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
Perilous Situation, Human Suffering, Soul Struggle, Death, Human Experience, Extreme Conditions
Herman Melville’s Quotes On Topics
Floods | Motivations | National Ambition | Eyes | Past Pain | War Pain | Horse Dignity | Leaves | Lonesomeness | Military | Future American | Mystical Feeling | Cooking | Test Proven | Terror | True Living | Floating | Apple Dumpling | Chase | News Contrast | More
More Herman Melville Quotes
“I am past scorching; not easily can’st thou scorch a scar.” Herman Melville
Scorched Past, Scarred Self, Past Pain, Healing Scars, Unyielding Self, Burned Memories
Herman Melville Scorched Past, Scarred Self, Past Pain, Healing Scars, Unyielding Self, Burned Memories“There never was a great man yet who spent all his life inland.” Herman Melville
Greatness, Exploration, Adventure, Life Journey, Travel, Experience
Herman Melville Greatness, Exploration, Adventure, Life Journey, Travel, Experience“Delight, – top-gallant delight is to him, who acknowledges no law or lord, but the Lord his God, and is only a patriot to heaven.” Herman Melville
Gallant Delight, Divine Patriot, Heaven Devotion, Delight, Patriot, Heaven
Herman Melville Gallant Delight, Divine Patriot, Heaven Devotion, Delight, Patriot, Heaven“Courage is the most common and vulgar of the virtues.” Herman Melville
Virtue Courage, Common Strength, Courage, Vulgar, Virtue, Strength
Herman Melville Virtue Courage, Common Strength, Courage, Vulgar, Virtue, Strength“Because no man can ever feel his own identity aright except his eyes be closed; as if darkness were indeed the proper element of our essences, though light be more congenial to our clayey part.” Herman Melville
Identity Darkness, Light Essence, Closed Eyes, Identity, Darkness, Light
Herman Melville Identity Darkness, Light Essence, Closed Eyes, Identity, Darkness, Light“Failure is the true test of greatness.” Herman Melville
True Test, Greatness Proved, Failure Lesson, Failure, Test, Greatness
Herman Melville True Test, Greatness Proved, Failure Lesson, Failure, Test, Greatness“The drama’s done. Why then here does any one step forth? – Because one did survive the wreck.” Herman Melville
Surviving Wreck, Drama End, Life Continuation, Drama, Wreck, Life
Herman Melville Surviving Wreck, Drama End, Life Continuation, Drama, Wreck, Life“Of the quaking recruit, three pitched battles make a grim grenadier; and he who shrank from the muzzle of a cannon, is now ready to yield his mustache for a sponge.” Herman Melville
Grenadier Courage, Battle Hardened, Fear Transformation, Courage, Battle, Fear
Herman Melville Grenadier Courage, Battle Hardened, Fear Transformation, Courage, Battle, Fear“There seems no reason why patriotism and narrowness should go together, or why intellectual fairmindedness should be confounded with political trimming, or why serviceable truth should keep cloistered because not partisan.” Herman Melville
Patriotism Narrowness, Truth Politics, Intellectual Fairness, Truth, Politics, Fairness
Herman Melville Patriotism Narrowness, Truth Politics, Intellectual Fairness, Truth, Politics, Fairness“There is one knows not what sweet mystery about this sea, whose gently awful stirrings seem to speak of some hidden soul beneath.” Herman Melville
Mystery Sea, Hidden Soul, Awful Beauty, Mystery, Sea, Stirring
Herman Melville Mystery Sea, Hidden Soul, Awful Beauty, Mystery, Sea, Stirring“Heaven have mercy on us all – Presbyterians and Pagans alike – for we are all somehow dreadfully cracked about the head, and sadly need mending.” Herman Melville
Heaven Mercy, Cracked Heads, Dreadful Need, Mercy, Head, Mending
Herman Melville Heaven Mercy, Cracked Heads, Dreadful Need, Mercy, Head, Mending“Nothing so aggravates an earnest person as a passive resistance.” Herman Melville
Earnest Aggravation, Passive Resistance, Frustrated Efforts, Resistance, Efforts, Frustration
Herman Melville Earnest Aggravation, Passive Resistance, Frustrated Efforts, Resistance, Efforts, Frustration“He’s no more afraid than the isle fort at Cattegat, put there to fight the Baltic with storm-lashed guns, on which the sea-salt cakes!” Herman Melville
Fearless Fort, Baltic Sea, Fort, Baltic, Fearless, Sea
Herman Melville Fearless Fort, Baltic Sea, Fort, Baltic, Fearless, Sea“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“Toil is man’s allotment; toil of brain, or toil of hands, or a grief that’s more than either, the grief and sin of idleness.” Herman Melville
Toil Allotment, Idleness Sin, Toil, Grief, Brain, Hands
Herman Melville Toil Allotment, Idleness Sin, Toil, Grief, Brain, Hands“God’s one and only voice is silence.” Herman Melville
Divine Silence, Quiet Voice, Spiritual Message, God, Silence, Voice
Herman Melville Divine Silence, Quiet Voice, Spiritual Message, God, Silence, Voice“True Work is the necessity of poor humanity’s earthly condition. The dignity is in leisure. Besides, 99 hundredths of all the work done in the world is either foolish and unnecessary, or harmful and wicked.” Herman Melville
Work Wisdom, Dignified Leisure, Humanity’s Struggles, Work, Humanity, Leisure
Herman Melville Work Wisdom, Dignified Leisure, Humanity’s Struggles, Work, Humanity, Leisure“I cherish the greatest respect towards everybody’s religious obligations, no matter how comical.” Herman Melville
Religious Respect, Comical Obligations, Faith Regard, Respect, Obligations, Faith
Herman Melville Religious Respect, Comical Obligations, Faith Regard, Respect, Obligations, Faith