writer, essayist, and poet. He is best known for his novel Moby-Dick
and the posthumous novella Billy Budd
.
His first three books gained much contemporary attention (the first, Typee
, becoming a bestseller), and after a fast-blooming literary success in the late 1840s, his popularity declined precipitously in the mid-1850s and never recovered during his lifetime.
Indolence is heaven’s ally here,And energy the child of hell:The Good Man pouring from his pitcher clearBut brims the poisoned well.
It was not a very white jacket, but white enough, in all conscience, as the sequel will show.The way I came by it was this...
Many sensible things banished from high life find an asylum among the mob.
Familiarity with danger makes a brave man braver, but less daring. Thus with seamen: he who goes the oftenest round Cape Horn goes the most circumspectly.
In time of peril, like the needle to the loadstone, obedience, irrespective of rank, generally flies to him who is best fitted to command.
We Americans are the peculiar, chosen people — the Israel of our time; we bear the ark of the liberties of the world.
A man of true science... uses but few hard words, and those only when none other will answer his purpose; whereas the smatterer in science... thinks, that by mouthing hard words, he proves that he understands hard things.