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’s Quotes On Topics
Cordial Hatred | Burned Memories | Death Life | Stoics | Englishman | Healing | Cool | America’s Legacy | Reality Apprehension | Visibility | Throbs | Global Lands | Destruction | Awake Reflection | Officer’s Respect | Heaven Devotion | Freedom Choice | Nature | Devil | Status | More
More Herman Melville Quotes
“It is not down in any map; true places never are.” Herman Melville
Adventure, Exploration, Discovery, True Places, Maps, Unknown
Herman Melville Adventure, Exploration, Discovery, True Places, Maps, Unknown“The warmly cool, clear, ringing, perfumed, overflowing, redundant days, were as crystal goblets of Persian sherbet, heaped up – flaked up, with rose-water snow.” Herman Melville
Warm Days, Persian Sherbet, Fragrant Days, Days, Fragrance, Beauty
Herman Melville Warm Days, Persian Sherbet, Fragrant Days, Days, Fragrance, Beauty“Truth uncompromisingly told will always have its jagged edges.” Herman Melville
Uncompromising Truth, Jagged Edges, Honest Words, Truth, Edges, Honest
Herman Melville Uncompromising Truth, Jagged Edges, Honest Words, Truth, Edges, Honest“There is a woe that is wisdom, a woe that is madness.” Herman Melville
Wisdom Woe, Madness Contrast, Dual Suffering, Woe, Wisdom, Madness
Herman Melville Wisdom Woe, Madness Contrast, Dual Suffering, Woe, Wisdom, Madness“Long usage had, for this Stubb, converted the jaws of death into an easy chair. What he thought of death itself, there is no telling. Whether he ever thought of it at all, might be a question; but, if he ever did chance to cast his mind that way after a comfortable dinner, no doubt, like a good sailor, he took it to be a sort of call of the watch to tumble aloft, and bestir themselves there, about something which he would find out when he obeyed the order, and not sooner.” Herman Melville
Death Acceptance, Sailor Mindset, Life Philosophy, Carefree Attitude, Mortality, Courage
Herman Melville Death Acceptance, Sailor Mindset, Life Philosophy, Carefree Attitude, Mortality, Courage“The chief mate of the Pequod was Starbuck, a native of Nantucket, and a Quaker by descent.” Herman Melville
Ship Mate, Nantucket Origin, Quaker Heritage, Ship, Mate, Heritage
Herman Melville Ship Mate, Nantucket Origin, Quaker Heritage, Ship, Mate, Heritage“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 Fire, Wisdom, Madness, Pain, Irony, Life Lessons“I’ll try a pagan friend, thought I, since Christian kindness has proved but hollow courtesy.” Herman Melville
Faith Issues, Christian Beliefs, Religious Views, Human Interaction, Friendship, Trust
Herman Melville Faith Issues, Christian Beliefs, Religious Views, Human Interaction, Friendship, Trust“Hell is an idea first born on an undigested apple dumpling.” Herman Melville
Hell Concept, Apple Dumpling, Philosophical Humor, Hell, Humor, Ideas
Herman Melville Hell Concept, Apple Dumpling, Philosophical Humor, Hell, Humor, Ideas“While his one live leg made lively echoes along the deck, every stroke of his dead limb sounded like a coffin-tap. On life and death this old man walked.” Herman Melville
Life Contrast, Coffin Tap, Echoing Limbs, Life, Death, Echo
Herman Melville Life Contrast, Coffin Tap, Echoing Limbs, Life, Death, Echo“For this reason a sleeping apartment should never be furnished with a fire, which is one of the luxurious discomforts of the rich. For the height of this sort of deliciousness is to have nothing but the blankets between you and your snugness and the cold of the outer air. Then there you lie like the one warm spark in the heart of an arctic crystal.” Herman Melville
Fire Comforts, Rich Luxury, Sleeping Apartment, Comfort, Fire, Luxury
Herman Melville Fire Comforts, Rich Luxury, Sleeping Apartment, Comfort, Fire, Luxury“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“I tell you, the sperm whale will stand no nonsense.” Herman Melville
Firm Stance, Whale’s Resolve, Sperm Whale, Whale, Sperm, Resolve
Herman Melville Firm Stance, Whale’s Resolve, Sperm Whale, Whale, Sperm, Resolve“In thoughts of the visions of the night, I saw long rows of angels in paradise, each with his hands in a jar of spermaceti.” Herman Melville
Angels Paradise, Night Visions, Spermaceti Angels, Angels, Night, Paradise
Herman Melville Angels Paradise, Night Visions, Spermaceti Angels, Angels, Night, Paradise“For every one knows that this earthly air, whether ashore or afloat, is terribly infected with the nameless miseries of the numberless mortals who have died exhaling it.” Herman Melville
Earthly Misery, Infected Air, Mortal Suffering, Endless Misery, Airborne Grief, Death’s Influence
Herman Melville Earthly Misery, Infected Air, Mortal Suffering, Endless Misery, Airborne Grief, Death’s Influence“And thus, though surrounded by circle upon circle of consternations and affrights, did these inscrutable creatures at the centre freely and fearlessly indulge in all peaceful concernments.” Herman Melville
Inscrutable Creatures, Peaceful Concernments, Fearless Circles, Creatures, Peaceful, Fearless
Herman Melville Inscrutable Creatures, Peaceful Concernments, Fearless Circles, Creatures, Peaceful, Fearless“To a sensitive being, pity is not seldom pain.” Herman Melville
Sensitive Nature, Pain Pity, Emotional Impact, Sensitive, Pain, Pity
Herman Melville Sensitive Nature, Pain Pity, Emotional Impact, Sensitive, Pain, Pity“None but a good man is really a living man, and the more good any man does, the more he really lives. All the rest is death, or belongs to it.” Herman Melville
Goodness, Life Philosophy, Morality, True Living, Death, Virtue
Herman Melville Goodness, Life Philosophy, Morality, True Living, Death, Virtue