It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.
Herman Melville
Originality Failure, Imitation Success, Authentic Choice, Originality, Failure, Imitation
Herman Melville’s Quotes On Topics
Invisible Fright | Eye Perspective | Truth Sea | Wearer’s Burden | Responsibility | Attended Emotions | Destruction | Natural Disasters | Tragedy | Incoherence | Human Powers | Soul Independence | Gold | Sea Creatures | Perspective | Deemed Dead | Profound Truth | Disasters | Criticism Avoidance | Land’s Pull | More
More Herman Melville Quotes
“Not one man in five cycles, who is wise, will expect appreciative recognition from his fellows.” Herman Melville
Wise Recognition, Cycles Wisdom, Expected Gratitude, Wise, Recognition, Gratitude
Herman Melville Wise Recognition, Cycles Wisdom, Expected Gratitude, Wise, Recognition, Gratitude“It is not the purpose of literature to purvey news. For news consult the Almanac de Gotha.” Herman Melville
Purpose Of Literature, News Contrast, Literary Purpose, Literature, News, Writing
Herman Melville Purpose Of Literature, News Contrast, Literary Purpose, Literature, News, Writing“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“The march of conquest through wild provinces, may be the march of Mind; but not the march of Love.” Herman Melville
Mind Conquest, Love Absence, Conquest, Love, Mind, Provinces
Herman Melville Mind Conquest, Love Absence, Conquest, Love, Mind, Provinces“For we are all killers, on land and on sea; Bonapartes and Sharks included.” Herman Melville
Killing, Humanity, Violence, War, Conflict, Nature
Herman Melville Killing, Humanity, Violence, War, Conflict, Nature“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 would be as free as air; and I’m down in the whole world’s books.” Herman Melville
Freedom, Personal Expression, Self-identity, Life Goals, Liberation, Independence
Herman Melville Freedom, Personal Expression, Self-identity, Life Goals, Liberation, Independence“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“A hermitage in the forest is the refuge of the narrow-minded misanthrope; a hammock on the ocean is the asylum for the generous distressed. The ocean brims with natural griefs and tragedies; and into that watery immensity of terror, man’s private grief is lost like a drop.” Herman Melville
Ocean Asylum, Private Grief, Ocean, Grief, Hermitage, Refuge
Herman Melville Ocean Asylum, Private Grief, Ocean, Grief, Hermitage, Refuge“They are fighting Quakers; they are Quakers with a vengeance.” Herman Melville
Quakers, Irony, Religion, Fighting Spirit, Conflict, Social Critique
Herman Melville Quakers, Irony, Religion, Fighting Spirit, Conflict, Social Critique“Do not presume, well-housed, well-warmed, and well-fed, to criticize the poor.” Herman Melville
Criticism, Poverty, Privilege, Compassion, Wealth, Empathy
Herman Melville Criticism, Poverty, Privilege, Compassion, Wealth, Empathy“I am madness maddened! That wild madness that’s only calm to comprehend itself.” Herman Melville
Madness Comprehension, Wild Calmness, Inner Turmoil, Madness, Calmness, Turmoil
Herman Melville Madness Comprehension, Wild Calmness, Inner Turmoil, Madness, Calmness, Turmoil“Let America add Mexico to Texas, and pile Cuba upon Canada; let the English overswarm all India, and hang out their blazing banner from the sun; two thirds of this terraqueous globe are the Nantucketer’s. For the sea is his; he owns it.” Herman Melville
America’s Legacy, Expansionism, Sea Dominance, Global Power, History, Colonialism
Herman Melville America’s Legacy, Expansionism, Sea Dominance, Global Power, History, Colonialism“I leave a white and turbid wake; pale waters, paler cheeks, where’er I sail. The envious billows sidelong swell to whelm my track; let them; but first I pass.” Herman Melville
Turbid Wake, Envious Billows, Pale Waters, Wake, Billows, Pale
Herman Melville Turbid Wake, Envious Billows, Pale Waters, Wake, Billows, Pale“In a continuous line from that peninsula stretch the long islands of Sumatra, Java, Bally, and Timor; which, with many others, form a vast mole, or rampart, lengthwise connecting Asia with Australia, and dividing the long unbroken Indian ocean from the thickly studded oriental archipelagoes.” Herman Melville
Asian Geography, Ocean Division, Long Islands, Geography, Asia, Islands
Herman Melville Asian Geography, Ocean Division, Long Islands, Geography, Asia, Islands“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“And the visible world seems formed in love, the invisible spheres were formed in fright.” Herman Melville
Visible Love, Invisible Fright, Love, Fright, World, Spheres
Herman Melville Visible Love, Invisible Fright, Love, Fright, World, Spheres“My body is but the lees of my better being.” Herman Melville
Physical Form, Better Being, Body, Essence, Lees, Spirit
Herman Melville Physical Form, Better Being, Body, Essence, Lees, Spirit