Our souls are like those orphans whose unwedded mothers die in bearing them: the secret of our paternity lies in their grave, and we must there to learn it.
Herman Melville
Soul’s Origin, Orphaned Souls, Life’s Secrets, Philosophy, Orphans, Knowledge
Herman Melville’s Quotes On Topics
Danger Familiarity | God’s Throne | Godhead Fracture | Emotional Impact | Parlor | Indifference | Flaws | Lived Remember | Friend’s Help | Cultural Ale | Mood | Forbidden Seas | Atom | Phantom | Gaze | Ship’s Journey | Companionship | Calmness | Money-Making Propensity | Culinary | More
More Herman Melville Quotes
“Nothing can lift the heart of man like manhood in a fellow man.” Herman Melville
Human Connection, True Brotherhood, Fellow Man, Manhood, Heart, Lift
Herman Melville Human Connection, True Brotherhood, Fellow Man, Manhood, Heart, Lift“To be hated cordially, is only a left-handed compliment.” Herman Melville
Cordial Hatred, Backhanded Compliment, Social Irony, Hated, Compliment, Irony
Herman Melville Cordial Hatred, Backhanded Compliment, Social Irony, Hated, Compliment, Irony“Honor lies in the mane of a horse.” Herman Melville
Honor, Animal Symbolism, Horse, Virtue, Leadership, Strength
Herman Melville Honor, Animal Symbolism, Horse, Virtue, Leadership, Strength“But I shall follow the endless, winding way, – the flowing river in the cave of man; careless whither I be led, reckless where I land.” Herman Melville
Endless Journey, Winding Path, Flowing River, Journey, Path, Destiny
Herman Melville Endless Journey, Winding Path, Flowing River, Journey, Path, Destiny“We should, if possible, prove a teacher to posterity, instead of being the pupil of by-gone generations. More shall come after us than have gone before; the world is not yet middle-aged.” Herman Melville
Posterity Teacher, Generational Lessons, World Progress, Teacher, Lessons, Progress
Herman Melville Posterity Teacher, Generational Lessons, World Progress, Teacher, Lessons, Progress“Praise when merited is not a boon: yet to a generous nature, is it pleasant to utter it.” Herman Melville
Merited Praise, Generous Utterance, Recognition Value, Praise, Generous, Recognition
Herman Melville Merited Praise, Generous Utterance, Recognition Value, Praise, Generous, Recognition“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“A ship is a bit of terra firma cut off from the main; it is a state in itself; and the captain is its king.” Herman Melville
Ship State, Captain’s Rule, Terra Firma, Ship, Captain, State
Herman Melville Ship State, Captain’s Rule, Terra Firma, Ship, Captain, State“Charity, like poetry, should be cultivated, if only for its being graceful.” Herman Melville
Cultivation Of Grace, Artistic Nature, Spiritual Charity, Selflessness, Poetry, Gracefulness
Herman Melville Cultivation Of Grace, Artistic Nature, Spiritual Charity, Selflessness, Poetry, Gracefulness“They talk of the dignity of work. The dignity is in leisure.” Herman Melville
Work, Leisure, Dignity, Relaxation, Balance, Life
Herman Melville Work, Leisure, Dignity, Relaxation, Balance, Life“Man and boy, I have lived ever since I can remember.” Herman Melville
Man Boy, Lived Remember, Life Memory, Man, Boy, Life
Herman Melville Man Boy, Lived Remember, Life Memory, Man, Boy, Life“He saw God’s foot upon the treadle of the loom, and spoke it; and therefore his shipmates called him mad.” Herman Melville
God’s Loom, Mad Speech, Divine Vision, Loom, Speech, Vision
Herman Melville God’s Loom, Mad Speech, Divine Vision, Loom, Speech, Vision“Surely no mere mortal who has at all gone down into himself will ever pretend that his slightest thought or act solely originates in his own defined identity.” Herman Melville
Mortal Identity, Defined Identity, Self Thought, Identity, Self, Thought
Herman Melville Mortal Identity, Defined Identity, Self Thought, Identity, Self, Thought“I would prefer not to.” Herman Melville
Personal Choice, Refusal Statement, Prefer, Not, Decision, Choice
Herman Melville Personal Choice, Refusal Statement, Prefer, Not, Decision, Choice“I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can.” Herman Melville
To The Sea, High Time, Ocean Journey, Adventure, Sea, Freedom
Herman Melville To The Sea, High Time, Ocean Journey, Adventure, Sea, Freedom“The Navy is the asylum for the perverse, the home of the unfortunate. Here the sons of adversity meet the children of calamity, and here the children of calamity meet the offspring of sin.” Herman Melville
Navy Asylum, Calamity Sons, Adversity Home, Navy, Calamity, Adversity
Herman Melville Navy Asylum, Calamity Sons, Adversity Home, Navy, Calamity, Adversity“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“There are some persons in this world, who, unable to give better proof of being wise, take a strange delight in showing what they think they have sagaciously read in mankind by uncharitable suspicions of them.” Herman Melville
Uncharitable Suspicion, Misread Wisdom, False Judgment, Suspicion, Wisdom, Judgment
Herman Melville Uncharitable Suspicion, Misread Wisdom, False Judgment, Suspicion, Wisdom, Judgment