herman Melville
Boggy Ground, Futile Regrets, Unrealized Potential, Might-Have-Been, Ground, Regrets
Herman Melville Boggy Ground, Futile Regrets, Unrealized Potential, Might-Have-Been, Ground, Regrets“Hope is the struggle of the soul, breaking loose from what is perishable, and attesting her eternity.” Herman Melville
Soul Hope, Eternity Struggle, Hope Struggle, Hope, Eternity, Soul
Herman Melville Soul Hope, Eternity Struggle, Hope Struggle, Hope, Eternity, Soul“There is a savor of life and immortality in substantial fare. Like balloons, we are nothing till filled.” Herman Melville
Substantial Fare, Life Savor, Immortal Filling, Fare, Life, Balloons
Herman Melville Substantial Fare, Life Savor, Immortal Filling, Fare, Life, Balloons“But war is pain, and hate is woe.” Herman Melville
War Pain, Hate Woe, Conflict Reality, War, Pain, Hate
Herman Melville War Pain, Hate Woe, Conflict Reality, War, Pain, Hate“Ignorance is the parent of fear, and being completely nonplussed and confounded about the stranger, I confess I was now as much afraid of him as if it was the devil himself who had thus broken into my room at the dead of night.” Herman Melville
Fear Ignorance, Devil Stranger, Ignorance, Fear, Stranger, Devil
Herman Melville Fear Ignorance, Devil Stranger, Ignorance, Fear, Stranger, Devil“But indeed, nature herself seemed to have been his vintner, and at his birth charged him so thoroughly with an irritable, brandy-like disposition, that all subsequent potations were needless.” Herman Melville
Nature’s Vintner, Irritable Nature, Brandy-like Nature, Innate Disposition, Nature’s Charge, Drinkless Life
Herman Melville Nature’s Vintner, Irritable Nature, Brandy-like Nature, Innate Disposition, Nature’s Charge, Drinkless Life“There is something wrong about the man who wants help. There is somewhere a deep defect, a want, in brief, a need, a crying need, somewhere about that man.” Herman Melville
Help, Defect, Need, Vulnerability, Desire, Human Nature
Herman Melville Help, Defect, Need, Vulnerability, Desire, Human Nature“Some years ago – never mind how long precisely – having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world.” Herman Melville
Adventure, Travel, Exploration, Journey, Curiosity, Freedom
Herman Melville Adventure, Travel, Exploration, Journey, Curiosity, Freedom“The only mode in which you can derive even a tolerable idea of his living contour, is by going a whaling yourself; but by so doing, you run no small risk of being eternally stove and sunk by him. Wherefore, it seems to me you had best not be too fastidious in your curiosity touching this Leviathan.” Herman Melville
Whale Hunting, Curiosity Limits, Living Contours, Life Risks, Adventure, Nature
Herman Melville Whale Hunting, Curiosity Limits, Living Contours, Life Risks, Adventure, Nature