Living things Quote by Herman Melville
““Oh, trebly hooped and welded hip of power! Oh, high aspiring, rainbowed jet!—that one strives, this one jettest all in vain! In vain, oh whale, dost thou seek intercedings with yon all-quickening sun, that only calls forth life, but gives it not again. Yet dost thou, darker half, rock me with a prouder, if a darker faith All thy unnamable imminglings float beneath me here; I am buoyed by breaths of once living things, exhaled as air, but water now.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Moby‑Dick by Herman Melville, 1851
The passage depicts a struggle between human ambition and the indifferent forces of nature, expressing both awe and futility.
In simple terms: Human ambition clashes with nature’s indifference.
Key Takeaway
Recognize limits of control.
Themes
ambition
nature
existentialism
Mood
reflective
melancholy
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- seafaring
- creative writing
- philosophical reflection
Key Concepts
humanism
cosmic indifference
impermanence
Questions to Reflect On
- What drives your own aspirations?
- How do you accept nature’s limits?
A Different Perspective
The metaphor may obscure practical insight.
