Herman Melville Quotes on Life (8 Quotes)

Looking into his eyes, you seemed to see there the yet lingering images of those thousand-fold perils he had calmly confronted through life.

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.

Why did the old Persians hold the sea holy? Why did the Greeks give it a separate deity, and own brother Jove? Surely all this is not without meaning. And still deeper the meaning of that story of Narcissus, who because he could not grasp the tormenting mild image he saw in the fountain, plunged into it and was drowned. But that same image, we ourselves see in all rivers and oceans. It is the image of the ungraspable phantom of life; and this is the key to it all.

For as this appalling ocean surrounds the verdant land, so in the soul of man there lies one insular Tahiti, full of peace and joy, but encompassed by all the horrors of the half known life. God keep thee Push not off from that isle, thou canst never return

Old age is always wakeful; as if, the longer linked with life, the less man has to do with aught that looks like death.

All men live enveloped in whale-lines. All are born with halters round their necks but it is only when caught in the swift, sudden turn of death, that mortals realize the silent, subtle, ever present perils of life.

Look you, Doubloon, your zodiac here is the life of man in one round chapter. To begin there's Aries, or the Ram -- lecherous dog, he begets us then, Taurus, or the Bull -- he bumps us the first thing then Gemini, or the Twins -- that is, Virtue and Vice we try to reach Virtue, when lo comes Cancer the Crab, and drags us back and here, going from Virtue, Leo, a roaring Lion, lies in the path -- he gives a few fierce bites and surly dabs with his paw we escape, and hail Virgo, the virgin that's our first love we marry and think to be happy for aye, when pop comes Libra, or the Scales -- happiness weighed and found wanting and while we are very sad about that, Lord how we suddenly jump, as Scorpio, or the Scorpion, stings us in rear we are curing the wound, when come the arrows all round Sagittarius, or the Archer, is amusing himself. As we pluck out the shafts, stand aside here's the battering-ram, Capricornus, or the Goat full tilt, he comes rushing, and headlong we are tossed when Aquarius, or the Waterbearer, pours out his whole deluge and drowns us and, to wind up, with Pisces, or the Fishes, we sleep.

Life is a voyage thats homeward bound.