Give not thyself up, then, to fire, lest it invert thee, deaden thee, as for the time it did me. There is a wisdom that is woe; but there is a woe that is madness.
Herman Melville
Fire, Wisdom, Madness, Pain, Irony, Life Lessons
Herman Melville’s Quotes On Topics
Hard Tasks | Soul Food | Good Conscience | Cool Behavior | Devil Yes | Life’s Rules | Curiosity | Handsome Sailor | Nature’s Principle | Strength | Cold-blooded Fish | Nature | Golden Illusion | Lineage | Incoherence | Old Age | Vulgar | Art Of Living | Spiritual Beliefs | Laughing Fate | More
More Herman Melville Quotes
“All the world over, the picturesque yields to the pocketesque.” Herman Melville
Worldview, Aesthetics, Money, Beauty, Economy, Perspective
Herman Melville Worldview, Aesthetics, Money, Beauty, Economy, Perspective“I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can.” Herman Melville
To The Sea, High Time, Ocean Journey, Adventure, Sea, Freedom
Herman Melville To The Sea, High Time, Ocean Journey, Adventure, Sea, Freedom“Beneath those stars is a universe of gliding monsters.” Herman Melville
Gliding Monsters, Star Universe, Cosmic Mystery, Monsters, Universe, Stars
Herman Melville Gliding Monsters, Star Universe, Cosmic Mystery, Monsters, Universe, Stars“Human madness is oftentimes a cunning and most feline thing. When you think it fled, it may have but become transfigured into some still subtler form.” Herman Melville
Madness, Cunning, Human Nature, Transformation, Mentality, Complexity
Herman Melville Madness, Cunning, Human Nature, Transformation, Mentality, Complexity“Methinks that what they call my shadow here on earth is my true substance. Methinks that in looking at things spiritual, we are too much like oysters observing the sun through the water, and thinking that thick water the thinnest of air.” Herman Melville
Spiritual Substance, Earthly Shadow, Shadow, Substance, Spiritual, Perception
Herman Melville Spiritual Substance, Earthly Shadow, Shadow, Substance, Spiritual, Perception“Reality outran apprehension; Captain Ahab stood upon his quarter-deck.” Herman Melville
Reality Apprehension, Ahab Quarterdeck, Truth Pace, Reality, Quarterdeck, Truth
Herman Melville Reality Apprehension, Ahab Quarterdeck, Truth Pace, Reality, Quarterdeck, Truth“Thus we see how that the spine of even the hugest of living things tapers off at last into simple child’s play.” Herman Melville
Spine Play, Living Things, Child Play, Spine, Child, Living
Herman Melville Spine Play, Living Things, Child Play, Spine, Child, Living“All truth is profound.” Herman Melville
Profound Truth, Deep Insight, Truth, Profound, Insight, Knowledge
Herman Melville Profound Truth, Deep Insight, Truth, Profound, Insight, Knowledge“It is upon record, that three centuries ago the tongue of the Right Whale was esteemed a great delicacy in France, and commanded large prices there.” Herman Melville
Whale Delicacy, France History, Esteemed Taste, Whale, Delicacy, Taste
Herman Melville Whale Delicacy, France History, Esteemed Taste, Whale, Delicacy, Taste“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“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“I will live and die by this testimony: that I loved a good conscience; that I never invaded another man’s liberty; and that I preserved my own.” Herman Melville
Good Conscience, Preserved Liberty, Testimony Life, Conscience, Liberty, Life
Herman Melville Good Conscience, Preserved Liberty, Testimony Life, Conscience, Liberty, Life“Father Mapple uplifted his closed eyes, and offered a prayer so deeply devout that he seemed to be kneeling at the bottom of the sea.” Herman Melville
Deep Prayer, Spiritual Depths, Devout Moments, Father, Mapple, Prayer
Herman Melville Deep Prayer, Spiritual Depths, Devout Moments, Father, Mapple, Prayer“Better sleep with a sober cannibal than a drunken Christian.” Herman Melville
Sober Cannibal, Drunken Christian, Unlikely Preference, Cannibal, Christian, Preference
Herman Melville Sober Cannibal, Drunken Christian, Unlikely Preference, Cannibal, Christian, Preference“You cannot spill a drop of American blood without spilling the blood of the whole world… We are not a nation, so much as a world.” Herman Melville
American Blood, Global Unity, Interconnected World, Humanity, Unity, World
Herman Melville American Blood, Global Unity, Interconnected World, Humanity, Unity, World“An intense copper calm, like a universal yellow lotus, was more and more unfolding its noiseless measureless leaves upon the sea.” Herman Melville
Copper Calm, Lotus Serenity, Calm, Lotus, Sea, Serenity
Herman Melville Copper Calm, Lotus Serenity, Calm, Lotus, Sea, Serenity“There is no dignity in wickedness, whether in purple or rags; and hell is a democracy of devils, where all are equals.” Herman Melville
Wicked Dignity, Devil Democracy, Hell Equality, Wickedness, Devils, Equality
Herman Melville Wicked Dignity, Devil Democracy, Hell Equality, Wickedness, Devils, Equality“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