Herman Melville (1819–91) was an American novelist, poet, and short-story writer. His experiences as a common sailor aboard whaling ships formed the basis of several novels, notably Moby Dick (1851.) His other notable works include Billy Budd (1924.)
Melville was born in New York City, and after an initial voyage to Liverpool as a cabin boy, he decided upon a life at sea. The wealth of experience that he gained during his many years sailing and visiting the exotic locales of the South Pacific became the basis of his literary work. Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life (1846,) a fictionalized travel narrative, was his first book; it was also his most famous book during his lifetime.
Melville was a critical and commercial failure during his lifetime. Today, Melville is ranked with the pantheon of writers of the American Renaissance period of the 1850s.
In 1866, Melville became a deputy customs inspector in New York. He held that post for the next 19 years and, for the most part, withdrew from public and literary life writing some poetry.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Herman Melville
Challenge The challenge is not to win, but to conquer the fear. It is not the other people you have to beat, it is your self.
—Herman Melville
A smile is the chosen vehicle of all ambiguities.
—Herman Melville
Topics: Smile
He who has never failed somewhere, that man cannot be great.
—Herman Melville
Topics: Courage, Risk, Failure, Mistakes, Failures
Let us speak, though we show all our faults and weaknesses,—for it is a sign of strength to be weak, to know it, and out with it—not in a set way and ostentatiously, though, but incidentally and without premeditation.
—Herman Melville
Topics: Conversation, Speech
A true military officer is in one particular like a true monk. Not with more self-abnegation will the latter keep his vows of monastic obedience than the former his vows of allegiance to martial duty.
—Herman Melville
The sailor is frankness, the landsman is finesse. Life is not a game with the sailor, demanding the long head
—Herman Melville
Prayer draws us near to our own souls.
—Herman Melville
Topics: Prayer
A man thinks that by mouthing hard words he understands hard things.
—Herman Melville
It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.
—Herman Melville
Topics: Originality, Plagiarism, Creativity
Some dying men are the most tyrannical; and certainly, since they will shortly trouble us so little for evermore, the poor fellows ought to be indulged.
—Herman Melville
Topics: Death, Dying
So, cutting the lashing of the waterproof match keg, after many failures Starbuck contrived to ignite the lamp in the lantern; then stretching it on a waif pole, handed it to Queequeg as the standard-bearer of this forlorn hope. There, then, he sat, holding up that imbecile candle in the heart of that almighty forlornness. There, then, he sat, the sign and symbol of a man without faith, hopelessly holding up hope in the midst of despair.
—Herman Melville
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