Bird Quote by Herman Melville
““Give not thyself up, then, to fire, lest it invert thee, deaden thee; as for the time it did me. There is a wisdom that is woe; but there is a woe that is madness. And there is a Catskill eagle in some souls that can alike dive down into the blackest gorges, and soar out of them again and become invisible in the sunny spaces. And even if he for ever flies within the gorge, that gorge is in the mountains; so that even in his lowest swoop the mountain eagle is still higher than other birds upon the plain, even though they soar.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Moby-Dick, 1851
The soul can endure deep darkness and still rise, like an eagle that dives into gorges yet remains above the plain.
In simple terms: Even in deep struggles, one can ascend and stay above.
Key Takeaway
Embrace resilience and rise above hardships.
Themes
resilience
struggle
spiritual ascent
inner strength
Mood
hopeful
introspective
Type
literary
inspirational
When to use this quote
- personal crisis
- creative writing
- mental health
Key Concepts
metaphor
inner conflict
transcendence
Questions to Reflect On
- What inner "eagle" guides you?
- How do you navigate deep personal gorges?
A Different Perspective
Not all can achieve such lofty perspective.
