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’s Quotes On Topics
Determined Spirit | Inner Battles | Emotions | Deep Prayer | Whale | Ocean Asylum | Art Of Smoking | Squeeze | Originality Failure | Endless Journey | Shark Hunger | World Progress | World History | Strike | Indignity | Governor | Dowers | Dead | Creatures | Wise Recognition | More
More Herman Melville Quotes
“The Marquesan girls dance all over; not only do their feet dance, but their arms, hands, fingers, ay, their very eyes seem to dance in their heads.” Herman Melville
Marquesan Dance, Dancing Eyes, Full Movement, Dance, Eyes, Movement
Herman Melville Marquesan Dance, Dancing Eyes, Full Movement, Dance, Eyes, Movement“Fasting makes the body cave in; hence the spirit caves in; and all thoughts born of a fast must necessarily be half-starved. This is the reason why most dyspeptic religionists cherish such melancholy notions about their hereafters. In one word, Queequeg; hell is an idea first born on an undigested apple-dumpling; and since then perpetuated through the hereditary dyspepsias nurtured by Ramadans.” Herman Melville
Fasting And Spirit, Dyspeptic Religion, Starved Thoughts, Hell’s Origin, Malnourished Beliefs, Religious Fasting
Herman Melville Fasting And Spirit, Dyspeptic Religion, Starved Thoughts, Hell’s Origin, Malnourished Beliefs, Religious Fasting“Think not, is my eleventh commandment; and sleep when you can, is my twelfth.” Herman Melville
Wisdom, Philosophy, Life’s Rules, Reflection, Sleep, Thought
Herman Melville Wisdom, Philosophy, Life’s Rules, Reflection, Sleep, Thought“And tell him to paint me a sign, with no suicides permitted here, and no smoking in the parlor; might as well kill both birds at once.” Herman Melville
Painted Sign, House Rules, Sign, Smoking, Suicides, Parlor
Herman Melville Painted Sign, House Rules, Sign, Smoking, Suicides, Parlor“Our souls belong to our bodies, not our bodies to our souls.” Herman Melville
Soul’s Domain, Body’s Role, Soul And Body, Body’s Servitude, Dual Nature, Soul’s Master
Herman Melville Soul’s Domain, Body’s Role, Soul And Body, Body’s Servitude, Dual Nature, Soul’s Master“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“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“An utterly fearless man is a far more dangerous comrade than a coward.” Herman Melville
Fearless Comrade, Dangerous Man, Coward Comparison, Fearless, Dangerous, Coward
Herman Melville Fearless Comrade, Dangerous Man, Coward Comparison, Fearless, Dangerous, Coward“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“Now, in calm weather, to swim in the open ocean is as easy to the practised swimmer as to ride in a spring-carriage ashore. But the awful lonesomeness is intolerable. The intense concentration of self in the middle of such a heartless immensity, my God! who can tell it?” Herman Melville
Open Ocean, Lonesomeness, Ocean Swim, Ocean, Solitude, Immensity
Herman Melville Open Ocean, Lonesomeness, Ocean Swim, Ocean, Solitude, Immensity“Failure is the true test of greatness.” Herman Melville
True Test, Greatness Proved, Failure Lesson, Failure, Test, Greatness
Herman Melville True Test, Greatness Proved, Failure Lesson, Failure, Test, Greatness“He says NO! In thunder; but the Devil himself cannot make him say yes.” Herman Melville
Devil Thunder, Thunder No, Devil Yes, Devil, Thunder, No
Herman Melville Devil Thunder, Thunder No, Devil Yes, Devil, Thunder, No“Zeal is not of necessity religion, neither is it always of the same essence with poetry or patriotism.” Herman Melville
Zeal Religion, Poetic Essence, Patriot Zeal, Religion, Poetry, Patriot
Herman Melville Zeal Religion, Poetic Essence, Patriot Zeal, Religion, Poetry, Patriot“You know nothing till you know all; which is the reason we never know any thing.” Herman Melville
All Knowing, Infinite Truth, Knowledge Limit, Know, All, Truth
Herman Melville All Knowing, Infinite Truth, Knowledge Limit, Know, All, Truth“Out of the trunk, the branches grow; out of them, the twigs. So, in productive subjects, grow the chapters.” Herman Melville
Branch Growth, Subject Chapters, Creative Flow, Growth, Chapters, Creative
Herman Melville Branch Growth, Subject Chapters, Creative Flow, Growth, Chapters, Creative“There are hardly five critics in America; and several of them are asleep.” Herman Melville
Sleeping Critics, American Views, Artistic Apathy, Critics, Views, Apathy
Herman Melville Sleeping Critics, American Views, Artistic Apathy, Critics, Views, Apathy“I think I can see a little into the springs and motives which being cunningly presented to me under various disguises, induced me to set about performing the part I did, besides cajoling me into the delusion that it was a choice resulting from my own unbiased freewill and discriminating judgment.” Herman Melville
Cunning Motives, Disguised Choice, Judgment Illusion, Motives, Choice, Judgment
Herman Melville Cunning Motives, Disguised Choice, Judgment Illusion, Motives, Choice, Judgment“Thus we see how that the spine of even the hugest of living things tapers off at last into simple child’s play.” Herman Melville
Spine Play, Living Things, Child Play, Spine, Child, Living
Herman Melville Spine Play, Living Things, Child Play, Spine, Child, Living