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List of Herman Melville Quotes

Explore our hand-picked selection of 526 inspiring quotes by Herman Melville.

About Herman Melville

  • Born: August 1, 1819
  • Died: September 28, 1891
  • Occupation: Novelist
    • ...a man of true science uses few hard words, and those only when none other will answer his purpose; where as the smatterer in science...thinks that by mouthing hard words he understands hard things.
    Men Thinking Purpose
    There is no dignity in wickedness, whether in purple or rags; and hell is a democracy of devils, where all are equals.
    Purple Devil Democracy
    It is with fiction as with religion: it should present another world, and yet one to which we feel the tie.
    Ties Religion Fiction
    The world's a ship on its voyage out, and not a voyage complete; and the pulpit is its prow.
    Religion World Voyages
    People seem to have a great love for names. for to know a great many names seems to look like knowing a good many things.
    Knowledge Names Knowing
    Where does any novelist pick up any character? for the most part, in town, to be sure.
    Character Towns Novelists
    How feeble is all language to describe the horrors we inflict upon these wretches, whom we mason up in the cells of our prisons, and condemn to perpetual solitude in the very heart of our population.
    Heart Cells Punishment
    In our man-of-war world, life comes in at one gangway and death goes overboard at the other. under the man-of-war scourge, cursesmix with tears; and the sigh and the sob furnish the bass to the shrill octave of those who laugh to drown buried griefs of their own.
    War Grief Men
    In placid hours well-pleased we dream of many a brave unbodied scheme. but form to lend, pulsed life create, what unlike things must meet and mate: a flame to melt--a wind to freeze; sad patience--joyous energies; humility--yet pride and scorn; instinct and study; love and hate; audacity--reverence. these must mate, and fuse with jacob's mystic heart, to wrestle with the angel--art.
    Dream Art Hate
    Let us pray that the great historic tragedy of our time may not have been enacted without instructing our whole beloved country through terror and pity; and may fulfillment verify in the end those expectations which kindle the bards of progress and humanity.
    Country War Expectations
    See with what entire freedom the whaleman takes his handful of lamps-often but old bottles and vials, though. ... he burns, too, the purest of oil. ... it is sweet as early grass butter in april. he goes and hunts for his oil, so as to be sure of its freshness and genuineness, even as the traveler on the prairie hunts up his own supper of game.
    Sweet Hunting Games
    Though the ancients were ignorant of the principles of christianity there were in them the germs of its spirit.
    Ignorant Principles Germs
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