89 quotes
Zeal is not of necessity religion, neither is it always of the same essence with poetry or patriotism.
Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War (1866)
All Profound things, and emotions of things are preceded and attended by Silence.
Pierre; or, The Ambiguities (1852)
At the penultimate moment, his words, his only ones, words wholly unobstructed in the utterance were these — "God bless Captain Vere!"
Billy Budd, Sailor (1891)
In this world of lies, Truth is forced to fly like a scared white doe in the woodlands; and only by cunning glimpses will she reveal herself, as in Shakespeare and other masters of the great Art of Telling the Truth, — even though it be covertly, and by snatches.
Hawthorne and His Mosses (1850)
Amity itself can only be maintained by reciprocal respect, and true friends are punctilious equals.
Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War (1866)
I found that but to glean after this man, is better than to be in at the harvest of others.
Hawthorne and His Mosses (1850)
Patriotism is not baseness, neither is it inhumanity.
Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War (1866)
All wars are boyish, and are fought by boys.
Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War (1866)
Were civilization itself to be estimated by some of its results, it would seem perhaps better for what we call the barbarous part of the world to remain unchanged.
Typee (1846)
Truth is ever incoherent, and when the big hearts strike together, the concussion is a little stunning.
The drama's done. Why then here does any one step forth? — Because one did survive the wreck.
Moby-Dick; or, The Whale (1851)
It is hard to be finite upon an infinite subject, and all subjects are infinite.
Hawthorne and His Mosses (1850)
Ah, happiness courts the light, so we deem the world is gay, but misery hides aloof, so we deem that misery there is none.
Bartleby, the Scrivener (1853)
Wag the world how it will,
Leaves must be green in spring.
Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War (1866)
The scene of suffering is a scene of joy when the suffering is past; and the silent reminiscence of hardships departed, is sweeter than the presence of delight.
Redburn (1849)
Courage is the most common and vulgar of the virtues; the only one shared with us by the beasts of the field; the one most apt, by excess, to run into viciousness.
White-Jacket (1850)
From hell's heart I stab at thee; for hate's sake I spit my last breath at thee.
While religion, contrary to the common notion, implies, in certain cases, a spirit of slow reserve as to assent, infidelity, which claims to despise credulity, is sometimes swift to it.
The Confidence-Man (1857)
His was the scorn which thinks it not worth the while to be scornful. Those he most scorned, never knew it.
Pierre; or, The Ambiguities (1852)
I fancy that this moment Shakspeare in heaven ranks with Gabriel, Raphael and Michael. And if another Messiah ever comes twill be in Shakesper's person.