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The entire merit of a man can never be made known nor the sum of his demerits, if he have them. We are only known by our names as letters sealed up, we but read each other's superscriptions.

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
Character
Demerits
Made
Sealed
Never
Merit
Men
Letters
Entire
Names
Known
Read

More quotes by Herman Melville

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flight from tyranny does not of itself insure a safe asylum, far less a happy home.
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Will you, or will you not, quit me? I now demanded in a sudden passion, advancing close to him. I would prefer not to quit you, he replied, gently emphasizing the not.
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In their precise tracings-out and subtle causations, the strongest and fieriest emotions of life defy all analytical insight.
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Hell is an idea first born on an undigested apple dumpling.
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The idea of Jehovah was born here... Out of the rude elements of the insignificant thoughts thoughts that are in all men, they reared the transcendent conception of a God.
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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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When beholding the tranquil beauty and brilliancy of the ocean’s skin, one forgets the tiger heart that pants beneath it and would not willingly remember that this velvet paw but conceals a remorseless fang.
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If not against us, nature is not for us.
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Truth uncompromisingly told will always have its ragged edges.
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That great America on the other side of the sphere, Australia.
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Whenever we discover a dislike in us, toward any one, we should ever be a little suspicious of ourselves.
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The easiest way of life is the best.
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I would prefer not to.
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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.
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It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.
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We should, if possible, prove a teacher to posterity, instead of being the pupil of by-gone generations. More shall come after us than have gone before the world is not yet middle-aged.
Herman Melville
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For whatever is truly wondrous and fearful in man, never yet was put into words or books.
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Book! You lie there the fact is, you books must know your places. You'll do to give us the bare words and facts, but we come in to supply the thoughts.
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Man and boy, I have lived ever since I can remember.
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The drama's done. Why then here does any one step forth? — Because one did survive the wreck.
Herman Melville