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Herman Melville

Herman Melville Quotes

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Famous Herman Melville Quotes

“The reason the mass of men fear God, and at bottom dislike Him, is because they rather distrust His heart, and fancy Him all brain like a watch. (You perceive I employ a capital initial in the pronoun referring to the Deity; don't you think there is a slight dash of flunkeyism in that usage?).”

ThinkingMenHeartReasonBrainWatchesAtheismMassBottomPerceiveFancyDislikeDistrustInitialsDeitiesReferringUsageFear GodPronouns
Book:Delphi Complete Works of Herman Melville (Illustrated)
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“We incline to think that God cannot explain His own secrets and that He would like a little information upon certain points Himself. We mortals astonish Him as much as He us. But it is this Being of the matter; there lies the knot with which we choke ourselves. As soon as you say Me, a God, a Nature, so soon you jump off from your stool and hang from the beam. Yes, that word is the hangman. Take God out of the dictionary, and you would have Him in the street.”

ThinkingLittlesMatterLyingCertainSecretAtheismStreetsInformationMortalsDictionaryChokeBeamKnotsInclineStoolsHangman
Book:Delphi Complete Works of Herman Melville (Illustrated)
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“For my part I love sleepy fellows, and the more ignorant the better. Damn your wide-awake and knowing chaps. As for sleepiness, itis one of the noblest qualities of humanity. There is something sociable about it, too. Think of those sensible & sociable millions of good fellows all taking a good long friendly snooze together, under the sod--no quarrels, no imaginary grievances, no envies, heart-burnings, & thinking how much better that other chap is off--none of this: but all equally free-&-easy, they sleep away & reel off their nine knots an hour, in perfect amity.”

ThinkingHeartLongTogetherDeathHumanityEasyHoursSleepPerfectQualityMillionsKnowingFellowsWideEnvyNineIgnorantBurningDamnAwakeFriendlySensibleImaginaryQuarrelsKnotsGrievanceSleepyChapsSociableWide AwakeSleepinessSodAmityGood Long
Author:Herman Melville
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“A good laugh is a mighty good thing, and rather too scarce a good thing; the more's the pity. So, if any one man, in his own proper person, afford stuff for a good joke to anybody, let him not be backward, but let him cheerfully allow himself to spend and be spent in that way. And the man that has anything bountifully laughable about him, be sure there is more in that man than you perhaps think for.”

IfsThinkingMenWayPersonsStuffLaughingJokesGood ThingsPityOne ManScarceLaughableGood Laugh
Book:Annotated Moby Dick or, the Whale with English Grammar Exercises: by Herman Melville (Author), Robert Powell (Editor)
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“Methinks we have hugely mistaken this matter of Life and Death. Methinks that what they call my shadow here on earth is my true substance. Methinks that in looking at things spiritual, we are too much like oysters observing the sun through the water, and thinking that thick water the thinnest of air. Me thinks my body is but the lees of my better being. In fact take my body who will, take it I say, it is not me.”

ThinkingMatterFactsBodyEarthSpiritualWaterSunToo MuchAirShadowSubstanceLife And DeathThickMistakenObservingOystersEpic Poems
Book:Moby Dick
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“Is Ahab, Ahab? Is it I, God, or who, that lifts this arm? But if the great sun move not of himself; but is an errand-boy in heaven; nor one single star can revolve, but by some invisible power; how then can this one small heart beat; this one small brain think thoughts; unless God does that beating, does that thinking, does that living, and not I.”

IfsThinkingHeartDoeMovingHeavenStarsBrainBoysPowerSunArmsBeatsInvisibleLiftsHeart BeatErrandsAhab
Book:Moby Dick (World Classics, Unabridged)
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“I have no objection to any person's religion, be it what it may, so long as that person does not kill or insult any other person, because that other person don't believe it also. But when a man's religion becomes really frantic; when it is a positive torment to him; and, in fine, makes this earth of ours an uncomfortable inn to lodge in; then I think it high time to take that individual aside and argue the point with him.”

ThinkingMenBelieveMayPersonsLongDoeEarthIndividualFineDon't BelieveArguingUncomfortableInsultTormentObjectionsFranticInnsLodges
Author:Herman Melville
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“If I had been downright honest with myself, I would have seen very plainly in my heart that I did but half fancy being committed this way to so long a voyage, without once laying my eyes on the man who was to be the absolute dictator of it, so soon as the ship sailed out upon the open sea. But when a man suspects any wrong, it sometimes happens that if he be already involved in the matter, he insensibly strives to cover up his suspicions even from himself. And much this way it was with me. I said nothing, and tried to think nothing.”

IfsThinkingMenWayHeartLongSaidSometimesMatterHappensEyeHalfSeaHonestMy HeartInvolvedAbsolutesStriveCommittedShipsFancySuspectsDictatorSuspicionStrifeVoyagesCover Ups
Book:Moby-Dick
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“People think that if a man has undergone any hardship, he should have a reward; but for my part, if I have done the hardest possible day's work, and then come to sit down in a corner and eat my supper comfortably -why, then I don't think I deserve any reward for my hard day's work -for am I not now at peace? Is not my supper good?”

PeopleIfsThinkingMenShouldHardDonePeaceFoodDeserveShould HaveRewardsCornersHardestHardshipSupperHard Days
Book:Moby-Dick: An authoritative text
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