If in some cases a bit of a nautical Murat in setting forth his person ashore, the Handsome Sailor of the period in question evinced nothing of the dandified Billy-be-Dam, an amusing character all but extinct now, but occasionally to be encountered, and in a form yet more amusing than the original, at the tiller of the boats on the tempestuous Erie Canal or, more likely, vaporing in the groggeries along the towpath.
Herman Melville
Handsome Sailor, Erie Canal, Nautical Humor, Sailor, Canal, Humor
Herman Melville’s Quotes On Topics
Strong Waters | Movement | Behavior | Rage | Genius | Paid | Colonialism | Time Of Peril | Originality | Self Dishonor | Galling Power | Prison Solitude | Vows | Dreams Alive | Worth | Intimacy | Ahab’s Grief | Iron | Sea’s Influence | Mountain Spurs | More
More Herman Melville Quotes
“I do not think I have any uncharitable prejudice against the rattlesnake, still, I should not like to be one.” Herman Melville
Rattlesnake Prejudice, Uncharitable Thoughts, Disliked Creature, Prejudice, Thoughts, Creature
Herman Melville Rattlesnake Prejudice, Uncharitable Thoughts, Disliked Creature, Prejudice, Thoughts, Creature“Let me look into a human eye; it is better than to gaze into sea or sky; better than to gaze upon God.” Herman Melville
Human Connection, Profound Gaze, Soul Reflections, Life Perspective, Wisdom, Empathy
Herman Melville Human Connection, Profound Gaze, Soul Reflections, Life Perspective, Wisdom, Empathy“There is no life in thee, now, except that rocking life imparted by a gently rolling ship; by her, borrowed from the sea; by the sea, from the inscrutable tides of God.” Herman Melville
Rocking Life, Ship’s Journey, Sea’s Influence, God’s Tides, Ship And Sea, Life’s Flow
Herman Melville Rocking Life, Ship’s Journey, Sea’s Influence, God’s Tides, Ship And Sea, Life’s Flow“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“The Past is the textbook of tyrants; the Future is the Bible of the Free.” Herman Melville
Past Lessons, Tyrants’ Teachings, Freedom’s Bible, Historical Knowledge, Future Hope, Tyranny’s Rule
Herman Melville Past Lessons, Tyrants’ Teachings, Freedom’s Bible, Historical Knowledge, Future Hope, Tyranny’s Rule“All we discover has been with us since the sun began to roll; and much we discover, is not worth the discovering.” Herman Melville
Ancient Knowledge, Discovery Worth, Timeless Truths, Discovery, Worth, Knowledge
Herman Melville Ancient Knowledge, Discovery Worth, Timeless Truths, Discovery, Worth, Knowledge“Though neither knows where lie the nameless things of which the mystic sign gives forth such hints; yet with me, as with the colt, somewhere those things must exist. Though in many of its aspects this visible world seems formed in love, the invisible spheres were formed in fright.” Herman Melville
Mystic Signs, Visible Love, Invisible Fear, Signs, Love, Fear
Herman Melville Mystic Signs, Visible Love, Invisible Fear, Signs, Love, Fear“How feeble is all language to describe the horrors we inflict upon these wretches, whom we mason up in the cells of our prisons, and condemn to perpetual solitude in the very heart of our population.” Herman Melville
Prison Solitude, Human Horror, Feeble Language, Prison, Horror, Solitude
Herman Melville Prison Solitude, Human Horror, Feeble Language, Prison, Horror, Solitude“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“There is nothing namable but that some men will, or undertake to, do it for pay.” Herman Melville
Namable Things, Pay Undertaking, Human Efforts, Namable, Pay, Efforts
Herman Melville Namable Things, Pay Undertaking, Human Efforts, Namable, Pay, Efforts“Doesn’t the devil live forever; who ever heard that the devil was dead? Did you ever see any person wearing mourning for the devil?” Herman Melville
Life And Death, Evil’s Persistence, Eternal Struggle, Mortality, Good And Evil, Existence
Herman Melville Life And Death, Evil’s Persistence, Eternal Struggle, Mortality, Good And Evil, Existence“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“Indolence is heaven’s ally here, And energy the child of hell: The Good Man pouring from his pitcher clear But brims the poisoned well.” Herman Melville
Indolence’s Ally, Energy And Hell, Goodness And Poison, Clear And Tainted, Evil’s Child, Heavenly Aid
Herman Melville Indolence’s Ally, Energy And Hell, Goodness And Poison, Clear And Tainted, Evil’s Child, Heavenly Aid“But, besides the Feegeeans, Tongatobooarrs, Erromanggoans, Pannangians, and Brighggians, and besides the wild specimens of the whaling-craft which unheeded reel about the streets, you will see other sights still more curious, certainly more comical.” Herman Melville
Wild Specimens, Comical Sights, Curious Streets, Specimens, Sights, Streets
Herman Melville Wild Specimens, Comical Sights, Curious Streets, Specimens, Sights, Streets“The poor man wants many things; the covetous man, all.” Herman Melville
Wealth Desire, Covetous Nature, Poverty Truth, Poor, Covetous, Wants
Herman Melville Wealth Desire, Covetous Nature, Poverty Truth, Poor, Covetous, Wants“I feel that the Godhead is broken up like the bread at the Supper, and that we are the pieces. Hence this infinite fraternity of feeling.” Herman Melville
Godhead Fracture, Infinite Fraternity, Supper Symbolism, Unity, Fraternity, Divinity
Herman Melville Godhead Fracture, Infinite Fraternity, Supper Symbolism, Unity, Fraternity, Divinity“Nevertheless, Leviathan is of so mighty a magnitude, all his proportions are so stately, that the same deficiency which in the sculptured Jove were hideous, in him is no blemish at all. Nay, it is an added grandeur. A nose to the whale would have been impertinent.” Herman Melville
Leviathan, Magnitude, Nature’s Beauty, Grandeur, Symbolism, Perfection
Herman Melville Leviathan, Magnitude, Nature’s Beauty, Grandeur, Symbolism, Perfection“There is a touch of divinity even in brutes, and a special halo about a horse, that should forever exempt him from indignities.” Herman Melville
Divine Halo, Horse Dignity, Divinity, Halo, Horse, Dignity
Herman Melville Divine Halo, Horse Dignity, Divinity, Halo, Horse, Dignity