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It is hard to be finite upon an infinite subject, and all subjects are infinite.
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
Subjects
Wisdom
Upon
Hard
Finite
Subject
Infinite
More quotes by Herman Melville
As in digging for precious metals in the mines, much earthy rubbish has first to be troublesomely handled and thrown out so, in digging in one's soul for the fine gold of genius, much dullness and common-place is first brought to light.
Herman Melville
All we discover has been with us since the sun began to roll and much we discover, is not worth the discovering.
Herman Melville
The profound calm which only apparently precedes and prophesies of the storm, is perhaps more awful than the storm itself for indeed, the calm is but the wrapper and envelop of the storm, and contains it in itself, as the seemingly harmless rifle holds the fatal powder, and the ball, and the explosion.
Herman Melville
That author who draws a character, even though to common view incongruous in its parts, as the flying-squirrel, and, at differentperiods, as much at variance with itself as the caterpillar is with the butterfly into which it changes, may yet, in so doing, be not false but faithful to facts.
Herman Melville
Poor people make a very poor business of it when they try to seem rich.
Herman Melville
I do not think I have any uncharitable prejudice against the rattlesnake, still, I should not like to be one.
Herman Melville
To be hated cordially, is only a left-handed compliment.
Herman Melville
Who in the rainbow can draw the line where the violet tint ends and the orange tint begins? Distinctly we see the difference of the colors, but where exactly does the one first blendingly enter into the other? So with sanity and insanity.
Herman Melville
There seems no reason why patriotism and narrowness should go together, or why intellectual impartiality should be confounded with political trimming, or why serviceable truth should keep cloistered be a cause not partisan.
Herman Melville
Ah, happiness courts the light so we deem the world is gay. But misery hides aloof so we deem that misery there is none.
Herman Melville
The great God absolute! The centre and circumference of all democracy! His omnipresence, our divine equality!
Herman Melville
It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.
Herman Melville
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.
Herman Melville
Yet habit - strange thing! what cannot habit accomplish?
Herman Melville
Talk not to me of blasphemy, man I'd strike the sun if it insulted me.
Herman Melville
All wars are boyish, and are fought by boys.
Herman Melville
Woe to him who seeks to please rather than appall.
Herman Melville
I baptize you not in the name of the father, but in the name of the devil. (Ego baptizo te in nomine patris, sed in nomine diaboli.)
Herman Melville
Surely a gentle sister is the second best gift to a man and it is first in point of occurrence for the wife comes after.
Herman Melville
I am past scorching not easily can’st thou scorch a scar.
Herman Melville
