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The drama's done. Why then here does any one step forth? — Because one did survive the wreck.

Herman Melville

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Herman Melville
Age: 72 †
Born: 1819
Born: August 1
Died: 1891
Died: September 28
Art Collector
Essayist
Lecturer
Literary Critic
Novelist
Poet
Sailor
Teacher
Writer
Manhattan borough
New York City
Hermann Melville
Herman Melvill
Doe
Done
Wreck
Wrecks
Forth
Survive
Drama
Step
Steps

More quotes by Herman Melville

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Nobody is so heartily despised as a pusillanimous, lazy, good-for-nothing, land-lubber a sailor has no bowels of compassion for him.
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In one word, Queequeg, said I, rather digressively hell is an idea first born on an undigested apple-dumpling and since then perpetuated through the hereditary dyspepsias nurtured by Ramadans.
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all mankind, not excluding Americans, are sinners--miserable sinners, as even no few Bostonians themselves nowadays contritely respond in the liturgy.
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...The silent reminiscence of hardships departed, is sweeter than the presence of delight.
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What troops Of generous boys in happiness thus bred Saturnians through life's Tempe led, Went from the North and came from the South, With golden mottoes in the mouth, To lie down midway on a bloody bed.
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Thou hast evoked in me profounder spells than the evoking one, thou face! For me, thou hast uncovered one infinite, dumb, beseeching countenance of mystery, underlying all the surfaces of visible time and space.
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for there is no folly of the beast of the earth which is not infinitely outdone by the madness of men
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Let faith oust fact let fancy oust memory I look deep down and do believe.
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A man can be honest in any sort of skin.
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Wag the world how it will, Leaves must be green in Spring.
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Failure is the test of greatness.
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Woe to him who seeks to please rather than appall.
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Charity, like poetry, should be cultivated, if only for its being graceful.
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To be hated cordially, is only a left-handed compliment.
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There is nothing so slipperily alluring as sadness we become sad in the first place by having nothing stirring to do we continue in it, because we have found a snug sofa at last.
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The man's (a heathen south sea islander) a human being, just as I am he has just as much reason to fear me, as I have to be afraid of him. Better sleep with a sober cannibal than a drunken Christian.
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A thing may be incredible and still be true sometimes it is incredible because it is true.
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Meditation and water are wedded for ever.
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Man and boy, I have lived ever since I can remember.
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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.
Herman Melville