--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: and I only am escaped alone to tell thee." description: "\"“and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.”\" — Herman Melville" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e5/herman-melville-162_escaped_and-i-only-am-escaped-alone-to-tell-thee_108533.jpg" --- # and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. ![“and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.” quote by Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e5/herman-melville-162_escaped_and-i-only-am-escaped-alone-to-tell-thee_108533.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e5/herman-melville-162_escaped_and-i-only-am-escaped-alone-to-tell-thee_108533.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e5/herman-melville-162_escaped_and-i-only-am-escaped-alone-to-tell-thee_108533.jpg) > ““and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.”” [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker claims to be the sole survivor of a perilous journey, emphasizing isolation and the burden of testimony. **In simple terms:** Only one survivor to tell the tale. Key Takeaway Survivor's unique perspective. Themes survival isolation testimony adventure loneliness Mood solemn reflective Type literary confession personal narrative When to use this quote - disaster aftermath - exploration reports - war memoirs Key Concepts narrative authority psychology of trauma Practical Applications - documenting eyewitness accounts - psychological support for survivors Questions to Reflect On - How does being the sole witness shape one's narrative? - What responsibilities do survivors have when recounting events? A Different Perspective The claim may be hyperbolic for dramatic effect. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [From fire, water, the passage of time, neglectful readers, and the hand of the censor, each of my books has escaped to tell me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/from-fire-water-the-passage-of-time-neglectful-readers-and-the-hand/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [“She's in love with him! Nuts about him I tell thee!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-nicks/she-s-in-love-with-him-nuts-about-him-i-tell-thee/) [Louise Nicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-nicks/) > [For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers: (For we are but of yesterday,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bible/for-inquire-i-pray-thee-of-the-former-age-and-prepare-thyself-to-the/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bible/) > [Tell me what company thou keepst, and I'll tell thee what thou art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes/tell-me-what-company-thou-keepst-and-i-ll-tell-thee-what-thou-art/) [Miguel de Cervantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes/) > [Tell me thy company, and I'll tell thee what thou art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes/tell-me-thy-company-and-i-ll-tell-thee-what-thou-art/) [Miguel de Cervantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes/) > [“they that provoke God are secure; Into whose hand God bringeth abundantly. 12:7 But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/they-that-provoke-god-are-secure-into-whose-hand-god-bringeth/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Tell me what company thou keepest and I'll tell thee what thou art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes/tell-me-what-company-thou-keepest-and-i-ll-tell-thee-what-thou-art/) [Miguel de Cervantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes/) > [You must have plenty of sea-room to tell the truth in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/you-must-have-plenty-of-sea-room-to-tell-the-truth-in/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [“In many ways, this place wasn’t so different from the lumberyards his men had recently escaped.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/in-many-ways-this-place-wasn-t-so-different-from-the-lumberyards-his/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [I close my eyes. 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The problem was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/joe-had-run-away-escaped-without-a-trace-and-come-here-to-hide-but/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“He was bewildered at how quickly he had escaped his old life and fallen into this new one with strangely pleasant crazy people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-lynch/he-was-bewildered-at-how-quickly-he-had-escaped-his-old-life-and/) [Scott Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-lynch/) > [I tried to contain myself... but I escaped!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-paulsen/i-tried-to-contain-myself-but-i-escaped/) [Gary Paulsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-paulsen/) > [I'm scared of audiences. One show in Amsterdam I was so nervous, I escaped out the fire exit. I've thrown up a couple of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adele/i-m-scared-of-audiences-one-show-in-amsterdam-i-was-so-nervous-i/) [Adele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adele/) > [I'm an escaped car thief. I broke out of prison to see the Cubs in the World Series.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-belushi/i-m-an-escaped-car-thief-i-broke-out-of-prison-to-see-the-cubs-in-the/) [James Belushi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-belushi/) ## More by Herman Melville > [“and man, though idiotic, and knowing not what he does, yet full of the sweet things of love and gratitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/and-man-though-idiotic-and-knowing-not-what-he-does-yet-full-of-the/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [“But were the coming narrative to reveal in any instance, the complete abasement of poor Starbuck's fortitude, scarce might I have the heart to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/but-were-the-coming-narrative-to-reveal-in-any-instance-the-complete/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [“(On Ralph Waldo Emerson)I love all men who dive. Any fish can swim near the surface, but it takes a great whale to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/on-ralph-waldo-emerson-i-love-all-men-who-dive-any-fish-can-swim-near/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [“So seemed it to me, as I stood at her helm, and for long hours silently guided the way of this fire-ship on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/so-seemed-it-to-me-as-i-stood-at-her-helm-and-for-long-hours-silently/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [“the only real owner of anything is its commander;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/the-only-real-owner-of-anything-is-its-commander/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [“Consider the subtleness of the sea; how its most dreaded creatures glide under water, unapparent for the most part, and treacherously hidden beneath the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/consider-the-subtleness-of-the-sea-how-its-most-dreaded-creatures/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [“Is it that by its indefiniteness it shadows forth the heartless voids and immensities of the universe, and thus stabs us from behind with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/is-it-that-by-its-indefiniteness-it-shadows-forth-the-heartless-voids/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [“Now, as I before hinted, I have no objection to any person's religion, be it what it may, so long as that person does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/now-as-i-before-hinted-i-have-no-objection-to-any-person-s-religion/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [Let America first praise mediocrity even, in her children, before she praises... the best excellence in the children of any other land.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/let-america-first-praise-mediocrity-even-in-her-children-before-she/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [Only the man who says no is free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/only-the-man-who-says-no-is-free/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [Beneath those stars is a universe of gliding monsters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/beneath-those-stars-is-a-universe-of-gliding-monsters/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [“Yet this is life. For hardly have we mortals by long toilings extracted from this world's vast bulk its small but valuable sperm; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/yet-this-is-life-for-hardly-have-we-mortals-by-long-toilings/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [I never fancied broiling fowls; - though once broiled, judiciously buttered, and judgmatically salted and peppered, there is no one who will speak more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/i-never-fancied-broiling-fowls-though-once-broiled-judiciously/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [War should be carried on like a monsoon; one changeless determination of every particle towards the one unalterable aim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/war-should-be-carried-on-like-a-monsoon-one-changeless-determination/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [Genius is full of trash.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/genius-is-full-of-trash/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) [Explore all 1,009 Herman Melville quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) ## More Escaped quotes > [I'm an escaped car thief. I broke out of prison to see the Cubs in the World Series.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-belushi/i-m-an-escaped-car-thief-i-broke-out-of-prison-to-see-the-cubs-in-the/) [James Belushi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-belushi/) > [I'm scared of audiences. One show in Amsterdam I was so nervous, I escaped out the fire exit. I've thrown up a couple of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adele/i-m-scared-of-audiences-one-show-in-amsterdam-i-was-so-nervous-i/) [Adele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adele/) > [I tried to contain myself... but I escaped!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-paulsen/i-tried-to-contain-myself-but-i-escaped/) [Gary Paulsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-paulsen/) > [“He was bewildered at how quickly he had escaped his old life and fallen into this new one with strangely pleasant crazy people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-lynch/he-was-bewildered-at-how-quickly-he-had-escaped-his-old-life-and/) [Scott Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-lynch/) > [“Joe had run away, escaped without a trace, and come here to hide. But now he was ready to come home. The problem was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/joe-had-run-away-escaped-without-a-trace-and-come-here-to-hide-but/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [I close my eyes. An image flashes—emerging from the van with Julian after our escape from New York City; believing, in that moment, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/i-close-my-eyes-an-image-flashes-emerging-from-the-van-with-julian/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“In many ways, this place wasn’t so different from the lumberyards his men had recently escaped.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/in-many-ways-this-place-wasn-t-so-different-from-the-lumberyards-his/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [ The death toll is not nearly high enough... too many \[jihadists\] have escaped. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-death-toll-is-not-nearly-high-enough-too-many-jihadists-have/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [If you can't be content with what you have received, be thankful for what you have escaped.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/izaak-walton/if-you-can-t-be-content-with-what-you-have-received-be-thankful-for/) [Izaak Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/izaak-walton/) > [“Running my fastest not from my past. Running from those who have hurt me in it. And, they can't catch me anymore. I escaped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-telford/running-my-fastest-not-from-my-past-running-from-those-who-have-hurt/) [Jill Telford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-telford/) > [“I should have left yesterday before I found out how hot you run. But I didn’t. And now I’m fucked.” One hand dropped from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-bailey/i-should-have-left-yesterday-before-i-found-out-how-hot-you-run-but-i/) [Tessa Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-bailey/) > [Refuse to let the thought of death bother you: nothing is grim when we have escaped that fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/refuse-to-let-the-thought-of-death-bother-you-nothing-is-grim-when-we/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [It has not escaped us that other competitors have also identified health as an attractive marketplace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-van-houten/it-has-not-escaped-us-that-other-competitors-have-also-identified/) [Frans van Houten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-van-houten/) > [“We havent´s escaped from our prison, we´ve just moved into a new one. And although there are countless places to hide, there´s nowhere to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/we-havent-s-escaped-from-our-prison-we-ve-just-moved-into-a-new-one/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [I don't let technology and mechanics hinder me from a good time. During one of a film premiere there was a party in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gordon-green/i-don-t-let-technology-and-mechanics-hinder-me-from-a-good-time/) [David Gordon Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gordon-green/) Browse all 124 Escaped quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Herman Melville" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/and-i-only-am-escaped-alone-to-tell-thee/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Escaped" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/and-i-only-am-escaped-alone-to-tell-thee/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e5/herman-melville-162_escaped_and-i-only-am-escaped-alone-to-tell-thee_108533.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e5/herman-melville-162_escaped_and-i-only-am-escaped-alone-to-tell-thee_108533.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e5/herman-melville-162_escaped_and-i-only-am-escaped-alone-to-tell-thee_108533.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.” — Herman Melville", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Herman Melville", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“and I only am escaped alone...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/and-i-only-am-escaped-alone-to-tell-thee/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/and-i-only-am-escaped-alone-to-tell-thee/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```