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’s Quotes On Topics
Typhoon | Poetic Essence | Soul | Self Knowledge | Wild Specimens | Humor And Depth | Old Maid | Colors | Sensitive | Cordial Hatred | Parlor | Comical Obligations | Mate | Big Hearts | Cunning Motives | Time Of Peril | Paradise | Fixed Purpose | Deceiving Oneself | Laughter’s Value | More
More Herman Melville Quotes
“Aye, aye! and I’ll chase him round Good Hope, and round the Horn, and round the Norway Maelstrom, and round perdition’s flames before I give him up.” Herman Melville
Chase, Perseverance, Obsession, Determination, Victory, Adventure
Herman Melville Chase, Perseverance, Obsession, Determination, Victory, Adventure“Truth is the silliest thing under the sun. Try to get a living by the Truth and go to the Soup Societies. Heavens! Let any clergyman try to preach the Truth from its very stronghold, the pulpit, and they would ride him out of his church on his own pulpit bannister.” Herman Melville
Truth, Religion, Satire, Life’s Struggles, Philosophy, Criticism
Herman Melville Truth, Religion, Satire, Life’s Struggles, Philosophy, Criticism“For in tremendous extremities human souls are like drowning men; well enough they know they are in peril; well enough they know the causes of that peril; – nevertheless, the sea is the sea, and these drowning men do drown.” Herman Melville
Perilous Situation, Human Suffering, Soul Struggle, Death, Human Experience, Extreme Conditions
Herman Melville Perilous Situation, Human Suffering, Soul Struggle, Death, Human Experience, Extreme Conditions“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 Soul’s Origin, Orphaned Souls, Life’s Secrets, Philosophy, Orphans, Knowledge“From beneath his slouched hat Ahab dropped a tear into the sea; nor did all the Pacific contain such wealth as that one wee drop.” Herman Melville
Ahab’s Grief, Personal Loss, Emotional Depth, Tragedy, Sea, Wealth
Herman Melville Ahab’s Grief, Personal Loss, Emotional Depth, Tragedy, Sea, Wealth“If in some cases a bit of a nautical Murat in setting forth his person ashore, the Handsome Sailor of the period in question evinced nothing of the dandified Billy-be-Dam, an amusing character all but extinct now, but occasionally to be encountered, and in a form yet more amusing than the original, at the tiller of the boats on the tempestuous Erie Canal or, more likely, vaporing in the groggeries along the towpath.” Herman Melville
Handsome Sailor, Erie Canal, Nautical Humor, Sailor, Canal, Humor
Herman Melville Handsome Sailor, Erie Canal, Nautical Humor, Sailor, Canal, Humor“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“There are certain queer times and occasions in this strange mixed affair we call life when a man takes his whole universe for a vast practical joke.” Herman Melville
Life’s Joke, Queer Times, Strange Life, Life, Humor, Existence
Herman Melville Life’s Joke, Queer Times, Strange Life, Life, Humor, Existence“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“I am a man who, from his youth upwards, has been filled with a profound conviction that the easiest way of life is the best.” Herman Melville
Easiest Life, Youth Conviction, Best Way, Life, Youth, Conviction
Herman Melville Easiest Life, Youth Conviction, Best Way, Life, Youth, Conviction“Let us only hate hatred; and once give love a play, we will fall in love with a unicorn.” Herman Melville
Hate Hatred, Unicorn Love, Love Play, Love, Hate, Unicorn
Herman Melville Hate Hatred, Unicorn Love, Love Play, Love, Hate, Unicorn“By a curious coincidence, as each point was recalled, the black wizards of Ashantee would strike up with their hatchets, as in ominous comment on the white stranger’s thoughts. Pressed by such enigmas and portents, it would have been almost against nature, had not, even into the least distrustful heart, some ugly misgivings obtruded.” Herman Melville
Curious Coincidence, Black Wizards, Ashantee’s Omen, Enigmatic Portents, Distrustful Hearts, Wizards’ Thoughts
Herman Melville Curious Coincidence, Black Wizards, Ashantee’s Omen, Enigmatic Portents, Distrustful Hearts, Wizards’ Thoughts“Oh, boys, don’t be sentimental; it’s bad for the digestion!” Herman Melville
Sentimental Avoidance, Health Advice, Sentimental, Health, Digestion, Avoidance
Herman Melville Sentimental Avoidance, Health Advice, Sentimental, Health, Digestion, Avoidance“In armies, navies, cities, or families, in nature herself, nothing more relaxes good order than misery.” Herman Melville
Order Disruption, Misery Effect, Natural Chaos, Misery, Order, Chaos
Herman Melville Order Disruption, Misery Effect, Natural Chaos, Misery, Order, Chaos“I’m a demoniac; I am madness maddened.” Herman Melville
Madness, Demoniac, Identity, Insanity, Fear, Chaos
Herman Melville Madness, Demoniac, Identity, Insanity, Fear, Chaos“The sun hides not the ocean, which is the dark side of this earth, and which is two thirds of this earth. So, therefore, that mortal man who hath more of joy than sorrow in him, that mortal man cannot be true – not.” Herman Melville
Ocean Truth, Mortal Joy, Hidden Darkness, Ocean, Mortal, Joy
Herman Melville Ocean Truth, Mortal Joy, Hidden Darkness, Ocean, Mortal, Joy“See how elastic our prejudices grow when once love comes to bend them.” Herman Melville
Prejudices, Love, Growth, Emotional Flexibility, Change, Compassion
Herman Melville Prejudices, Love, Growth, Emotional Flexibility, Change, Compassion“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 Originality Failure, Imitation Success, Authentic Choice, Originality, Failure, Imitation“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