Quotes by Herman Melville

About Herman Melville:

Herman Melville is probably its heavy allusiveness, a reflection of his use of written sources. Melville's way of adapting what he read for his own new purposes, scholar Stanley T. Williams wrote, "was a transforming power comparable to Shakespeare's".
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

For, thought Ahab, while even the highest earthly felicities ever have a certain unsignifying pettiness lurking in them, but, at bottom, all heartwoes, a mystic significance, and, in some men, an archangelic grandeur; so do their diligent tracings-ou...

Herman Melville

Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity over humanity, nothing exceeds most of the criticisms made on the habits of the poor by the well-housed, well- warmed, and well-fed.

Herman Melville

Hope is the struggle of the soul, breaking loose from what is perishable, and attesting her eternity.

Herman Melville

He who has never failed somewhere, that man can not be great.

Herman Melville

To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme. No great and enduring volume can ever be written on the flea, though many there be that have tried it.

Herman Melville

Friendship at first sight, like love at first sight, is said to be the only truth.

Herman Melville

Faith, like a jackal, feeds among the tombs, and even from these dead doubts she gathers her most vital hope.

Herman Melville

There are times when even the most potent governor must wink at transgression, in order to preserve the laws inviolate for the future.

Herman Melville

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

The march of conquest through wild provinces, may be the march of Mind; but not the march of Love.

Herman Melville

Genius is full of trash.

Herman Melville

...yet see how elastic our stiff prejudices grow when once love comes to bend them.

Herman Melville

For whatever is truly wondrous and fearful in man, never yet was put into words or books.

Herman Melville

Do not presume, well-housed, well-warmed, and well-fed, to criticize the poor

Herman Melville

whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off—then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I ...

Herman Melville

That mortal man who hath more of joy than sorrow in him, that mortal man cannot be true — not true, or undeveloped. With books the same. The truest of all men was the Man of Sorrows, and the truest of all books is Solomon’s, and Ecclesiastes is t...

Herman Melville

Who ain't a slave? Tell me that... I have the satisfaction of knowing that it is all right; that everybody else is one way or other served in much the same way—either in a physical or metaphysical point of view, that is; and so the universal thump ...

Herman Melville

War yet shall be, but warriors are now operatives; war's made less grand than peace.

Herman Melville

To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme.

Herman Melville

In this world, shipmates, sin that pays its way can travel freely, and without passport; whereas Virtue, if a pauper, is stopped at all frontiers.

Herman Melville

Truth is in things, and not in words.

Herman Melville

Author Bio

  • NameHerman Melville
  • DescriptionAmerican novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet
  • AliasesHermann Melville; Herman Melvill; HermanMelville
  • BornAugust 1, 1819
  • DiedSeptember 28, 1891
  • CountryUnited States Of America
  • ProfessionTeacher; Sailor; Lecturer; Poet; Writer; Novelist; Essayist