In childhood, death stirred me not; in middle age, it pursued me like a prowling bandit on the road; now, grown an old man, it boldly leads the way, and ushers me on.
Herman Melville
Death Pursuit, Life Stages, Bold Leader, Death, Life, Leader
Herman Melville’s Quotes On Topics
Wealth Desire | World Views | Death’s Influence | Philosophical Humor | Infinite | Fish Nature | Teacher | Father | Life’s Flow | Gracefulness | People’s Privacy | Goodness | Phantom | Nature’s Charge | Prudence’s Habit | Life Savor | Captain Ahab | Wondrous Fearful | Eternal Struggle | Sailors | More
More Herman Melville Quotes
“Struck dead by an angel of God! Yet the angel must hang!” Herman Melville
Death, Angel, Fate, Religion, Life’s Irony, Tragedy
Herman Melville Death, Angel, Fate, Religion, Life’s Irony, Tragedy“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“The sailor is frankness, the landsman is finesse. Life is not a game with the sailor, demanding the long head.” Herman Melville
Sailor, Frankness, Life’s Philosophy, Humanity, Finesse, Realism
Herman Melville Sailor, Frankness, Life’s Philosophy, Humanity, Finesse, Realism“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“All Profound things, and emotions of things are preceded and attended by Silence.” Herman Melville
Profound Silence, Attended Emotions, Preceding Depth, Silence, Emotions, Depth
Herman Melville Profound Silence, Attended Emotions, Preceding Depth, Silence, Emotions, Depth“The most mighty of nature’s laws is this, that out of Death she brings Life.” Herman Melville
Nature’s Laws, Death Life, Mighty Creation, Nature, Death, Life
Herman Melville Nature’s Laws, Death Life, Mighty Creation, Nature, Death, Life“Truth is in things, and not in words.” Herman Melville
Truth’s Nature, Words Deceiving, Truth Revealed, Things Over Words, Real Truth, Honest Revelation
Herman Melville Truth’s Nature, Words Deceiving, Truth Revealed, Things Over Words, Real Truth, Honest Revelation“It’s a mutual, joint-stock world, all meridians. We cannibals must help these Christians.” Herman Melville
Worldview, Irony, Humanity, Society, Culture, Relationships
Herman Melville Worldview, Irony, Humanity, Society, Culture, Relationships“A whale ship was my Yale College and my Harvard.” Herman Melville
Education, Life’s Journey, Experience, Whale Ship, Wisdom, Learning
Herman Melville Education, Life’s Journey, Experience, Whale Ship, Wisdom, Learning“It is only when caught in the swift, sudden turn of death, that mortals realise the silent, subtle, ever-present perils of life.” Herman Melville
Death’s Perils, Life’s Realization, Mortal Awareness, Life, Death, Awareness
Herman Melville Death’s Perils, Life’s Realization, Mortal Awareness, Life, Death, Awareness“But even so, amid the tornadoed Atlantic of my being, do I myself still for ever centrally disport in mute calm; and while ponderous planets of unwaning woe revolve round me, deep down and deep inland there I still bathe me in eternal mildness of joy.” Herman Melville
Tornadoed Being, Mildness Joy, Woe Planets, Being, Joy, Woe
Herman Melville Tornadoed Being, Mildness Joy, Woe Planets, Being, Joy, Woe“All wars are boyish, and are fought by boys, The champions and enthusiasts of the state: Turbid ardors and vain joys Not barrenly abate – Stimulants to the power mature, Preparatives of fate.” Herman Melville
Wars, Youth, Philosophy, Violence, Masculinity, Conflict
Herman Melville Wars, Youth, Philosophy, Violence, Masculinity, Conflict“Swerve me? The path to my fixed purpose is laid with iron rails, whereon my soul is grooved to run. Over unsounded gorges, through the rifled hearts of mountains, under torrents’ beds, unerringly I rush! Naught’s an obstacle, naught’s an angle to the iron way!” Herman Melville
Fixed Purpose, Iron Rails, Determined Soul, Purpose, Rails, Soul
Herman Melville Fixed Purpose, Iron Rails, Determined Soul, Purpose, Rails, Soul“But as in landlessness alone resides the highest truth, shoreless, indefinite as God – so better is it to perish in that howling infinite, than be ingloriously dashed upon the lee, even if that were safety! For worm-like, then, oh! who would craven crawl to land!” Herman Melville
Infinite Truth, Shoreless Safety, Courageous Choices, Infinite, Truth, Land
Herman Melville Infinite Truth, Shoreless Safety, Courageous Choices, Infinite, Truth, Land“To the last, I grapple with thee; From Hell’s heart, I stab at thee; For hate’s sake, I spit my last breath at thee.” Herman Melville
Ahab’s Hatred, Revenge, Obsession, Conflict, Determination, Hate
Herman Melville Ahab’s Hatred, Revenge, Obsession, Conflict, Determination, Hate“Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity over humanity, nothing exceeds most of the criticisms made on the habits of the poor by the well-housed, well-warmed, and well-fed.” Herman Melville
Humanity Criticisms, Wealth Assumptions, Class Habits, Humanity, Wealth, Criticisms
Herman Melville Humanity Criticisms, Wealth Assumptions, Class Habits, Humanity, Wealth, Criticisms“The fact is, that among his hunters at least, the whale would by all hands be considered a noble dish, were there not so much of him; but when you come to sit down before a meat-pie nearly one hundred feet long, it takes away your appetite.” Herman Melville
Whale Dish, Noble Feast, Hunters, Appetite, Whale, Meal
Herman Melville Whale Dish, Noble Feast, Hunters, Appetite, Whale, Meal“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