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Spartan Surfers

1819–1891

Herman Melville

Sailed on a whaler in the Pacific as a young man, then wrote Moby-Dick (1851), the great American novel of the sea.

9 sourced lines

Every line we carry

Each one links to its source, what it means, and the shirt in any of our looks.

  1. Whatever is coming, I'll go to it laughing.

    Stubb, the second mate, faces an uncertain and dangerous voyage with a grin. You cannot know what is ahead, but you can choose your attitude. Meet it laughing.

    Moby-Dick (1851), ch. 39, Original English (Moby-Dick, 1851)

  2. Meditation and water are wedded forever.

    Ishmael notices that people drift toward water when they want to think. The sea and the reflective mind belong together. When your head is full, go to the water.

    Moby-Dick (1851), ch. 1, Original English (Moby-Dick, 1851)

  3. A drizzly November in my soul? Time to get to sea.

    Ishmael's cure for gloom is the sea. When your mood turns gray and heavy, change your horizon. Get out on the water.

    Moby-Dick (1851), ch. 1, Original English (Moby-Dick, 1851)

  4. It is not down in any map. True places never are.

    Queequeg's island home is not on any chart. The places that matter most to us cannot be found by coordinates. Some places you only find by going.

    Moby-Dick (1851), ch. 12, Original English (Moby-Dick, 1851)

  5. In the soul lies one insular Tahiti, full of peace and joy.

    Melville compares the soul to green land surrounded by a dangerous ocean. Inside you is an island of calm. Learn where it is and do not push off from it.

    Moby-Dick (1851), ch. 58, Original English (Moby-Dick, 1851)

  6. Ignorance is the parent of fear.

    Ishmael is terrified of his strange roommate Queequeg, then finds he is a good man. Most fear comes from not knowing. Learn more and much of it goes away.

    Moby-Dick (1851), ch. 3, Original English (Moby-Dick, 1851)

  7. I try all things. I achieve what I can.

    Ishmael says this while admitting he is no expert. Try everything and accept your best. No one is fully qualified before they start.

    Moby-Dick (1851), ch. 79, Original English (Moby-Dick, 1851)

  8. Some souls dive into the blackest gorges and soar out again.

    Melville admits there is a sadness that becomes madness. But some people, like a mountain eagle, can go to the darkest places and still rise. Even its lowest flight is higher than other birds on the plain.

    Moby-Dick (1851), ch. 96, Original English (Moby-Dick, 1851)

  9. Against the proud of this earth, stand forth your own inexorable self.

    Father Mapple's sermon says real joy belongs to the person who stays true when the powerful push back. Do not bend to rank. Be yourself, firmly.

    Moby-Dick (1851), ch. 9, Original English (Moby-Dick, 1851)