Now, that Lazarus should lie stranded there on the curbstone before the door of Dives, this is more wonderful than that an iceberg should be moored to one of the Moluccas. Yet Dives himself, he too lives like a Czar in an ice palace made of frozen sighs, and being a president of a temperance society, he only drinks the tepid tears of orphans.
Herman Melville
Lazarus, Wealth, Poverty, Irony, Social Critique, Morality
Herman Melville’s Quotes On Topics
Copper Calm | Patience Effort | Ahab’s Hatred | Turbid Wake | Domestic Simplicity | Bold Action | Chance Impact | Tolerance | Barbarous Souls | Pride | Intelligent Conscience | Not | Laziness | Social Power | Human Limits | Pythagoras’ Soul | Old Age | Wise Recognition | Heritage | Speech | More
More Herman Melville Quotes
“Truth uncompromisingly told will always have its ragged edges.” Herman Melville
Truth, Honesty, Reality, Philosophy, Life’s Struggle, Integrity
Herman Melville Truth, Honesty, Reality, Philosophy, Life’s Struggle, Integrity“Chiamatemi Ismaele. Alcuni anni fa – non importa quanti esattamente – avendo pochi o punti denari in tasca e nulla di particolare che m’interessasse a terra, pensai di darmi alla navigazione e vedere la parte acquea del mondo. E’ un modo che ho io di cacciare la malinconia e di regolare la circolazione.” Herman Melville
Self-reflection, Exploring Life, Personal Journey, Mental Health, Adventure, Travel
Herman Melville Self-reflection, Exploring Life, Personal Journey, Mental Health, Adventure, Travel“He’s a grand, ungodly, god-like man, Captain Ahab; doesn’t speak much; but, when he does speak, then you may well listen.” Herman Melville
Captain Ahab, God-like Man, Ahab’s Command, Ahab, Leadership, Speech
Herman Melville Captain Ahab, God-like Man, Ahab’s Command, Ahab, Leadership, Speech“But it is a mild, mild wind, and a mild looking sky; and the air smells now, as if it blew from a far-away meadow; they have been making hay somewhere under the slopes of the Andes, Starbuck, and the mowers are sleeping among the new-mown hay. Sleeping?” Herman Melville
Mild Wind, Gentle Breeze, Sleeping Hay, Andean Air, Quiet Sky, Peaceful Winds
Herman Melville Mild Wind, Gentle Breeze, Sleeping Hay, Andean Air, Quiet Sky, Peaceful Winds“A man thinks that by mouthing hard words he understands hard things.” Herman Melville
Words, Understanding, Philosophy, Knowledge, Communication, Irony
Herman Melville Words, Understanding, Philosophy, Knowledge, Communication, Irony“We die of too much life.” Herman Melville
Life Excess, Death Paradox, Living Limits, Life, Death, Paradox
Herman Melville Life Excess, Death Paradox, Living Limits, Life, Death, Paradox“And yet self-knowledge is thought by some not so easy. Who knows, my dear sir, but for a time you may have taken yourself for somebody else? Stranger things have happened.” Herman Melville
Self Knowledge, Personal Reflection, Knowledge, Self, Reflection, Identity
Herman Melville Self Knowledge, Personal Reflection, Knowledge, Self, Reflection, Identity“In an instant’s compass, great hearts sometimes condense to one deep pang, the sum total of those shallow pains kindly diffused through feebler men’s whole lives. And so, such hearts, though summary in each one suffering; still, if the gods decree it, in their lifetime aggregate a whole age of woe, wholly made up of instantaneous intensities; for even in their pointless centres, those noble natures contain the entire circumferences of inferior souls.” Herman Melville
Great Hearts, Deep Pain, Noble Natures, Suffering, Strength, Empathy
Herman Melville Great Hearts, Deep Pain, Noble Natures, Suffering, Strength, Empathy“Queequeg explained to me that his world was very different from ours. However, one thing he learned quickly, was that within all groups of people there are kind men and there are unkind men.” Herman Melville
Cultural Differences, Kindness And Cruelty, Human Nature, Life Lessons, Diversity, Empathy
Herman Melville Cultural Differences, Kindness And Cruelty, Human Nature, Life Lessons, Diversity, Empathy“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“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“But the might-have-been is but boggy ground to build upon.” Herman Melville
Boggy Ground, Futile Regrets, Unrealized Potential, Might-Have-Been, Ground, Regrets
Herman Melville Boggy Ground, Futile Regrets, Unrealized Potential, Might-Have-Been, Ground, Regrets“Tis no dishonor when he who would dishonor you, only dishonors himself.” Herman Melville
Self Dishonor, Moral High, True Justice, Dishonor, Moral, Justice
Herman Melville Self Dishonor, Moral High, True Justice, Dishonor, Moral, Justice“That unsounded ocean you gasp in, is Life; those sharks, your foes; those spades, your friends; and what between sharks and spades you are in a sad pickle and peril, poor lad.” Herman Melville
Ocean Metaphor, Life Peril, Friends Foes, Ocean, Sharks, Life
Herman Melville Ocean Metaphor, Life Peril, Friends Foes, Ocean, Sharks, Life“Let America first praise mediocrity even, in her children, before she praises… the best excellence in the children of any other land.” Herman Melville
American Mediocrity, National Values, Excellence Contrast, America, Mediocrity, Praise
Herman Melville American Mediocrity, National Values, Excellence Contrast, America, Mediocrity, Praise“He who has never failed somewhere, that man can not be great. Failure is the true test of greatness.” Herman Melville
Failure’s Lesson, True Greatness, Test Proven, Failure, Greatness, Test
Herman Melville Failure’s Lesson, True Greatness, Test Proven, Failure, Greatness, Test“We become sad in the first place because we have nothing stirring to do.” Herman Melville
Emotional Struggles, Human Nature, Sadness, Boredom, Life Purpose, Loneliness
Herman Melville Emotional Struggles, Human Nature, Sadness, Boredom, Life Purpose, Loneliness“Tell me, does the magnetic virtue of the needles of the compasses of all those ships attract them thither?” Herman Melville
Magnetism, Ships, Navigation, Exploration, Curiosity, Journey
Herman Melville Magnetism, Ships, Navigation, Exploration, Curiosity, Journey